If you are looking to travel by road from your present state to another very soon, that’s a fantastic idea! Road adventures allow you to enjoy nature’s beauty, connect with the immediate environment, and meet new people. You may also be wondering how to stay connected to the internet or enjoy a cheap and fast internet connection while transiting during your long journey. Worry less! We’ve got you. Today, we tell you more about how to use internet Wi-Fi during road trips.
What Is Travel Wi-Fi?
A travel Wi-Fi is a stand-alone device that guarantees you internet access on the go. In other words, you get to connect your mobile phones, tablets, and other internet-enabled devices to a single mobile connection.
Before we discuss mobile Wi-Fi in detail, you should note that there are other great options for internet connectivity. Let’s check out some of these great options.
Roam Your Data Connection
If you are a loyal customer of your mobile phone company, you may decide to use their internet service while traveling to another location.
For many phone companies, they offer internet roaming services. This means that you can continue to use the internet as you embark on your road trip without fear of being cut off from the internet. However, the downside of internet roaming services is that you may incur expensive charges while using the internet in a place far away from the original location of registration.
Likewise, this kind of service may end up giving you a frustrating experience as internet speed is usually slow. So, you may want to reconsider this option and go for a cheaper alternative that also guarantees speedy internet usage.
Purchase a Local SIM Card
Is your road trip to a neighboring state or another country? You may consider purchasing a local SIM card for the place you want to visit. This saves you some money because roaming your mobile phone to another place can cost quite a fortune.
If you want to get a SIM card for a foreign country, you can use online platforms. However, many countries strictly regulate the purchase of SIM cards by foreigners, so it may not be easy to enjoy internet services. To this end, most travelers only purchase SIM cards upon arrival at their country of destination.
Use a Global SIM Card
For frequent travelers, global SIM cards are a perfect option. Unlike the neck-breaking costs that come with roaming your mobile phone, you can get a SIM card that is usable worldwide at a cheap price.
Apart from being able to connect to the internet, you can make international calls with a global SIM card. On the flip side, using a global SIM card is a pathway to slow internet connection. Hence, your best bet remains the travel Wi-Fi.
Connect to Local Wi-Fi at Your Destination
Upon your arrival at the designated location, you will definitely explore the local coffee shops and restaurants. And it is common for these shops and restaurants to offer free internet services for their customers. More so, local train stations also provide Wi-Fi for travelers.
The downside of connecting to public Wi-Fi is the lack of privacy. Hackers can bypass your PC or mobile phone security and extract sensitive information. While using a VPN may help disguise your location when using public Wi-Fi, it does not guarantee adequate protection from skilled hackers.
Buy Trusted Satellite Internet for Your Trip
RVs are a great option for road travel, especially when your family is tagging along. Nothing compares to the feeling of a smooth journey, peeping out of the windows to spectate nature and surfing the internet on the go. For many people, they opt for satellite internet on their RVs.
This is because satellite internet has a wide reach, and you can easily bypass poor internet service prevalent in remote locations.
Also, if there are many road users using the internet at the same time, the connection tends to be slow because the cell towers in that area would be burdened. But with personal satellite internet, you get to enjoy a speedy internet connection if you are traveling on a boat or in an RV.
Popular satellite internet providers include Starlink and Viasat. But these network providers are quite expensive.
Buy Wi-Fi for Travelers
Here comes the best of them all: mobile Wi-Fi. A mobile hotspot is a device that allows you to enjoy internet access on different devices at the same time. While some come with built-in SIM, you can insert SIM cards in other models and subscribe to any data plans of your choice.
Depending on your preference, mobile Wi-Fi may be pricey. And this is what makes it more suitable for frequent travelers. You make a one-off purchase and enjoy unlimited internet access. Similarly, you can rent a travel Wi-Fi if you cannot afford to purchase a personal device. The cost of renting ranges from about $5 – $10 daily.
The Top 3 Travel Wi-Fi
Let’s check out the best portable mobile Wi-Fi out there:
Netgear Nighthawk M1 Router
The nighthawk Wi-Fi for travelers is the first among equals. It has 4G LTE broadband and lets you enjoy an internet connection at a mind-blowing speed. The device has a long-lasting battery that allows about 10 people to enjoy internet access the whole day.
GlocalMe G4 Pro 4G LTE Mobile Hotspot
This device stands out as a touchscreen mobile Wi-Fi. Like its peers, it also has 4G LTE broadband, allowing up to 10 persons on your road trip to enjoy an exclusive private internet connection. The unique feature of this device is that you don’t need to bother about getting a new SIM card.
Skyroam Solis
Do you ever wonder what a mobile hotspot that doubles as a camera looks like? The Skyroam Solis comes to mind. It is a multipurpose Wi-Fi device that lets you surf the internet and serves as a power bank if you need to keep your mobile phone on.
To Sum Up
So there you go! You are now up to speed with how to stay connected on the internet while embarking on your next trip. Before purchasing Wi-Fi for travelers, you should consider its durability, battery capacity, and price.
You have the assurance of creating long-lasting memories and connections on your next holiday.
