Travel Router

Richdmoore said:

I was wondering if anyone had any experience with using a travel router on the iPad?

Specifically, I tried the simulation software to set up a treadnet travel router, but it is not compatible with Safari for Mac or iPad, so I assume the real one is not as well.

Now I'm looking for another brand or suggestion for getting a wired-only hotel room internet into my iPad.

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Apple Airport Express.

Refurbs are $79.

... or Sprint Overdrive 4G. We are using it in the California Pizza Kitchen as I write this. It's a palm-sized WiFi hotspot with 4G connection. With the iPad, I see between 3.5 to 4.5Mbps download. It supports up to 5 devices. We take two MBPs and two iPads and two iPhone3Gs on the road so we are quite pleased with the cost per device.

I got mine today, the Zoom 4506. You can connect your 3G stick directly, or an ethernet cable connection.
So far, it works great.

http://www.zoom.com/techsupport/mobile_broadband/mobile_broadband_4506.shtml

Amazon link

http://images.macrumors.com/vb/images/attach/jpg.gif

I have traveled with an Airport Express for years. I plug into an available ethernet port and I have my own private WiFi hotspot.

Richdmoore said:

Thanks for the response. I'm not interested in buying another data plan apart from my iPhone, and my company almost always negotiates the room internet into our rate for free.

(I'm also not interested in jailbreaking my iphone, at least until I have upgraded my iphone, then I may consider jailbreaking the older one into a 3g wireless router.)

Once I set up the airport express using my apple, is there ever a need to reconfigure it on the fly, which I believe you can't do with an iPad, or simply plug into any hotel room and go?

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the airport express would be nice but yes you are correct. i dont think you can configure an airport express with an ipad since its configured using the airport utility not through a browser.

you never know what type of settings each network might require so i would want a router that can be configured through a browser.

Richdmoore said:

Once I set up the airport express using my apple, is there ever a need to reconfigure it on the fly, which I believe you can't do with an iPad, or simply plug into any hotel room and go?

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I've never needed to reconfigure mine. It's worked in every hotel I needed it.

Reconfigure

I have and have used 4 travel routers: Linksys, netgear, and airport express "G" and now the "N" version. I have traveled with each one and once configured I have never had to reset any of them. So you are probably pretty safe. The Linksys and Netgear can be configured via the web browser. I have never tried reconfiguring A-Express without the utility.

I bought the airport express and travel 3 days a week, we have free internet in all hotels we stay in per our company contract. I simply configured the airport express at home with a WPA password using my iMac, then connected my iPad to it. From that point on I simply plug it into the hotel ethernet cable and my iPad automatically hops onto the password protected WiFi network. in the view of the hotel i am plugged in so you will see the typical hotel sign in webpage first but it works normally as if plugged in, but your wireless. I stay in all chains imaginable that have wired internet (higher level chains) as well as the cheaper hotels that tend to have wireless instead of wired.

Similar experience here using the Airport Express for travel for many years. Also note that if you did a reset, the default function is to act as a wireless access point. But I've never had to and it's worked like a charm. Highly recommended.

I have a question about this mobile hotspot devices. If I were in let's say Outback Steakhouse and Joe Blow has one of those Sprint devices in use. If I look for it with my ipad will it see it? Will I be able to use the hotspot while he is there or are they password protected somehow?

Ak8s said:

I have a question about this mobile hotspot devices. If I were in let's say Outback Steakhouse and Joe Blow has one of those Sprint devices in use. If I look for it with my ipad will it see it? Will I be able to use the hotspot while he is there or are they password protected somehow?

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most likely password protected. but in theory if you are in range you could tap into that network if you knew the password.

so far the speeds have been less than impressive. but once the 4G standard is everywhere it may change.

I use the airport express and it is great. my ipod touch always has full bars and never drops out. In comparison to my Linksys G router, the Apple works well and without issues.

Once I set up the airport express using my apple, is there ever a need to reconfigure it on the fly, which I believe you can't do with an iPad, or simply plug into any hotel room and go?
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There shouldn't be any reason to reconfigure an airport express in a hotel room. While it isn't always needed, I always do a hard reset of the express at a new hotel, but other than that, I can't think of another reason to need to config anything in a hotel