Worried about how you are going to stay connected on your upcoming international trip? I hear you. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve gone abroad only to scramble around my destination trying to find reliable WiFi. As I run an internet-based business and often work from the road, staying connected is a priority.
Thankfully, whether you’re on a business trip or simply want to keep in touch with friends and family, staying connected while traveling is getting easier and more cost-efficient to do. So, to help keep you connected to the Internet almost no matter where you’re headed, we’ve partnered with Vision Global WiFi — a leading company that provides portable WiFi service in over 130 countries — to give you tips on how to stay connected on the road!
How to Stay Connected When You’re Traveling
Use an International WiFi Hotspot
An International Pocket WiFi Hotspot is essentially mobile Internet that allows you to connect to the web on any of your devices without worrying about setup. Vision Global WiFi’s model allows you to simply enter a password into the Hotspot device provided and access the Internet easily. I used Vision Global’s WiFi device during my 3-week trip to Switzerland, Germany and Ireland and it worked flawlessly.
The Benefits of Using a WiFi Hotspot
Not only will using a WiFi Hotspot allow you to avoid expensive roaming charges and save you precious holiday dollars, it’ll save you time once you reach your destination as well. I have used the service to post on social media, video and voice call loved ones and business partners, do destination research, blog, and get around with maps.
Also, I find the service doubly useful when I plan on going hiking or camping. When I’m off the grid it’s oftentimes hard to find a cell signal or data coverage, and depending where I am and what the situation is, that can be dangerous. Plus, a Vision Global WiFi Hotspot lets you connect to 5 devices simultaneously, and you can even use it as a backup battery for other devices!
With a WiFi Hotspot, I never have to worry if something should go wrong or I change my plans, and I love knowing how much my bill is going to be with pre-calculated rates.
How to Rent a WiFi Hotspot
To rent a Hotspot from Vision Global WiFi, simply visit their website, apply for a WiFi router, and then the device will be delivered to your specified location one day before your departure. Note that in order to receive the router in time, you’ll have to apply at least four days in advance of your trip.
Then, when your trip is over and you’ve returned home, simply ship the Hotspot back within 24 hours of your return date via USPS by using the pre-paid and pre-addressed envelope they provided. Easy!
Tips for Using a WiFi Hotspot
Optimize Your E-Mail
Do you know that you can limit the size of your downloads in your e-mail? Well you can, and it’s a great way to lower your WiFi usage. Simply turn on downloading restrictions for documents past whatever size, and voila, you suddenly have so much more Wi-Fi wiggle room.
On this note, make sure you turn off your e-mail push notifications as well. They’ll rack up usage without you even thinking about it.
Restrict Viewing of Multimedia
Doing things on the internet such as streaming videos takes up a lot of bandwidth. If you want to get the most out of your WiFi Hotspot, consider limiting your consumption of multimedia and stick to looking at text-based content.
Check Your Background Apps
Even if you purposefully close your apps after use, it doesn’t always mean that they stop running and refreshing in the background — eating up your precious bandwidth and battery life.
To make sure that you have control over which apps stay running in the background, go into your system settings and set restrictions. If you’re using Apple devices, this will be under “Background App Refresh”.
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