Can’t Justify an Aircard So I Use NetZero When Traveling
When I switched from Earthlink to AT&T for Internet access for my home office, I could no longer connect when I was outside my calling area using a local access number. (I’d have to pay to connect to an 800 number and pay by the minute). I considered an aircard, but when I thought through how I work, I couldn’t justify the monthly expense.
The aircard (not the same as a wireless card in your computer) enables you to have Internet access without relying on hot spot availability or access to a phone line for dial-up. The card costs about $50, but the service is about $50 a month for an unlimited data plan.
Before I spend money (especially when it’s a monthly expense), I have to justify it and make sure it’ll solve my problem.
I considered how I would use it.
When I’m in Atlanta, I work in my office as opposed to on the patio, in the park, etc. When I travel, I always have my laptop but I use my BlackBerry to monitor email until I get to my hotel.
I almost always stay in hotels that charge $9.95 for a full day’s access to their wireless network, and I can’t justify spending that much just to manage email for an hour or so. That’s why I signed up for NetZero. Perfect solution! Service choices include their FREE Dial-Up Internet Access if you need 10 or less hours of surfing a month. I opted for the Platinum Unlimited Access and pay $9.95 a month. I’m able to get local access numbers everywhere I go within the U.S. (they cover over 6,000 U.S. cities). It’s not as fast as DSL, but all I’m doing is checking email and don’t need the super speed (for $14.95 a month, you can use their Accelerated Dial-Up service).
When I get to my room, I unplug the wire from the telephone base and plug it into my laptop (I carry my own phone wire in case the hotel wire doesn’t fit my computer). When I open NetZero, I click to find a local access number and go from there.
It’s important to note that hotels charge differently for local phone calls. For example, some will charge you $1 for the local call and that’s it. Others will charge $1 for the local call, 20 minutes free, .25 cents a minute for everything over. This information is not normally posted anywhere in the room so I always get this straight when I check in (one hotel put it on the back of the room key…as if someone would actually look there).
UPDATE: I met with my technician and he said that since I now have a BlackBerry, I can tether it to my laptop and use it as my modem. See details in this post, “Tether Your BlackBerry to Your Laptop and Use as a Modem.”
I’m always looking for more economical ways to get what I need. In this economy, we all need to get smarter about how we spend every dime! What have you done to cut back that has not reduced your productivity?
PEACE.
Related Money-Saving Articles
Tether Your BlackBerry to Your Laptop and Use as a Modem
Do You Need an 800 Number? Or a Separate Fax Line?
A Green Office: How I Ran My Business Without a Printer for a Year
Peggy Duncan, Personal Productivity Expert
Filed under: Business Growth, General Technology, Organizing, Personal Productivity
