Vacation Internet better than ever?

A trek in the family truckster from the Boston area down to Myrtle Beach, S.C., last week not only gave me the chance for rest and relaxation (well, after the drive), but also the opportunity to test out some Internet access devices.

I decided to bring a laptop on the trip for general Web access (personal e-mail, not work), but I didn't know what the Internet access options would be like during the road trip and at our vacation spot.

There's good news on that front -- I'm used to business travel where hotels charge up to $15 or more for 24 hours of Internet access, both wired and wireless. So it was a nice surprise to see that many motor lodges and non-business hotels (scattered along Interstate 95) offer free Wi-Fi to guests. Still, there were some spots along the way where a 3G wireless card was necessary, so it was nice that I had these two other options to test.

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A trek in the family truckster from the Boston area down to Myrtle Beach, S.C., last week not only gave me the chance for rest and relaxation (well, after the drive), but also the opportunity to test out some Internet access devices.

I decided to bring a laptop on the trip for general Web access (personal e-mail, not work), but I didn't know what the Internet access options would be like during the road trip and at our vacation spot.

There's good news on that front -- I'm used to business travel where hotels charge up to $15 or more for 24 hours of Internet access, both wired and wireless. So it was a nice surprise to see that many motor lodges and non-business hotels (scattered along Interstate 95) offer free Wi-Fi to guests. Still, there were some spots along the way where a 3G wireless card was necessary, so it was nice that I had these two other options to test.

The scoop: Sprint Mobile Broadband 2-in-1 Card (Sierra Wireless AirCard 402), about $300 ($100 after various rebates), plus service, on Sprint's network.

Click to see: Product shot

What it is: This card claims to be two cards in one, but it's really just one Internet access card that can fit into two different slots -- either the notebook's PC Card or the ExpressCard slot, which you can find on newer notebooks. The card accesses Sprint's Mobile Broadband network (3G wireless), and includes GPS capability with bundled software that lets you know where you are while you're on the road.

Why it's cool: I liked having the ability to use this card on an older notebook, as well as the newer notebook that only had an ExpressCard slot. It was also nice that I could insert the card and the software would automatically install -- gone are the days of CD installation with the possibility of messing up if you put the card in before you were supposed to.

Grade: 4 stars (out of five)

The scoop: Broadband2Go, by Virgin Mobile USA, about $150 (plus pre-paid megabyte plan).

What it is: Prepaid wireless access on cell phones has been around for many years, but it hadn't crossed over to the broadband data side until now. The Broadband2Go package from Virgin Mobile USA offers a Novatel Wireless USB modem (the Ovation MC760) and a quick plug-and-play installation. Instead of a monthly plan, users buy a bunch of megabytes. For $10, you get 10 days of access and 100MB. For $60, it increases to 30 days and 1GB of space.

Why it's cool: A lot of workers don't travel enough to justify a monthly contract for other broadband cards. For example, I travel only a couple of times over a six-month period, with some months where I don't need broadband access at all. For those travelers, a prepaid broadband plan makes sense. Like the phone plans, users can "top off" and add minutes via cash (buying top-off cards), credit or debit cards.

Some caveats: Installation was easy, but I had difficulty activating the initial modem (activating via the 1xRTT network timed out the site many times).

Grade: 3.5 stars

Read more about wireless & mobile in Network World's Wireless & Mobile section.