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Thread: "Hot Spots"

  1. #11
    Senior Member SteveinMN's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by catherine View Post
    How about tethering you device to your phone?
    Some carriers allow tethering; some put certain conditions on it; Tracfone does not allow it at all as part of their standard terms and conditions.

    Quote Originally Posted by frugal-one
    So if I use a hotel wifi my understanding is that this is not secure and could be hacked? What is VPN and where do I get it? I remember having it when I worked but do not really understand. Appreciate clarification.
    Public Wi-Fi can be assumed to be not secure. Yeah, if all you want is to read Yelp reviews of a restaurant or get a street address, not a big thing. But I don't use public Wi-Fi without a VPN. Nobody else needs to know my IDs and passwords.

    VPN is a "Virtual Private Network" -- an app you run that takes all your Internet traffic and encrypts and anonymizes it. That way no one else on that Wi-Fi network can see what you're doing. You could be reading Yelp reviews or balancing your checkbook; it's all just data to them and it all looks alike.

    VPN software is available through App Stores (whoever's) or through the Internet and I'd guess they're available in boxes at your local Best Buy too. You also may have VPN software already on your computer courtesy of an anti-virus or anti-malware application. (I have Avast anti-virus and it offers a VPN I don't use.)

    I use PIA -- Private Internet Access (obvious URL). It's one of the better VPNs as far as the number of operating systems it supports, the number of local servers (VPN can mess up some regionalized Web services), customer privacy, and cost. There are other VPNs that get consistently high marks, but that's the one I chose and I've been happy with them for the three years or so I've used them. You might also consider one for your phone depending on whether you use it for Internet.
    Success is to be measured not so much by the position that one has reached in life as by the obstacles which he has overcome. - Booker T. Washington

  2. #12
    Senior Member herbgeek's Avatar
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    There are 2 basic models of iPad's, one with cellular and one with wifi only. So if yours is wifi only, you can't bring it anywhere to add cellular. It wouldn't have the internal parts to work. Early iPad's at least that came with cellular did not require purchase off a data plan. Not sure if that is still true as I don't have one.

    Hotspots are for connecting, VPNs are for security.

  3. #13
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    Quote Originally Posted by catherine View Post
    How about tethering you device to your phone?
    As stated above, just have a TracPhone.

  4. #14
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    In the general vernacular, a hot spot is used as a different way to get cellular wifi than just using your phone. It is either/or. Some phone plans let you use the data connection on it as a wifi hotspot. Some don't. A hotspot is usually a small device that fits into the palm of your hand size. It is just the wifi portion of a cell phone. The hotspot doesn't have to be with a service you have any other devices with, although it may make sense financially to use it as part of a package.

    I have an AT&T hotspot, a Verizon 3G hotspot, 3 different hotspots from FreedomPop. My cell pohone is with Consumer Cellular.
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  5. #15
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    This is what I was looking for. I can use my iPad as a hotspot.

    http://ipadinsight.com/ipad-tips-tri...sonal-hotspot/

  6. #16
    Senior Member herbgeek's Avatar
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    No, you can't. You said your ipad was wifi only. Making it a hotspot requires that it be a cellular-enabled ipad.

  7. #17
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    Quote Originally Posted by herbgeek View Post
    No, you can't. You said your ipad was wifi only. Making it a hotspot requires that it be a cellular-enabled ipad.
    In situations like these what options do you have if you want to surf the internet on your iPad and you’re away from your fast, secure and reliable home network? For the sake of argument, we are going to assume that your iPad is a Wi-Fi only version, but the process is the same regardless which iPad you own.

  8. #18
    Senior Member herbgeek's Avatar
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    I don't want to sound rude, but did you read the rest of the article you posted? A wifi only iPad can /connect/ to a hotspot but only a cell enabled iPad can BE a hotspot. You have to get internet from somewhere. You can get one of those hotspot devices and connect to that via wifi if you need connectivity on the go.

  9. #19
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    Quote Originally Posted by herbgeek View Post
    I don't want to sound rude, but did you read the rest of the article you posted? A wifi only iPad can /connect/ to a hotspot but only a cell enabled iPad can BE a hotspot. You have to get internet from somewhere. You can get one of those hotspot devices and connect to that via wifi if you need connectivity on the go.
    I understand. We are not communicating. I have it figured out.

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