How to use laptop in Spain for email

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cronley

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Going to spain for hols. How can I use laptop for email - what do i need. My laptop is not wireless enabled.
 
You will need an internet connection of some sort for a start. If you don't have wireless then this most likely means plugging into an internet connected LAN somewhere. Unless your hotel provides one then it may be easier to just use cyber cafés and leave the laptop at home. Alternatively you could get a 802.11 wireless PCMCIA/CardBus card and try to find free or paid wireless hotspots when over there. However even I could imagine better ways to spend the holidays than War Driving. ;) If you do bring your own then make sure that the power supply is compatible with Spanish voltage/frequency.
 
You'll have to get a phone number of a local ISP in spain, then get a username/password should be easy enough. Then configure a dialup with the above details from your network/dialup connections.
Then you'll need a phone line which the hotel might not be able to provide you and if they do will probably charge you extra for using.

Might be worth your while getting a USB wireless key which can be got for as little as 30e if you shop around. Then access your mail via a wireless hotspot.
Alternatively, most hotels do have an internet access point in the lobby, these are usually not as cheap as youd get in the local internet cafe (1 or 2e per hour) so Id try there first.

sorry, post crossed with CM.
 
No problem - you covered the dial-up option which I had not thought of (too used to broadband at this stage!). :eek:
 
The dialler I have on my laptop (AT&T) comes with a whole list of worldwide phone numbers for the major cities, and when necessary I changed to the new phone and connected first time. Be careful when using hotel phone connections as there may be a charge to get an outside line. I would prefer to use an internet cafe for this as there is so much more to do when on hols. A text to say you arrived is enough and another to say you are waiting 13 hours for a charter flight on the return leg should do the trick!! :)
 
I had the same prob - lack of internet connectivity while on hols. A Vodafone 3G wireless card (check if you have a PCMIA clot on your laptop) should work fine for you.

http://www.vodafone.ie/workonthemove/mcc/whatis/index.jsp

Where a 3G connection is not available, a GPRS connection will be used.

It's great for picking up email etc...but can be quite slow sometimes at connecting etc. I would definitely encourage you to buy and try at least 2 weeks before your hols so you can get used to it.
 
Would be easier to go to a internet café to access your mail from mail2web or something similar ? You are on holiday after all !
 
AFAIR there used to be a roaming service offered by some of the ISP's called Gric, effectifly you get an applet from them and an account which you pay a normal sub for. Then you can use the applet to dial up to another ISP in another country (when your in that country) using local call rates, wouldn't be worth it if it was just for hols though, more for people always on the go. Not sure if its still around now due to wi-fi access
 
All the posts so far have been about how to get an Internet connection on holiday, which answers part of your question, but not necessarily the full question. Who is your email provider and do they have a web-based connection option?
 
By web based connection do you mean some form of webmail interface? This may not be a requirement if you can (temporarily if on a shared/cyber café PC) connect to a POP3/IMAP4 server and send/collect email that way. However I would be careful about sending sensitive emails or leaving personal details (including login credentials) on a shared PC for obvious reasons.
 
ClubMan said:
By web based connection do you mean some form of webmail interface? This may not be a requirement if you can (temporarily if on a shared/cyber café PC) connect to a POP3/IMAP4 server and send/collect email that way.
Click to expand...
True - or original poster may be reverring to a corporate email service which may or may not be accessible over the Internet on any protocol.
 
RainyDay said:
All the posts so far have been about how to get an Internet connection on holiday, which answers part of your question, but not necessarily the full question. Who is your email provider and do they have a web-based connection option?
Click to expand...
email provider is eircom.net. I am doing private emails - not corporate.
 
Of the suggestions made above which appeals to you most? Would you not just leave the laptop at home and use a cyber café or hotel internet point (sometimes the first hour or so is free for guests) and access your email that way?
 
Beware - many ISPs will not allow direct access to their mail server, unless you are connected to them directly. Thus, using a foreign (local) ISP would be of no use.

Of course, the way around this is to use Web-Based email - but you can do this from an internet cafe anyway - so the laptop would be unnecessary.
 
Ehh.. times are changin in Spain.. was in Barcelona last October and hotel had free broadband in the rooms...
So bring a network cable just in case... you might be lucky...
If you haven't picked a hotel yet, I use tripadvisor to look for hotels and broadband is often mentioned in the descriptions...
 
Am in spain regularly, and I need email access continuously.
I use a Blackberry phone which is brilliant for sending and receiving emails directly and immediately at a cost of a few cents a time. It also handles attachments such as excel and word. You simply get an email account from your service provider here such as joebloggs@o2mail.ie and route your emails locally to this. Its a 'push' service so they arrive without any dial in or logging on process.
I use cybercafe then if i need to type a long letter or do internet work.
 
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