I’m hanging out at a hospital this week, and I would like to be able to log in to work. Unfortunately, while they have available wi-fi, they block access to other companies’ networks, so I can’t use that.
I’m getting to the age where I grumble about new-fangled inventions and having to suck up to children to run my gadgets, so I’m clueless about what I could use as an alternative internet access.
It’s kind of expensive, but I’ve had luck with the Virgin Mobile MiFi. Verizon and others also have MiFi’s, but you have to sign up for a long term contract. Virgin Mobile is pay-as-you-go. You can pick them up at Best Buy, Walmart, and other stores. One tip: You initially set up your MiFi account by connecting with your MiFi device, but they email your account information back to you a couple of days later. You’ll need some other way to access your email to get this information.
As I said, the initial hardware is expensive, but it has come in handy as a backup when my DSL service was down for a few days or on other trips.
They also have a cheaper USB unitthat hooks up to one computer at a time (I haven’t used this personally).
Something else to be careful of if you find a way to connect to a public wifi network: If you don’t need a password, your connection is not encrypted. Anyone can eavesdrop on what you are doing. And be careful of connecting to a network that you are not familiar with, there are people creating dummy wifi networks with names like “free wifi access” to capture what you are typing.
The easiest solution is to go to a coffee shop and do your thing from there. Buy a latte or two and get a few hours’ of free WiFi without pissing anyone off.
Another is to see if you can get a cell phone with a data plan and hook your cell phone up to your computer to act as a modem. (Or you could get a dedicated modem that works off the same principle.) This might get a bit expensive, or it might not.
Or you could work with your work’s IT department and see if you can get a VPN which will get through the firewall the hospital has in place. (This is assuming the hospital’s Internet connection reaches outside the hospital itself. Which it must, or else what’s the point, right?) I have no idea if this will work for you.
Can you point me to a page that shows how to do this? I have a cel phone from work that I could use (they might as well pay)
Before we got hooked up to the Internet, I’d have Hubster do some “war driving.” Find “Motel Row” near an Interstate, and have at it. Many motels/hotels are password protected, many more are not.
Another place to try is a public library. Even after the library is closed, you can park outside and still access their wi-fi.
I do caution you against paying credit card bills or doing your banking through this type of access.
~VOW
What phone and what carrier? Very few phones will work as a modem for a computer. iphones and many android phones can be used to setup a wifi acces point allowing your laptop to use wifi to the phone to get internet. This tends to be an extra $20 or so a month.
That’s what I was afraid of, and I have a PALM pixi. I thought it might be a problem since there didn’t seem to be an obvious option.
I bought a broadband2go usb to connect with, but it isn’t playing nice with the company network. I think it’s because of this: "If you keep getting this message and are unable to connect, then it may indicate that the Contivity Secure IP Services Gateway is unable to communicate with the client because it is behind some kind of NAT (Network Address Translation) device. NAT (Network Address Translation) Traversal allows a number of devices on a private network to access the Internet simultaneously without each requiring its own external IP address. "
FYI for VOW and Derleth - if I was willing to leave the hospital I would do something like that, but I haven’t been real eager to leave my husband.
You might try talking to the Nursing Supervisor, to get a name of somebody in IT for the hospital. If you explain your situation, a kind-hearted IT geek might be able to get you set up with a temporary connection.
Worth a try!
~VOW
The palm pixi looks like it does allow sharing of the data connection. I would call the carrier (verizon?) and ask them how to use it.
Wait a minute. So you can, for example, connect to google.com or straightdope.com, but you cannot connect to your employer’s network?
You get that message when you try to access your employer’s network, correct?
Any router is a “NAT” (unless it is being used in single-user bridge mode). Any sort of WiFi access is going to be through a router and involve NAT. I doubt that the hospital is going to be able to help you. This has something to do with your employer’s security set up.
Have you ever been able to access your employer’s network from anywhere outside of work?
Tethering using your cell phone is basically going to get you the same kind of connection that the broadband2go device gives you. The broadband2go device is basically a cell phone without the phone part.
I always use this computer away from the office. I’ve been able to connect with my home network and with Panera’s network.
I contacted the hospital’s IT already - they don’t allow access to outside networks by policy.
I contacted Virgin (second shot) and the guy I talked to said essentially that they don’t do tech support for VPNs so I’m hosed on that.
Then contact your employer’s IT department and read them the error message. They may be able to help you.
I have used the USB unit (which supports just the computer it’s plugged into). It’s OK, though the initial setup wasn’t as seamless as they’d have you believe. I had to call their tech support, and it took some doing to get hold of the number. The dongle itself was 99ish dollars at Best Buy; Amazon has them for slightly less right now.
I haven’t needed it since shortly after I got it, since I’ve gotten a smartphone, but I imagine it would work just fine for your needs as long as you can get a cellular signal.
If the hospital’s wifi gives you general web access, you could install remote access software (e.g. LogMeIn) on your home computer, remote into that computer from the hospital, and access your work network that way. When you’re using this sort of service, as far as the hospital’s wifi knows, the only thing you’re communicating with is the remote access site, and your work network sees only your home computer.