How to Set up an In-Car Wi-Fi Hotspot

When you’re enjoying a flexible remote work situation, you want to save your money for sightseeing and fun adventures, not on keeping your home office running. For the cheapest and easiest option when working from the road, use your smartphone. This setup will work if you don’t have heavy work demands. For example, if you just need to check email and send replies a few times a day, update Google docs, or post to social media sites occasionally, you can create a Wi-Fi hotspot with your phone that other devices can connect to, like a laptop.

To ensure this works well for you, you should ensure you have a quality cell phone plan. Ideally, your phone plan would include unlimited data and excellent nationwide coverage. Before you travel, be sure to check your plan’s coverage map so you know you’ll be covered in the areas you visit. Some plans are better in certain areas of the country than others, but many will provide solid coverage in remote locations, including at destinations like Yosemite Valley or Rocky Mountain National Park. Many campsites and RV parks are situated close to cell towers, which make them a good option when it comes to coverage.

Whichever plan you choose, take note of what the data allowance is for your phone’s hotspot usage. Often, this amount is lower than your overall data. After hitting data caps, you’ll experience what’s called “throttling,” which means your provider will reduce your data speeds.

MiFi, or mobile Wi-Fi, is the trendy term for a mobile hotspot device. This is a small device whose only function is to create a Wi-Fi hotspot that your laptop or another device can connect to for access to the internet and make calls.

Keep in mind that most mobile hotspots require a data plan contract, but there are some that are available without a contract. Furthermore, some plans are based around a monthly fee for a set amount of high-speed data, while others allow you to pay per gigabyte. Plans will also specify how many devices each hotspot can support and whether they will work in foreign countries. It’s important to note that – unsurprisingly – you will pay more for international connection capabilities and greater high-speed data usage.

All cellular plans include high-speed data caps of some kind. And when you have only limited data, it’s important to make the most of it. That means you should avoid using it in ways that don’t serve you whenever possible.

To make sure you do this, always turn off your cellphone data when not in use. Remember to turn off background apps or programs on your phone, tablet, or laptop. Pause automatic updates that eat up data while traveling. Also, get in the habit of downloading music, podcasts and movies in advance of your trip or when you’re at a location that offers free Wi-Fi.

Creating a mobile hotspot can burn through your phone’s battery quickly. Additionally, if you’re using a hotspot device, you’ll need to provide it with power as well as recharge any laptops or tablets you may be using. Therefore, you should always be prepared with a fully-charged power bank or a power inverter that you can use in a car or truck wherever you go.

With all these tools in place, you can give yourself the freedom to roam while still being responsible to your job commitments. Thanks to advances in technology, the option of remote work from a mobile office is much more possible. Because sometimes a change of scenery is all you need to get a burst of inspiration in your career.