IPad - getting online

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Hi,


I am a new user of IPad wifi 32GB.

I am wondering about some issues...

Having used IPad personally, I was surprised about its capabilities.

However, now I want to overcome my surprise!

Is it possible to add in someway 3G functionality, in addition to its WIFI function?

I am often overseas, most hotels dont have WIFI in rooms, but rather cable or Ethernet connection plugs only or WIFI in their lobbies. How could I use it in rooms without WIFI?

How do you make sure, your connection is secure while using a open public / password based WIFI connection?

How do you ensure that the content of your device is secure, even if it gets lost / stolen?
 
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Hi,


I am a new user of IPad wifi 32GB.

I am wondering about some issues...

Having used IPad personally, I was surprised about its capabilities.

However, now I want to overcome my surprise!

Is it possible to add in someway 3G functionality, in addition to its WIFI function?

I am often overseas, most hotels dont have WIFI in rooms, but rather cable or Ethernet connection plugs only or WIFI in their lobbies. How could I use it in rooms without WIFI?

How do you make sure, your connection is secure while using a open public / password based WIFI connection?

How do you ensure that the content of your device is secure, even if it gets lost / stolen?

If you bought a Wi Fi only Ipad you wont be able to use 3g. You need to have bought a Wi Fi & 3g Model.

iPad - iPad WiFi - iPad WiFi + 3G - Apple Store (U.S.)

You then have to pay for a data plan from a service provider.

You wont be able to connect either one up to a cabled connection as it doesn't work in that way.

I make sure mine is secure by having a pin needed at startup. You can set it so that if the pin is entered incorrectly more than a set number of times it erases the ipad.
 
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I think he meant how does he know his data is secure when using public wifi.
I believe there is a way you can set up a VPN although I'm not 100% you can do this on an iPad
And like the above poster mentioned you cannot get it ti connect to 3G unless you have the 3G iPad, or you have one of those portable wifi dongles such as the 3 mifi in the uk or something like the sprint overdrive..
Kris
 
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I think he meant how does he know his data is secure when using public wifi.
I believe there is a way you can set up a VPN although I'm not 100% you can do this on an iPad
And like the above poster mentioned you cannot get it ti connect to 3G unless you have the 3G iPad, or you have one of those portable wifi dongles such as the 3 mifi in the uk or something like the sprint overdrive..
Kris

Ah right but how would it work using a Wi Fi dongle as it doesnt have anywhere to connect it to?
 
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chas_m

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Is it possible to add in someway 3G functionality, in addition to its WIFI function?

No.

There are third-party devices that can take a 3G cellular signal and turn it in to wifi, perhaps that would help you. Google "mi fi" to learn more about that option.

I am often overseas, most hotels dont have WIFI in rooms,

Not sure where you're travelling, but I never stay in a hotel that does not offer wifi in the rooms free of charge. I just never do it, so it's never a problem.

but rather cable or Ethernet connection plugs only or WIFI in their lobbies. How could I use it in rooms without WIFI?

Buy an inexpensive refurbished or used Airport Express. It's a tiny thing that takes no real room in your luggage, and along with a short ethernet cord, you simply plug it into your room's connection, and set up your own new "wifi network" (passworded for security, of course!).

How do you make sure, your connection is secure while using a open public / password based WIFI connection?

Avoid doing any banking or super-sensitive stuff on public wifi spots you don't control. The risk is low but not zero.

On network you make (with the Airport Express or the Mi Fi type device), you can set a strong password, encrypt the transmission, turn off the SSID broadcasting, and lock it to the MAC address of your computer so that ONLY you can get on.

How do you ensure that the content of your device is secure, even if it gets lost / stolen?

If it's lost or stolen, it's hard to say. But here's a few tips:

1. For a travelling laptop, you should ALWAYS set it to *automatically* log out after "x" amount of inactivity, or require a password to wake from sleep (or both!).

2. There are several software packages, from Apple's own "find my (device)" service via Mobile Me to third-party options that will try to let you know where the device is and who stole it. The effectiveness of these is limited but it can potentially be a lifesaver.

3. I'm not as sure these days as I used to be, but there's a "EFI" or "Open Firmware" password lock that will make it more difficult for thieves to get in. I would not be at all surprised to see Apple implement "remote wipe" capability to Macs at some point.

4. Ultimately, however, a thief can wipe or replace the HD, install a new system and carry on. At least your data will be safe.

5. Since you can't actually guarantee the perfect safety of your hardware or software, BACK UP.

6. You'll notice I didn't mention FileVault. I don't think much of it, particularly since there are superior alternatives, but it IS an option in SOME cases. Read up on it CAREFULLY before implementing, however ...
 
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Hi,


thank you all for your suggestions.

Special thanks go to "chas m"...:)

I am often overseas both in Asia, and Europe. Depending on the region in Europe and Asia some Hotels have "OPEN WIFI" either on the floor or in the room itself.

I am also often in China, and most hotels dont have neither open wifi or wifi in rooms but rather cable based connections.

Firstly, I am interested in secure surfing, and in case my device gets stolen, I want to make sure I can pin point where it is. I am not an expert in IT matters, but know few things. You dont believe how venerable you can be if your IT system gets stolen. Even if you have a password protection, your system could get stolen - do you know how east it is for an expert to recover all your data from your system!
My intention would be to prevent that...

I read about this issue in the past and came across a real-life case, where someone had his laptops stolen. He had some sort of a shareware or something like that, that he installed into his systems. And indeed, he was able to track the whereabouts of his systems. As he remembered his username / passsword for this tracking software; I lost my notes so cant remember what the exact keywords were about that...!

Chas m, could I ask do you have yourself user experience with "MI FI"/ AirportExpress?

Being often in China, I would like to take advantage of VPN!

Anyone, having user experience with VPN, or similar functional stuff such as "masks" out of university labs?

Is anyone actually, using these with there IPAD's?
 
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chas_m

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I don't have any "mi fi" type devices, but a friend has one so she can use her iPad. Seems to work well.

I presently use the "bring an airport express" system. I plug it into a "wired" port and then use Airport Utility (the software on my mac) to set up my own "Wi Fi" network. Properly secured, it works very well.

As for security, I've made it a habit not to let my laptop out of my sight when travelling, which seems to have helped. I also religiously make backups, but I admit I don't do anything to encrypt my data apart from the first tip I posted earlier. There's very little on my laptop other than my Address Book card that I would consider sensitive, so I guess I'm just not that worried about it. I'd be much more unhappy about the theft of the hardware than the contents of the drive, since that's all backed up.
 
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Hi Chas_m,


thank you for the infos that you provided.

I am presently wondering, if "mi fi" is compared to "bring an airport express" which one is the most practical and efficient way to connect to the net! Both at home, and outside (cafes/hotel-rooms).

As for backups do u use online backup services or rather external hardware, and do you backup all of your system, I am wondering? I am asking this as I have started to put some thought into this as two of my systems broke down and I am still struggling to get them recovered...!

I think these days, the content of IT systems even out of commercial systems is more valuable than the It system in itself. Thats why encrypt plays a big part on this. But with information over supply, as an average user its not easy to locate reliable & practical user guides.
 
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chas_m

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I am presently wondering, if "mi fi" is compared to "bring an airport express" which one is the most practical and efficient way to connect to the net! Both at home, and outside (cafes/hotel-rooms).

A "mi fi" type solution still requires that you pay for a cellular data plan. All the mi-fi type device does is convert that cellular data into wi-fi data.

The "bring an airport express" solution allows you to convert a "wired" connection (which presumably is free, such as in hotel rooms) into a "wireless" solution so you're not chained to the desk/can sit nearby.

Each system has its drawbacks -- the "mi fi" one still costs money every month whether you use it or not. The "airport express" option depends on there being a wired connection available.

As for backups do u use online backup services or rather external hardware, and do you backup all of your system, I am wondering?

I use a small online backup (MobileMe) to back up a handful of documents and other such records that would be irreplaceable if a disaster struck my home. I don't use online backup for large amounts of storage because a) it costs a lot to keep that up, b) they tend to want to lock you in to their system and c) it takes FOREVER to upload data (upload connections are usually 1/10th the speed of download connections).

Lots of people DO back up all or part of their stuff to an online service -- I use Dropbox, one of those services, to share business documents with colleagues, so I know it works well and is modest in cost.

For my main backups, I do backup absolutely everything. I have two external hard drives for this: one uses Apple's built-in Time Machine software to make what's called an "incremental backup" of everything so I can easily recover either individual files or the entire system. The other I use a bit of third-party software called Carbon Copy Cloner (donationware) to make a BOOTABLE clone of my hard drive. This one is very useful for troubleshooting or quick recovery.

Having two full backups gives me great peace of mind. The Time Machine one is entirely automatic, and the "clone" one I have set to do less often (2 or 3 times a week) whenever the drive is connected so I don't have to leave it on all the time.

This is my approach, others have different strategies that work equally well.
 
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Hi Chas m,


thank you very much for giving us some interesting approaches to common problems...
 

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