Dial-Up Tips

If you travel to small towns or remote areas and getting connected is critical, you may not want to trust that you'll find an Internet cafe or a hotel with broadband Internet access. In this case, an old-fashioned dial-up account can be useful. No matter how small a town is, the local hotels and motels usually have telephones, allowing you to connect to the Internet by using your laptop's modem to dial an ISP number.

Local Access Phone Numbers and 800 Numbers

If you have a dial-up account, check to see if your isp's web site offers local access numbers in the area you'll be traveling. Many ISPs do, and some also provide 800 numbers that can be used in areas where they don't provide local access numbers.

Of course, if you're desperate, you can always set up Internet Connect to dial your local isp number long-distance (just add "1" and the isp's area code to the "Telephone Number" field; see Chapter 3, pages 35 and 45), but that can be very expensive if you need to be online for more than a few minutes.

An 800 number from an isp is usually on a pay-as-you-use-it basis, and the per minute fee is probably going to be more affordable than ordinary long-distance charges. Your isp's web site should provide per-minute rate information for using 800 numbers. As of this writing, EarthLink listed its 800 service rate at $0.10/minute ($6/hour).

Does Your Laptop Have a Modem?

Most Mac laptops have modems built-in, although you may never have used yours. The newest Mac laptops, such as the MacBook Pro, do not include internal modems. If you have one of the new laptops, you'll need to add an external modem if you plan to connect via a dial-up connection (or if you plan to fax from your laptop). The online Apple Store web site sells a small, inexpensive modem that plugs into a Mac's USB port, shown to the right.

Dial-Up By the Month

With the widespread availability of broadband Internet access (cable, DSL, Wi-Fi), many people no longer have dial-up accounts that they can use when on the go. If you know you'll need dial-up access while on a trip, search the web for ISPs that offer dial-up connectivity by the month. Search for "short term dial-up service" to find a provider whose terms are reasonable. Some resorts and hotels offer short-term isp accounts with unlimited access for periods as short as one week. If getting connected in challenging situations is really critical, consider keeping a dial-up isp account in addition to whatever broadband isp account you may have.

NetZero, a national ISP in the U.S., offers Mac users the NetZero Platinum Plan (a monthly plan with no commitment) for just under $10/month. www.netZero.net

International Roaming

If you travel to another country, you'll probably be able to find Wi-Fi broadband connections that you can use. But just in case you don't, check to see if your ISP offers international roaming (sometimes called "global roaming"). Roaming services provide access to local dial-up numbers in other countries.

EarthLink.net offers subscribers international roaming for $0.15/minute.

Dialer.net is an international Internet access provider that offers dial-up, tollfree, Wi-Fi, and broadband access in more than 150 countries.

Your ISP should provide a list of international access numbers on their web site. Create a text file of the access numbers that are available for the country you'll travel to. If you can't find a Wi-Fi or broadband connection, at least you'll have the information necessary to set up Internet Connect with dial-up information.

TheList.com is a web site that provides a comprehensive list of ISPS around the world. You can also search the web for "global roaming services" or "international Internet service providers."

Configure Mail for International Roaming

International travel doesn't make it harder to receive email on your laptop. As long as you can connect to the Internet, Mac OS X Mail will go out and collect your email. There is, however, an issue with sending email when you're not directly connected to your usual isp. You'll need to change Mail's preferences settings for "Outgoing Mail Server (SMTP)" to work with whatever service you're using while on the go. For instance, EarthLink's instructions for their International Roaming service say to change the SMTP server setting to smtpauth.earthlink.net.

See pages 156158 to learn how to change your SMTP setting for Mail and about using a paid service such as smtp.com.

Set Your Modem to Ignore Dial Tones

Modems sometimes don't recognize foreign dial tones and will fail to connect. If you have trouble connecting and suspect this is the problem, tell your modem not to wait for a dial tone.

1.	Open System Preferences, then choose "Network."
2.	In the Network window, from the "Show" pop-up menu, choose "Internal Modem," then click the "Modem" tab. If you don't see "Internal Modem" in the "Show" menu, it's because it's not turned on: Choose "Network Port Configurations" from the "Show" menu and put a check in the box for "Internal Modem." Click the "Apply Now" button at the bottom of the window. Now you'll be able to choose "Internal Modem" from the "Show" menu.
3.	Click to remove the checkmark from the option, "Wait for dial tone before dialing."
4.	Click "Apply Now."

Reversed Polarity, Digital Systems, and Other Risks

Whether your travel is domestic or foreign, there are a couple of other dial-up connection issues of which you should be aware.

Many hotels and office buildings use digital systems that use higher currents than your modem can handle. This type of connection can potentially damage your modem and your computer.

Another common problem is reverse polarity, a condition of incorrect wiring that can prevent a successful dial-up connection.

Buy a small, inexpensive device called a line tester (also known as a modem saver) that can test the phone line for excess current and reversed polarity in a phone jack. Warning lights on the device tell you if the line is safe to use, and can reverse the polarity if necessary. These devices sometimes include surge protection. Search online for "modem saver" or "line tester."

Tax Impulse Filters

Some countries (Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Germany, Slovakia, Spain, and Switzerland) use tax impulsing to monitor the length of telephone calls for billing purposes. It can cause data errors or even make you lose your dialup connection. An inline tax impulse filter can prevent such problems. Search online for "tax impulse filter" if you think you'll need one. It's small, not much bigger than a writing pen.