On the Road Again

I will be traveling for the next week and a half so I'll issue the same disclaimer that I write every time I travel: I do expect to be traveling with an assortment of laptop computers, a wireless "air card" and wi-fi equipment, modem, and other gadgets.  I expect to post articles to this newsletter more or less daily during my travels. However, don't be surprised if I miss a day or two because of hardware malfunctions or travel constraints.

This trip will take me to Tallahassee, Florida (see my article at http://blog.eogn.com/eastmans_online_genealogy/2009/02/tallahassee-genealogical-societys-annual-spring-seminar.html) where I will attend the Tallahassee Genealogical Society's Annual Spring Seminar. I will then take a few days off to enjoy the Florida sunshine before climbing on an airplane for a red-eye flight to London, England.

February 27, 28, and March 1 I will be at the annual Who Do You Think You Are? LIVE! conference in London. I always enjoy this event as 12,000 to 15,000 genealogists, historians, military re-enactors, and others attend the three-day show.  The show's web site may be found at: http://www.whodoyouthinkyouarelive.co.uk. You can also see a number of videos that I recorded at the same show last year and the year before at: http://tinyurl.com/yrwqd3.

If you haven't seen any of those videos before, you might start with the introduction to the 2007 Who Do You Think You Are? LIVE! at http://blog.eogn.com/eastmans_online_genealogy/2007/05/national_histor.html.

I expect to be back home early in March.

Comments

[MonkeyMan]

I know how you feel about the whole travelling thing. I've just came back from a trip and the Wi-Fi was horrible. I've downloaded a "Wi-Fi Inspector" from www.xirrus.com and it allows me to see where the closest connection I can get is at. Pretty useful if you ask me. Also I've been following up and finding more about Wi-Fi by frequenting http://wifijedi.wordpress.com . Maybe you might find it useful

[Dick Eastman]

In the U.S., I generally avoid Wi-Fi as much as possible.

I have a Verizon air card that works anywhere that is within a few miles of a Verizon cell phone tower that has the proper equipment. That includes almost all metropolitan and suburban locations but some rural areas do not yet have the proper equipment. The Verizon air card runs at nearly broadband speeds but not as fast as the typical Wi-Fi connection. I pay by the month. For anyone who travels frequently, that is a lot cheaper than paying $10 a day or more for Wi-Fi connections at hotels and airports.

However, once I go outside the U.S. the Verizon card is useless. It may work in some countries, such as in Mexico, but the roaming fees are outrageous. In those countries, I am limited to Wi-Fi connections.

I do have WiFiFoFum, a free program for the Apple iPhone that sniffs out Wi-Fi networks. It is quick and easy to use, as I don't have to boot up the laptop to use it. The iPhone cell phone is almost always on my belt and running so I can find Wi-Fi networks within a very few seconds.

- Dick Eastman