How to Find Wireless Internet Access on the Road

These days it's tough not to be online all the time. But if you haven't quite made the leap and bought a Blackberry yet, you're probably still carting that laptop around in search of Wi-fi. Here's how to always find a hotspot, no matter where you are.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• A car
• A laptop with a built-in wireless receiver or wireless card
• A car lighter AC power adapter (optional)

1. If you're in an unfamiliar town and need to get online in a pinch, the rule of thumb is--go where the people are. Head for either a downtown business district or a commercial zone near the highway.

2. If you're downtown, look for the nearest coffee shop or cafe, as many are likely to offer free wi-fi in return for the price of a cup of coffee. More and more towns are also now offering free municipal wi-fi citywide.

3. If there's no easy access downtown, find a spot near the highest concentration of businesses, as odds are a few will have an unsecured wireless router. Book stores are often a good bet.

4. No luck downtown? Head for the highway or the nearest chain motel or hotel. Just about every national chain now offers free wireless Internet that you can easily access from the parking lot or the lobby--it's much easier than sneaking into the pool.

5. Finally, if you've had no luck with the above, and you've no qualms with using someone else's router without permission, head to the nearest apartment or condominium complex. Almost without fail, you'll find an unsecured router you can quickly log onto before anyone's the wiser.

Tips & Warnings

• Other hotspot hotspots--colleges, universities, libraries, RV parks and visitor's centers.
• Some folks have ethical qualms with using wireless routers without permission. If this bugs you, simply ask.
• Keep in mind that most wireless routers are unsecured, so the data you transmit is vulnerable to being intercepted for nasty means.