Portable WiFi Devices That Will Keep Your Instagram Account Busy On Vacation

The internet is just a part of our lives now; we use it to find directions, to remind us to get things done, to read books, and, most importantly, access humanity's ever-growing archive of cat pictures. But staying connected can be a challenge on vacation, so here's how to keep in touch without dragging a wire behind you.

Start with looking up the data situation for where you're heading. Different countries have different levels of access to the internet, and what you have may depend on where you go; an all-inclusive may have WiFi in every room, while at an isolated beach you may need to get in touch with the local cellular network. If you're not going to use a cellular hotspot, make sure your device has at least one Ethernet port, so you can jack in your hub.

If you're going the cellular route, look for a device that doesn't have a SIM card. Forgetting to swap out a SIM can be major bad news for your bill when you get back, so a device that can nimbly hop from network to network without racking up charges will be key. As a bonus, the company that builds the device also serves as the middle-man; you pay them by the hour, day, or week for access, instead of messing with phone cards or parsing short-term roaming contracts.

Look closely at security as well. While you probably don't need James Bond's WiFi hotspot, there's still a risk in using public WiFi anywhere, on vacation or not, that your credit card details or other information will be lifted. Look for a device that supports WPA2, the current WiFi encryption standard, and Transport Layer Security (TLS), the internet's secure transmission standard, and extras such as automatic shut-off when the device is idle and built-in VPNs