I've noticed that a lot of the EU hotels contract out the wireless service to one of the regional providers (like Boingo in the US). Swisscom seems popular in many I've seen. As such, they probably get charged directly per user from the carrier. Their wired on the other hand is likely managed internally, most likely sharing their normal business trunk (with appropriate priorities on packets and bandwidth for the hotel). Thus the cost of wired ends up being more manageble (but not always cheaper) to the hotel. I'll often grab the wired connection these days as the wireless gets congested at peak times. At least then I've got bandwidth to the router first :D

I don't have one of these myself but in watching it being put online, I don't see anything being done specific when onsite. I would presume there is some setup that is needed and that can be done at home or on the first trip out. After that you should be able to connect to the router via WiFi and configure any local changes that might be needed. Probably none needed if connecting to a wired network.

OT - DOT: "With 'Montreal' Airlines may be liable for damage to any checked luggage"
 

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Other than that, I still would not put such an item in checked luggage.

Thank you for the welcome.

Just for the record, the later part of your reply is indeed the case. The slower option (free for everyone) is available, but the faster speed is NOT provided free of charge for Gold/Diamond members. It is instead available at the cost of 9.95 per day. This is the Hilton Arlington in Arlington, TX.

I do this too, but I'd limit it to two or at max 3 devices.

Most Hilton family hotels in the UK ditched ibahn wired-only internet in favour of BTOpenzone wireless internet in the past six months. Whereas in the past only the wired internet was free, all the Hilton family hotels I have stayed in this year have offered me wi-fi for free, and the UK ones did not seem to have a limit on the number of devices connected.

This is a recent change. My last stays in 2011 were at the Waldorf Hilton and the Hilton Dartford Bridge, where it was wired-only.

[At the Hilton on the Park Melbourne, the front desk clerk printed me two or three 24-hour vouchers whenever I wanted during my 10-night stay. Each one with a face value of $27.50 :eek:]

That explains the difference between what I experienced and what jamesteroh is seeing with the Trafalgar. The stay I listed were up to May 2011. I stayed in a few Hilton family hotels in the past 6 months but they were HI, HGI which already provided free in-room wireless internet even before the changes. I have only stayed in the Conrad Bangkok of the higher end hotels in the past 6 months. That did provide free wireless. But the Asian properties have such better service, I thought that was the difference.

Good to hear the shift is now to wireless internet.

Just an FYI, I wouldn't try it unless you are willing to pay the charges if that doesn't work. I know they are no longer a Hilton property, but I tried connecting my IPAD to their wireless and my friend connected his laptop to the wifi and they charged us for connecting the extra device and wouldn't budge on removing the charge. Hilton really needs to clarify on their site it is limited to one device, I didn't make a big deal out of it since the rate was cheap and the other benefits at the property were so good.

I have also stayed at properties where I have been given a code and every time I have tried using it on multiple devices I have been sucessful so they must use the same code for everyone. (I am really surprised someone hasn't started a thread listing free internet codes at hotels LOL).

So am I. If I travel for pleasure, I prefer to just use my IPAD and I know there are a lot of other travellers that prefer just taking an IPAD or tablet. If it's only wired access it's one more thing I am forced to carry. And it isn't a big deal at an airport like DTW, LAS or LAX that has a TSA trusted traveller lane, but if it's an airport without one or if you don't get selected, the laptop is one more thing you have to unpack at airport screening and repack where you don't have to remove your IPAD (if the IPAD only ran flash though).

Nope (though it may depend on the router you choose)

Some routers will share only a wired connection, while others will share either a wired or wireless connection. You do not need a computer to set them up, most have a build in browser in the router.

The short version of the setup is

• Router connects to the hotel network
• You connect to the router with your device
• Open the browser in the router if necessary to accept the terms, put in the code, set up the billing, whatever the process is
• The hotel sees the router as the connection, and the router shares that with devices in the room

How many devices, etc also depends on the router, some do 5, some do 10, etc.

There are checkpoint friendly laptop bags that you could leave the laptop in the bag going thru security. I don't do business travel but my coworkers who travel frequently all got one of those.

My father brought an Apple AirPort Express for travel to get wireless internet in hotels that only have wired ethernet. It is more expansive than most wireless router, but it is much smaller and easy to carry and easy to setup. Once it is setup at home, it is just plug and play at the hotel.

Wow, I didn't realize what a complex subject this could be, seriously.

Anyway, data points:

Hilton Johannesburg: Issues as many 24-hour passwords as you need. I had 3 maximum (laptop, iPad, iPhone) for a 4-night stay. They never appeared on the folio, so all 3 devices (used simultaneously) were covered.

Hilton Windhoek: Same thing. 3 devices used simultaneously, and while all 3 appeared on the folio, a credit for all 3 was issued before I got the folio.

So, all in all, a good experience with highspeed wireless at 2 of the southern Africa properties.

Was just at Embassy Suites downtown St. Louis. Was flat out told by the front desk that wifi was "$9.95 PER DEVICE". Thankfully wife's new Vaio laptop has "Intel My Wifi Utility" and acts as a wifi hotspot. There was no way I was going to pay $40 for internet for my family's assorted tablets and laptops. Worked like a charm! Hilton will have to find another way to nickel and dime me on my future stays.
I always find it amazing that Hampton Inn and budget places like Best Western have free wifi but upper end hotels charge for it.

It's really simple to understand. You paid for it. Period. If people pay for it they will continue to charge for it. If it mattered to you, you would not have stayed at a hotel that charged for it, and would have gone to a Best Western.

Why do many Hotels charge $25 for a couple of eggs, bacon, home fries and toast? Because people pay it and don't want to get the same food for $5 at the restaurant across the street.
Because people are happy to pay it.

Hilton and any other hotel will charge whatever they can charge as long as people pay for it. And while you didn't pay the $40 access, there are probably way more than a few people who just consider it part of the cost of the trip.

When I travel for business, I stay at DTs and Hiltons, and my employer picks up the charges, so I don't particularly mind about internet access fees. When I travel on my own dime, I'm more likely to stay at an HGI or HI, and part of that selection (aside from the lower rates) is the free internet and breakfast. A large part of the supply/demand here is that many guests at the higher end hotels aren't paying for the incidentals out of their own pocket.

However, as a Gold, I haven't paid for internet or breakfast at all in a while, anyway :D. FWIW, most of my travel is in the US, but when getting on wireless I just sign in with my HHonors username and have been able to enjoy free wireless on multiple devices that way. I don't remember ever being charged when doing it that way.