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Connecting to the Mother Ship

You've made it to your hotel, have all your equipment, and have located the broadband jack in your room.

Tip

Use the quick-start guide included with your TA for a quick way to set up and get online on the road. These instructions will work for most of the connections you find. Call your VoIP provider if you still need assistance.

Now what?

In this section, I summarize the steps to take to get your system connected and working with your VoIP service.

Connecting your TA

Your TA should work exactly like it does at home. If you have connected it using the default setup from your VoIP provider, it should be a "plug and dial" hookup for you. If you have modified the device settings or set a fixed IP address to make it work with your home network, you might have to configure it to obtain an address from the hotel network. (To accomplish that task, use the voice-response menus built into your TA.) Consult the manufacturer's instructions if you have any questions about how to access these menus on your TA.

If you have been using your TA with an Internet gateway device, you might consider bring the gateway along to simplify things. You will most likely need to use the setup guide for your gateway to get it communicating with the hotel's network.

You did bring a handset, didn't you?

After your TA is online, just plug in your handset and start making calls.

If you have forgotten your handset, do not try connecting the hotel phone to your TA. Many hotel phones are designed to operate on different types of phone systems and would not be compatible with your TA; some might even damage your TA's circuitry .

If you don't have a handset, consider using a softphone with your notebook computer—the topic of the next section.

Leaving the TA at home (or Phoenix)

Many travelers opt not to bring their TA on the road; they bring their notebook computer and use a VoIP softphone instead. Most VoIP service providers offer softphone options for a small fee; these options can give you excellent mobility on the road.

Broadband Phone on the Go

Most major broadband phone companies offer softphone options. Phones like the XTen X-PRO softphone work with several VoIP providers when you add a softphone line to your service ( Figure 9.11 ). These options are a great deal for the extra mobility you will receive. You can use the softphone anywhere your notebook computer can get a high-speed connection, and you do not have to reconfigure the softphone each time you try to use it in a new location.

Figure 9.11. The XTen X-Pro softphone configured for Vonage's SoftPhone service

Have Skype, Will Travel

If you use free services like Skype and Free World Dialup, you already have the setup you need to communicate on the road. Just find the Internet, and start calling. You will have the same tools you use at home to make and receive calls.

Travel Safely

Finally, let's look at a few things you should consider when traveling to make your journey a safe one. Just because you are on vacation doesn't mean that the hackers are as well. You can take a few common-sense steps to make sure you can use your equipment safely while on the road.

Note

Virtual private networks and encryption are advanced security technologies; operating them correctly requires additional knowledge and configuration. If you do not have these resources set up already, consult a good book on Internet security for advice about setup and operation.

Don't forget security

If you read the newspaper, watch television, or listen to the radio, you have read/seen/ heard reports about Internet viruses, worms, spam, phishing, and so on. You need to take the same precautions on the road against these threats that you would take at home.

Wireless Security

For all intents and purposes, a wireless network is like an old party-line telephone; everyone who has access to the network can hear what everyone else is saying. If you are planning to use your systems for sensitive communications, consider this fact, and take appropriate measures to ensure that your communications are protected. These measures may include using encrypted softphones (like the kind provided by Skype) or virtual private networks that connect you to a trusted network before you initiate your call.

Internet Security

As a minimum, install a good personal firewall and antivirus program on your notebook computer to protect your system whenever you are connected to the Internet.

Beyond that, I cannot possibly do this important topic justice in these pages. If security is important to you, please pick up a book that deals with Internet security to learn how to make your systems secure. There are several good choices—some written by me and some written by other Peachpit authors. Check your local bookstore for one that speaks to your level of interest and skill with this topic.

Register your 911 service

Your VoIP provider's 911 service is fixed to the location you provided when you last configured 911. During your travels , if you plan to be in one location for any length of time, register your new location with your provider's 911 service. You can usually do this on the provider's Web site, and the process takes only a few minutes.