Tether.com – Freedom from Hotel Internet Fees

Internet fees at high-end hotels are very irritating!  After all, if Motel 6 can provide free internet access, surely the Sheraton, Hilton, Marriott, etc. can do the same.

Sure, some hotels provide Internet access for free to their elite members, but some still don’t.

This weekend, while at The Willard, InterContinental in Washington, DC (read my Willard InterContinental trip report here), I tested software from Tether.com.  This software lets you connect your Android or Blackberry to your computer and to surf the web on your computer using your smartphone’s data plan.

Internet access at the Willard was $10.95 per day and InterContinental does not offer free internet to its elite Ambassador members.  This was the perfect time to try the 1 week free trial version of Tether.com!

Before I left for Washington, DC, I downloaded the tether.com app on my Verizon Droid (Verizon has made this harder since they want to charge you $20 per month for the same service which Tether.com provides for a 1-time fee of $29.99, but follow the easy directions on the Tether.com website). I also downloaded the Tether.com software to my laptop.

My laptop hooked-up to Tether.com
Get FREE internet at hotels anywhere by using Tether.com

To get Internet access while traveling, I connect my phone to my laptop and launch the Tether.com app on my phone and on my laptop.  It is as simple as that!   The internet speed was very fast, and I couldn’t tell that I was accessing the web through a phone’s data connection – it felt like regular hi-speed internet at home!

Once the free trial period is over, I will be paying the 1-time fee of $29.99 for the software since I value having internet access while traveling and don’t want to spend $40+ per month for a wireless internet card for my laptop.

The only drawback to Tether.com is that you should use it only in the US, because international data roaming on your cell phone is VERY expensive!

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How do you get Internet Access for free at hotels?

2 Responses to Tether.com – Freedom from Hotel Internet Fees

  1. Pingback: Trip Report: Willard InterContinental, Washington, DC | Million Mile Secrets

  2. DONALD VON AH

    hope to here from you

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