Mobile Users and the Internet

The business world has been mobile for many years now, and the need for Internet access wherever a user travels has been a tricky problem to solve. With the influx of smart-phones into the workplace, the solution has become more easy to solve.

Laptop manufacturers have addressed this need by offering cellular modems installed in some models. All one needs to do is sign up for a data plan and wherever you have cell phone coverage, you generally could access the Internet on your “cell laptop.” However, this option hasn’t been too popular for all users in the workplace. While most users have laptops, only a few might travel enough to justify the monthly cost and special hardware.

Other options, besides coffee shops and book stores, have been for a company to purchase USB or data cards that they give to people or have a check-out process for. These cards work with all laptops and some, like Novatel Wireless’s MiFi devices, don’t have to be plugged in at all to the computer, and act just like any other wireless access point as far as the laptops are concerned. A car of four people traveling on a business trip could have three passengers all working simultaneously on their laptops on the Internet with one MiFi device sitting on the dash providing the access. This is a little more cost efficient than the same cost per month that would have gone to provide one laptop. This service can now power up to five in the same vicinity.

But what about Joe User who goes off by himself somewhere, either on a business trip or maybe just to grandma’s house for the weekend? Grandma doesn’t have Internet access, nor are there any open wifi networks in the area. Well if Joe has a smart-phone, he has a few options. The obvious one is to use the browser and features on the phone itself. But as smart-phone users can attest, using the small screen and keyboard, whether it’s a physical one or on-screen keyboard, can be a little limiting. Well then, the next option would be to tell the smart-phone to give his laptop Internet access.

This can be done in a few ways. Let’s say the user has an Android phone (my personal preference). Most carriers offer a Mobile 3G hotspot or tethering option that you can tack on to the monthly bill. This option allows the phone to act like the MiFi described above or to give Internet access by a USB cable plugged into the laptop. This is a good option for those who like spending anywhere from $15-30 a month for this kind of access. But still for some that’s a little too steep.

The option I recommend in this case is to purchase an app that will do everything the above monthly fee will do, but for a one-time fee. Enter an app called PDANet. This application is for all smart-phones; Android, iPhone, Windows Mobile, Blackberry, even older Palm devices. It allows you to connect your phone to your laptop over a USB cable or over wireless blue-tooth and use it to connect to the Internet. It takes installing the app on your phone and a small one on your PC. You just start both of them up and then connect to the Internet. And the best part is the price - it’s free. Well the free version will only let you browse non-secure websites, so any website that uses https:// in the address will be blocked. BUT the full paid version allows all traffic. And currently the full version is only $16 (regularly $24). Obviously, a one-time fee of $16 is better than $30/month.

As good as this sounds, some carriers like AT&T are blocking the install of PDANet to try and make people buy their monthly subscription. But there are easy ways to get around these blocks as well.

With the prevalence of smart-phones, especially in the business world, setting up laptops to access the Internet through them so users can work, wherever they are and whenever they want, is the next logical step in our increasingly connected world.