Prepare to Travel

Preparing to Travel - Laptop Road Tips

Computer/NetworkTips

• Use a Web browser to access your e-mail if at a conference or a location where Internet connections are available.  
• Become familiar with the VPN before planning to use it while out-of-town. Be sure you have connected from home or some other local location before-hand. If you need assistance, please contact the Help Desk.
• Find out the technical requirments for network access at the location you are traveling to BEFORE you leave. Some business and universities have their own IT standards that might require configuration changes by ITS.
• NEVER check your laptop computer as luggage on an airline, bus, etc. Always carry-on your laptop computer to avoid damage and theft.

General Tips

• Keep your laptop in hand at all times when in public areas. Be extra careful in busy locations like airports, where many laptop computers are stolen.
  
• Carry your laptop in a bag designed for laptop computers. Dropping your computer (accidents do happen) may destroy your hard drive (or some other component) if it is not protected by a good carrying case.
  
• Take needed peripherals and supplies with you (i.e. laptop power supply, network cable, USB flash drive, etc).
  
• Be sure to have your identification information in your computer bag. Computers are often stolen for the corporate information that may be stored on them. A computer identified as University property may discourage theft for this reason.
  
• Leave your computer in a secure place. If you MUST leave your computer in a hotel room or car, store it out-of-sight (i.e. in a dresser drawer, closet, or trunk).  
  
• Read the hotel internet rates information carefully. Hotels may charge for wired broadband access but offer wireless internet for free.
  
• Have a backup plan and be flexible just in case everything does not go as planned while you are on the road. Take a hard copy of your handout that you can copy if necessary. Technology can fail when you least expect it or have the most important presentation of your life.
• Use extra caution when drinking anything near your laptop computer. DO NOT use cups that may easily tip (i.e. Styrofoam, small base coffee cups, tall drink glasses, etc) near your computer - a spilled cup of coffee may ruin the entire $1,500 laptop computer rather than just a $50 keyboard.
  
• Make sure you know the power type and the plug type requirements for the country you are traveling to. You will need to get the necessary adapters if you are going to be using your computer while plugged into a power source (other than battery power).