Internet connectivity while on the run is always a bit of a trial, isn’t it? Fortunately, these days we have tons of options. For instance, I have a Sprint 3G USB device that works great with my laptops and is usually my first choice for on-the-go networking. However, since I’ve managed to get work to pay the monthly fee on it that means is up for grabs for our travelers first. That’s really not a bad deal though as I still have it fairly often.
When the Sprint thing is out, then I have to come up with Plan B. I can’t help but then look at my Windows Mobile phone since it already has a data plan. Now, Sprint wants a kabillion dollars a month to use it as a modem, but there do happen to be other cheaper options.
My first option was to purchase USB Modem and that has worked great for me. The only downside is that I can’t get it to work with the XP Pro installation on my little Eee. I no doubt stripped too much away when I built the custom XP load…
This week I wanted to make sure I’d have options while at WordCamp so I bought a one month subscription for WalkingHotSpot. WalkingHotSpot easily turns my WinMo phone into a portal wireless access point. Slick!
It transforms 3G/Wi-Fi™ S60 or Windows Mobile smartphones into hotspots that enable multiple devices (i.e. laptops, MP3 players) to connect to the Internet anywhere there is mobile network coverage.
I did a bit of research on it and the consensus is that it works well for other folks so I took the plunge. And I should note, you’ll find many references to a free trial from last year but, as near as I can tell that offer no longer exists. However, you can just go with the $7 for one month option to give it a shot.
After using it for a couple hours yesterday I’m pleased to say it does the job nicely. It didn’t kill my phone’s battery as much as I had expected (but I’d be sure to bring a charger if I was going to use it for many hours…). It does heat the phone up a bit but certainly not to a danger point. I found the performance to be far better than the event’s overloaded wifi system.
One thought on power: Just bring a charger for the laptop and a USB cable for the phone. Charge the laptop normally and let the phone “trickle charge” via USB. Kills two birds with one stone and you only need to wrangle up one power outlet which simplifies life a bit.
WalkingHotSpot seems very similar to WMWifiRouter. However, it offers one little feature that, to me, made the difference: the ability to approve connections to the phone. Neither support WPA which is a bummer… but at least being able to approve or punt machines trying to use the device helps a bit, right?
From the FAQ:
Is there any way to restrict a WalkingHotSpot client connection?
Yes, utilize the block client feature. The connecting client can either be blocked at connection time or during usage. They can be blocked for the current session or permanently.
At $25 for the phone’s lifetime I might just break down and buy this one. Between USB Modem, my Sprint 3G USB device and WalkingHotSpot I’d definitely have the bases covered… assuming I can get a Sprint data signal, of course!
… or I could redo my custom XP build and reload the Eee and just stick with USB Modem.
Ah, decisions. Before I make a choice, any other ideas or suggestions?
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March 1st, 2009 
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You can still download the trial for free at http://www.walkinghotspot.com/wm/
Point your mobile browser at that address and download the trial…. it worked for me as of yesterday (2/17/10)
Thanks Alex, that’s good to know. I swear I couldn’t find the free trial when I wrote this — but that was almost a year ago so perhaps things changed. Or maybe I’m just blind