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Hotel Room Connection Tips

Plan Ahead


Call or fax the hotel before you leave home, to find out whether the rooms are equipped with dataports or whether the phones are modern, modular ones or hard-wired. Also find out whether the phone system is analog or digital. If the line is digital, the hotel may provide a separate analog-line phone jack (a data port) specifically for modem use. Otherwise you can use a digital line converter to connect with your analog modem.

When booking a hotel room, ask about rooms equipped for business travelers. These rooms offer amenities such as dual telephone/modem lines, fax machines, and printers that help make your business trip as convenient as possible.

Save Money


Hotels in many countries often assess high charges for providing access to your long-distance provider. Save money by making shorter calls direct, or using prepaid phone cards from local providers to call from pay phones.

No Printer?


If you need a last-minute hard copy document, fax yourself the document at your hotel and have it printed that way.

Magnet Alert


When using your laptop in a hotel room, be aware that the many small magnets in common devices - such as televisions, alarm clocks, hair dryers and other common hotel room appliances - can pose a threat to your data. Do not leave floppy and zip disks on appliances for extended periods of time, and store your computer and accessories on the desk - away from possible magnet problems.

Reprint courtesy of LaptopTravel.com.