Get a local data SIM card when you travel so you can hop online at lower rates instead of racking up data roaming charges.
That plus a device like this Vertix may save you from huge phone bill.
So if you can get it, using a local data SIM when overseas is a no-brainer. But sharing that bandwidth with your laptop, tablet and smartphone can be trickier.
Use a 3G wireless router or Mi-Fi device like this Vertix. It becomes your own hot spot that your devices can log on to.
This gadget works just like your home router. But it is battery driven so you can use it even when you are en route to a meeting in a speeding taxi. Charging is via a standard mini-USB port so there is no need to pack an additional charger when you travel.
The Vertix is the size of a memory card reader. It fits easily in your pocket. Compared to another battery-driven 3G router of about the same price, the Edimax 3G-6218n, the Vertix is only half the size.
To work, such routers need a USB modem dongle, the type that is supplied by telcos with mobile data subcriptions – unlike Huawei models that have integrated modems.
Within 25 seconds of powering it up, it could connect an iPhone 4S and HTC Desire HD to it. We tested two USB dongles with it with a ZTE MF626 and Huawei E1550.
A straightforward set-up is needed via a Web browser. For convenience, the settings for the networks in more than 40 countries are preloaded: from Argentina to Singapore.
Streamimg the high-definition version of the trailer for the Hobbit on an iPhone 4S up to 20m away across office cubicle space without much problem. This little gizmo pumps out more than enough bandwidth for a hotel room.
VERTIX PR1 Portable Wireless Router allows portable data sharing wherever you are in, office, hotel, outdoors , on the train or bus and so on. The compact device can even be placed in pocket or backpack which makes it truly convenient. For continuous operation, PR1 can be used with a supplied AC desktop charger or a USB charging cable which can be connected to your laptop or any USB power source.
Enjoy a wireless data sharing experience with these features:
- Pocket size networking wherever you go with up to 4 hours use on a single charge
- Supports wireless broadband speed up to 150Mbps
- Pocket size device which makes it highly portable and convenient
- External USB 3G modem ensures flexibility when you are travelling
- Built-in high capacity Li-ion battery
- Support USB type extenal cellular modems and ethernet or LAN connections (RJ 45 cable)
- GPRS, EDGE, EVDO Rev A, WCDMA HSDPA/HSUPA, TD-SCDMA HSPA protocols
- Widely support 3G/3.5G/3.75G data cards
- Auto dial, Auto APN, 3G/3.5G/3.75G signal display
- Supported protocols: TCP, UDP, IP, ARP, ICMP, DHCP, PPPoE, DNS, PAP/CHAP, HTTP
- Supports 3G auto dialing, 3G fixed time dialing, 3G total online time statistics
- Supports 3G , PPPoE(DSL and Cable modem), Dynamic IP, static IP Broadband access
- Wireless security with 64bit/128bit-WEP and WPA-PSK/WPA2-PSK support
- Built in SPI firewall which can deny ARP/DDOS attack effectively
- Supports Virtual Server which can be used to create a website on your LAN.
- Supports IP Filtering, Domain Filtering, MAC Filtering, IP and MAC binding
- WDS repeater function support"
