Sometimes the world is at your beck and call. You simply have to be mobile. Whether you're just heading down to your local coffee shop, or are jet setting to Istanbul for sightseeing—life takes you places. And what better way to travel than with a wireless laptop computer?

To-do list: Buy incense in a bustling Turkish bazaar, and then sit in an outdoor cafe and update my blog.

With a Wi-Fi* hotspot, you can connect to the Internet either for free or for a small fee. You'll find thousands of hotspots all over the world to connect to while on the go—there are 172 in Istanbul alone—and connecting is simple.

In the know before you go.

Visit these hotspot locators:

• JiWire
• TechNewsWorld
• T-Mobile Hotspots

At your destination, software within your wireless laptop will automatically tell you what hotspot providers are available to connect to (without a fee). However, if you want to be prepared, or you absolutely need to know that you'll be able to connect when you get there, a quick visit to the World Wide Web will help you locate a hotspot area ahead of time. There are many online hotspot locators to choose from and we'll provide you with a list of options, but here's one way to go using JiWire:

1. Go to the JiWire (http://www.jiwire.com/) home page.
2. Click Find Wi-Fi Hotspots on the upper-right side of the page.
3. On the Wi-Fi Hotspot Finder page, enter your destination's address and how far you're willing to travel. You'll see a list of nearby hotspots and whether they are free or paid. Paid means that once you arrive at the hotspot, you'll have to pay via credit card before you can connect.
4. You've arrived. Once you arrive at your destination, it's time to get mobile!
5. Locate the wireless access point (often signs are posted, but you may need to ask) and sit close to it for the best possible connection speed. Of course, you won't always have that option (like when you're at a Turkish bazaar for instance) so you'll have to rely on your wireless signal strength icon (often located in the lower-right corner of your screen near your computer's clock).
6. To access the hotspot network, start your Web browser (like Internet Explorer* or Mozilla Firefox* for instance).
7. At the prompt to log on to the hotspot network, follow the logon instructions and your laptop will automatically connect to the appropriate hotspot provider.

Tip! If your wireless card doesn't locate networks automatically, try this:

8. From the Start menu (bottom left of your computer screen), click Programs.
9. Select the utility for your wireless card, and then click the Configuration tab.
10. Set the mode to Infrastructure and the SSID to the name of the hotspot provider (the name will display in your browser).
11. If the service is not free (grumble), choose a plan based on your needs—will you be traveling for a number of days in the same area? Is it worth paying for just the day, or for several?

Additional hotspot-related information

• Find out about potential security issues when using public hotspots
• Hotspot Wiki

Tip! Before you sign up for a long-term contract with a provider, ask yourself:

1. Do you visit many different places? If so, use a hotspot locator like JiWire to identify providers with hotspots in as many of these places as possible.
2. Do you spend a lot of time in a particular company's hotels or shops? If so, choose the provider that runs the hotspots for that company.
3. Once you've selected a plan and filled out the form, entered your credit card information, and agreed to the terms and conditions you're ready to go!
4. Log on with your username and password, and then surf, email, update your blog—whatever, with reckless abandon!

Tip! Don't have the opportunity to jump online while on the fly? You don't necessarily need to look for hotspots on the Internet. There are hundreds of thousands throughout the world, and a walk down the street of most any city will have plenty to choose from.

You'll love the freedom that a wireless connection provides. Whether you're a road warrior for work, or just want to connect for fun—hotspots are your way to tap into the online world wherever your feet, legs, and laptop may take you. Find the ultimate in mobility by looking for laptops with Intel® Inside.

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