View Full Version : Internet Access
We are staying at a villa in Formosa Gardens for 5 weeks this summer from UK.
Unfortunately the villa does not have internet access.
I intend to bring my laptop and my question is will I be able to set up some kind of temp dial up connection using the normal tel line at the villa.
Any help much appreciated.
floridadreamvilla.co.uk
11-05-2003, 01:26
Yes - very easily.
Go to www.access4free.com and sign up for their basic package. Costs $4.95 to setup and then it's free for the first 10 hours in the month and a maximum of $10 for unlimited time after that.
You just have to setup a standard dialup connection on your laptop and connect to a number local to the villa - you cn search for the best one on their website.
The service is very good and seems very reliable.
yellowbellies2004
30-05-2004, 06:03
Hi, I was just wondering whether you ahve tried out the interent connection? We are going to Orlando in July (only 7.5 weeks from now!) and being very sad we can't take the prospect of ahving no contact with the outside world. We would love to take our laptop and upload pictures to send back home to our rellies. So what cable would we need? surely it can't be a BT cable like we have here. Would it affect the owners at all? We don't want to get into trouble.
Any help would be much appreciated
Many thanks
John
Is the bill sent to the owner of the villa who would in turn own the line. if so the guest would need authority to 'book' any service on the line provided.?
If not it would seem a great service with not come backs.<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by floridadreamvilla.co.uk
Yes - very easily.
Go to www.access4free.com and sign up for their basic package. Costs $4.95 to setup and then it's free for the first 10 hours in the month and a maximum of $10 for unlimited time after that.
You just have to setup a standard dialup connection on your laptop and connect to a number local to the villa - you cn search for the best one on their website.
The service is very good and seems very reliable.
[/quote]
floridadreamvilla.co.uk
30-05-2004, 13:31
No - you sign up and use your credit card so any money just automatically gets charged to that.
<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by george
John
Is the bill sent to the owner of the villa who would in turn own the line. if so the guest would need authority to 'book' any service on the line provided.?
If not it would seem a great service with not come backs.<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by floridadreamvilla.co.uk
Yes - very easily.
Go to www.access4free.com and sign up for their basic package. Costs $4.95 to setup and then it's free for the first 10 hours in the month and a maximum of $10 for unlimited time after that.
You just have to setup a standard dialup connection on your laptop and connect to a number local to the villa - you cn search for the best one on their website.
The service is very good and seems very reliable.
[/quote]
[/quote]
floridadreamvilla.co.uk
30-05-2004, 13:34
The cable you need has the same kind of plug on the phone line end as the one that goes into your PC - smaller than a UK phone jack. You can get adapters which will convert a UK phone jack into a US one from any PC World.
If you get one of these (and make sure you have an electrical plug adapter) then sign up for (and set up) access 4 free before you go then it's simply a matter of plugging it all in in the villa and dialling up [msnsmile2].
<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by yellowbellies2004
Hi, I was just wondering whether you have tried out the interent connection? We are going to Orlando in July (only 7.5 weeks from now!) and being very sad we can't take the prospect of ahving no contact with the outside world. We would love to take our laptop and upload pictures to send back home to our rellies. So what cable would we need? surely it can't be a BT cable like we have here. Would it affect the owners at all? We don't want to get into trouble.
Any help would be much appreciated
Many thanks
[/quote]
yellowbellies2004
30-05-2004, 17:44
Thank you for that. It's so exciting, I shall be going down to PC World before I go!
Kate
Don't forget to cancel it when you leave otherwise if others tried it (unlikely though it may be) you will get the bill on your credit card.
Paul
Actually thats very good advice that many wouldnt even think of
Just set my connection up with access4free, it was very quick and painless. Now I just have to hope that it all works when I get over there.
It should do, have decided were gonna have 3 weeks with no internet or mobile phone. Excuse
this ' but sod it were on holiday'
I've always gone without in the past and just checked my hotmail account in a booth in Florida Mall.
However, as I always take the laptop with me to dump pictures on, I decided it would be nice to have the option of accessing everything in the villa this year.
I agree it would be nice, but im on holiday and im there to get away from it all and im staying
away from it until I get back :)
<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by wrpac00
Don't forget to cancel it when you leave otherwise if others tried it (unlikely though it may be) you will get the bill on your credit card.
[/quote]No need to do that as everyone who signs up gets their own username and password so, unless you tell anyone what that it is, there's no way anyone else can use it. It's nothing to do with the phone line at all so you won't get charged for anyone else using it as they can't. For home owners this will be different as they will leave the info for their guests to use.
My advice would be to leave the account open if you think you may return to Florida at some stage and save the $4.95 joining fee again.
So we can all go to Blotts and use hers then if we want to :D:D
and save the $4.95
Oh dear I sense a smack on the way :D
Username: Blottie
Password: helpyourself
Fill your boots Chris! [:0][:0]:D:D:D:D:D
Hey you two, that's enough of that! [:O]:D:D Now, I told you not to give my password out Carla! ;)
As I'll probably be paying the $10 a month anyway, I guess you could do that Chris - mind you, you'll have to fight the guests that will be there for it... :D:D
chrizzy100
04-06-2004, 05:09
<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by chrisj
So we can all go to Blotts and use hers then if we want to :D:D
and save the $4.95
Oh dear I sense a smack on the way :D
[/quote]
So when we finish partying at the villa you're staying in.....we go party at Blotts...cool....:D:D:D
Don't be silly Chrizzy... you can't all use the PC at the same time! :(:D:D
steph_goodrum
04-06-2004, 12:26
"It should do, have decided were gonna have 3 weeks with no internet or mobile phone. Excuse
this ' but sod it were on holiday'"
Chris
Trouble is you get spoilt when you are used to having the access 24/7.
We like it (not for work purposes - one of the joys of Mick being a chippy - they can't expect him to do his work on holiday - thats my time to get my jobs done!) but for information. we keep seeing so many places advertised and want to find out info or driving, opening hours etc. it's great for that.
We have an answer phone at the villa so anybody that needs us urgently can soon get in touch anyway.
Thanks for the advice John I have just completed registration and downloaded info, now my laptop is ready for the USA!
Andrea
yellowbellies2004
04-06-2004, 23:35
Please let me know how you get on with the internet connection when you're over there.
I'm just really looking forward to uploading photos rather than risk keeping them all on the camera and sendng updates to people at home. We don't have to phone home to say we arrived okay, we can just e-mail instead, a lot easier.
Do I need the phone number for the villa before I sign up? I presume so, I don't have it yet but I will soon. BTW my idea for security is to put the laptop in its carry bag and then put that inside a carrier bag and then put that inside the rucksack. This way it only qualifies as one piece of hand luggage and people don't know you're carrying a laptop either. Check your household insurance covers it for taking it out the country too. Just under 7 weeks to go, I don't know if I can cope with this !!!!!!!!!!
Kate
No, you don't need a phone number to sign up. I forgot to mention earlier that some people have had problems using the download from the site but you can use it with Outlook Express and IE quite easily so it's not necessary to download it.
Unfortunately Kate you have to remove your laptop and send it through the x-ray separately in the USA so unwrapping it from all that lot whilst waiting in the queue/line is going to be a bit awkward I would think? Also make sure your laptop is charged before you go to the airport in case you're required to turn it on to prove it is what is says on the outside.
Your home insurance may cover your laptop whilst it's out of the country but normally only if you have all risks cover. Check your policy documents to find out and what their valuables limit is before you go!
yellowbellies2004
05-06-2004, 02:28
Oh no, I hadn't thought about unwrapping it - oh pooh! I'll have to think about that now then won't I?
Thanks for your help
yellowbellies2004
05-06-2004, 02:43
Ooh I've just thought, when signing up do I give my UK address because of credit card billing or do I give the villa address as that is where we'll be?
Kate[8D]
You can give them your UK address for credit card billing and it won't stop you being able to sign up to use it in Florida.