Traveling with the Ipad

[Biggysmallz]

My bad, I shouldn't have used the word contract. It is just a plan that you sign up for and you can cancel at anytime you wish.

I should be there for about three weeks. I need my internet connection even while I am on the road so relying on hotel wifi isn't going to do it it for me.

 

[Stefx]

Correct. It's not a plan, you can pay for one month and the cancel prior to leaving the AT&T 3G zone.

 

[lanajones123]

My bad, I shouldn't have used the word contract. It is just a plan that you sign up for and you can cancel at anytime you wish.

I should be there for about three weeks. I need my internet connection even while I am on the road so relying on hotel wifi isn't going to do it it for me.

Believe AT&T connection on the road is very unreliable ..

 

[Kaykaykay]

My bad, I shouldn't have used the word contract. It is just a plan that you sign up for and you can cancel at anytime you wish.

I should be there for about three weeks. I need my internet connection even while I am on the road so relying on hotel wifi isn't going to do it it for me.

Believe AT&T connection on the road is very unreliable ..

I've taken my iPads on two road trips across the entire U.S., other shorter road trips covering several states at a time, and on plane trips to many U.S. cities, and I've had good coverage with AT&T nearly everywhere. (Iffy or nonexistent signals in some national parks -- no surprise -- and Edge service in between cell towers on interstates -- again, no surprise.)

On the road, I regularly use location-based apps such as iExit, which tells you what's off nearly every freeway exit as you cross the entire country (services, restaurants, shops and much more) and WikiHood, which tells you about sights and history nearby, wherever you are.

 

[Kaykaykay]

I would not sign any contract ... Most hotels and restaurant have free wifi .

Unless you control the security and access to wi-fi, you take risks with your data. You can google and find plenty of info. Try "public wi-fi risks," for instance. Stories go back for years, and risks have increased as more people have purchased iPads and other wi-fi devices, hoping to save on Internet access. There are scammers who set up fraudulent free wi-fi networks, waiting for unsuspecting users to sign on.

 

[Lionroar]

Last year, I travelled with my Canadian iPad to the US. I bought the sim and prepaid Visa, but i wasn't travelling with my laptop. When I inserted the sim and tried to activate nothing happened, since you needed to have the carrier information downloaded in iTunes.

In some of the postings here, people have said that the activation can be done directly from the iPad - no computer.

I wondering if the IOS upgrades over the past year eliminated the need for having the laptop around.

 

[RobertHodgson]

When I first activated the Att&t sim all I had to do was be on a wifi connection (out side apple store)
Setup the account and then switched to the 3G I do not remember ever having to plug in to ITunes with the ATt&t sim installed.

If you are going to reuse the sim you can activate the account again before you leave home that's what I did when we went last time.

 

[Kaykaykay]

Last year, I travelled with my Canadian iPad to the US. I bought the sim and prepaid Visa, but i wasn't travelling with my laptop. When I inserted the sim and tried to activate nothing happened, since you needed to have the carrier information downloaded in iTunes.

In some of the postings here, people have said that the activation can be done directly from the iPad - no computer.

I wondering if the IOS upgrades over the past year eliminated the need for having the laptop around.

I traveled abroad with an iPad 1 almost immediately after its debut and had no problem switching SIMs and activating 3G service without a laptop or PC. I suspect that your problem was tied to the carrier, rather than with iPad.

I went into a carrier store overseas with my iPad 1 for the first time, signed up for 3G and it was functioning before I left the store. In other cases, there's sometimes a carrier delay of up to 24 hours in some countries, and some just haven't got enough sales people trained to help customers with hiccups.

In the U.S., it's best to call the carrier's 800 number if you've run into snags at a store. If you get someone who's unfamiliar with your problem, hang up and try another rep. It's sometimes luck of the draw, because each rep's experience and exposure differs, despite general training that's supposed to be the same.

 

[Eshon]

Hello mates, I've got a question for you guys which has been in my mind recent days & nights... Now I'm in S. Korea, soon traveling to another country. Here I got GSM IPad 2 3G by making a contract of couple of years with a local cellular company. And I'm wondering if I can use it another micro sim while I'm there..?

Your replies are highly appreciated!

 

[thewitt]

Depending on where you are going may be able to buy a prepaid SIM or sign a month to month contract.

 

[Kaykaykay]

Hello mates, I've got a question for you guys which has been in my mind recent days & nights... Now I'm in S. Korea, soon traveling to another country. Here I got GSM IPad 2 3G by making a contract of couple of years with a local cellular company. And I'm wondering if I can use it another micro sim while I'm there..?

Your replies are highly appreciated!

Do you know whether your iPad is locked? If you paid less than retail price (meaning your iPad was subsidized by the cellular carrier), your iPad might be locked. That could prevent you from using another company's SIM.

 

[Eshon]

Do you know whether your iPad is locked? If you paid less than retail price (meaning your iPad was subsidized by the cellular carrier), your iPad might be locked. That could prevent you from using another company's SIM.

How do I know that whether my iPad is locked? Yes I paid less than retail price. During the process of making contract, office girl could hardly say in English that I might use it by changing its microsim if I travel to another country... But I doubt a bit whether she meant what I meant... Let's say my iPad is locked while I am there, is there any chance to unlock it or should I do smth else like jailbreaking?

 

[Kaykaykay]

How do I know that whether my iPad is locked? Yes I paid less than retail price. During the process of making contract, office girl could hardly say in English that I might use it by changing its microsim if I travel to another country... But I doubt a bit whether she meant what I meant... Let's say my iPad is locked while I am there, is there any chance to unlock it or should I do smth else like jailbreaking?

AFAIK, only the carrier that locked your iPad would be able to unlock it, and they aren't likely to unlock while you're still under contract. Some will unlock after your contract expires, but some won't. Your best bet is to check with your carrier. If you bought for less than retail via a carrier subsidy, your iPad is in all likelihood locked.

If you must use a locked iPad abroad without ability to unlock, you might look into my-fi or such, but that might not be worth it if you're only abroad for a short stay. And of course you could use public wifi or hotspots, but those depend on your willingness to use unsecured wifi, for instance.

 

[Eshon]

AFAIK, only the carrier that locked your iPad would be able to unlock it, and they aren't likely to unlock while you're still under contract. Some will unlock after your contract expires, but some won't. Your best bet is to check with your carrier. If you bought for less than retail via a carrier subsidy, your iPad is in all likelihood locked.

If you must use a locked iPad abroad without ability to unlock, you might look into my-fi or such, but that might be worth it if you're only abroad for a short stay.

Thank you a million, I'll keep your guidances in my mind for near future