It is a question that is always on every traveler’s mind, how to access the internet abroad? For some people, the answer to this question is more than flight details or the place where they are going to stay.
The answer to this question is important because most of us have become so much dependent on the internet and the internet has become an integral part of our lives that most of us cannot imagine staying away from the internet.
Through the internet, you can stay in touch with your friends, use the GPS to find out your location and also the location where you want to go, post a status update to show everyone where you are, and much more. And all of these things aren’t possible without internet access. So, how can you get access to the internet while traveling abroad? Well, the answer to this important question is given below.
International Plan From Your Network Provider
If you are going for a short trip then the best choice that you have is to get an international plan from your network provider. This option involves the least hassle and for short trips that are less than a week, this option is the best. You just have to sign up for your network provider’s international plan. These plans are usually available at moderate prices and include unlimited calls, unlimited texting, and internet data.
The best thing about this option is that you won’t have to switch your SIM card or anything and unless you go over the data limit, you won’t be charged extra. To reduce the data usage, make sure that you turn off background data to reduce the usage so that you will have more data available when you will need it.
Public WiFi Networks
We also have a free option available using which you can access the internet while traveling abroad. Using a free public WiFi network in many spots is an option available through which you can use the internet. Wherever you go, whether it is a hotel, a restaurant, a coffee shop, a mall, a park, or anywhere else, you will find free public WiFi networks in most of these places and you can either directly connect to the network or just ask for the password and connect to the network.
Make sure that whenever you are using a public WiFi network, you avoid doing any activity that involves your personal information or sensitive information such as banking, making online transactions, and other secure information because such information is always prone to getting decrypted and falling into wrong hands on a public WiFi network because you don’t know who else is connected to the same network.
Mobile Hotspots
This is one of the best options to access the internet while traveling abroad. You can easily purchase or rent a personal mobile hotspot and it is perfect if you are traveling with multiple people or you have multiple devices. Having a personal hotspot in your pocket gives you a lot of confidence and you can access the internet at any time you want to. Plus, these hotspots are easily configurable through default gateway addresses such as 192.168.1.1.
Having a personal mobile hotspot or travel router will always keep you covered and you won’t have to worry about where to find the next WiFi spot or exceeding the data limit. You can connect up to 10 devices simultaneously to the mobile hotspot and see the data limit by logging into the router through 192.168.0.1.
You can buy a personal hotspot if you want to or if you don’t have that much budget then you can also rent a hotspot and access the internet without any data limits.
Buying A Local SIM Card
If you are going for a long trip somewhere abroad then buying a local SIM card is the best option and a cost-effective one too. Instead of using a package from your own network provider, you can buy a local SIM card from the country that you are visiting. It will give you a number but along with that, you will also get a calling and data plan that you will need throughout your trip.
The advantage of buying a local SIM is that you will be able to get access to the internet at affordable rates as compared to your carrier’s international plan but there is a catch to this. You will need to make sure that your phone is carrier unlocked and it is working with different network providers in the country of your visit. You will also need to make sure that the frequency of your mobile phone and network provider match, otherwise, you won’t be able to use the SIM card.