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| Pineapple growing in the yard. |
To ensure our ability to be online if the house signal went out, last week we purchased a 32 gig SIM card we placed into the slot in Tom’s unlocked (no contract) phone. With a few settings manipulated, I was able to turn his phone into a hot spot, for those who aren’t aware, adding the SIM card turns the phone into a wireless Internet device that broadcasts a wifi signal, similar to a router in your home.
This is easily done on most smartphones when there’s no available wifi and one wants to use another device using the phone’s signal. Of course, data charges would apply. If you have Internet services through a contract with your phone or have added wifi via a SIM card, you can use the phone’s signal for an iPad or other tablet, or even another phone.
You don’t have to perform any changes to the tablet and only need to change a few settings on the phone to alert the phone to broadcast its signal. If you’d like to do this, contact your service provider, asking for instructions on “Internet sharing” from your phone to another device, even another phone.
You do not need to use “Bluetooth” to do this and can connect in the same manner you’d connect from your home or other location with wifi, from the list of available connections.
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| Although these specific photos we’ve posted today look similar to the photos we posted yesterday, they are all new. We have many more new photos to share over the next several days. |
Your service provider can walk you through the process which is slightly different for each phone. I’d provide a link with instructions, but unfortunately, the signal in our remote location makes it impossible for me to research online at this time. If we were in an area with good service, using the phone as the hot spot would be easy and provide a great signal.
Unfortunately, the location of the house on a hill overlooking the sea prevents a strong signal. On occasion, I’m able to connect for a very weak signal as I’m doing today.
This is very frustrating to say the least. We need to be online, not only to post each day but also to begin booking two major holes in our upcoming itinerary.
The signal provided in the house is slightly better but not much. The router to that signal, in Mario’s house, is too far from us to acquire a strong signal, there again making being online difficult and at times entirely impossible. Since yesterday, I haven’t been able to get onto the house’s signal at all.
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| View from above to village out to Savusavu Bay. |
Now, as I write this, I’m on the weak signal for the hot spot on Tom’s phone which for some unknown reason I was able to get online this morning with enough of a signal to write here with a few photos, not enough for posting several photos I had lined up.
Receiving and sending email doesn’t require a strong signal. Thus, I’ve been able to communicate with Mario who wrote back last night stating that a technician will be coming today to work on the issue. Hopefully, this can be resolved today.
We’d hoped to go do some sightseeing today if the sun came out which looks as if it may actually occur. With rain most days since our arrival, we look forward to getting out. However, with the tech coming, we’ve decided to stay put.
All I can say is with no car, no wifi, no TV, with too poor a signal to download any new books on my phone and great leftovers already prepared for tonight’s dinner, I won’t have much to do today while we wait on “Fiji time” for the technician to arrive.
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| We can’t get over the beauty of this bay we’re overlooking including in this new photo of Nawi Island. |
Usually under such circumstances, I’d do laundry and clean. Hmmm…no washer and the house is already clean. I did my nails this morning while I waited for the above pineapple photo to load. Perhaps, soon I’ll do the pedicure as well. Surely, throughout the day, we’ll both find ways to keep us busy.
For an assurance to our loyal readers, there is no way we won’t be back online daily with our usual photo laden posts. We’ll surely figure something out as quickly as possible, regardless of how drastic a measure we must ultimately take to ensure we have good working wifi.
Photo from one year ago today, September 17, 2014:
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| On our last day in Boston visiting my then 95 year old uncle and cousin, we visited the cemetery where my father and other family members were buried. It was an emotional experience. For more details, please click here. |