So, I'd like to pack my new laptop (Lenovo Carbon X1, WIN 10) with me on vaca (no, I don't have a smartphone).

Is there a product for my laptop to provide me with internet access anywhere I want to be (in CONUS) just like a smartphone does?

Or, is that stupid and I should just get a smartphone?

TIA.

ETA: Wifey has a smartphone, I just don't care to use one, but I certainly could. Old eyes, etc.

All of the wireless carriers have Wifi Hotspots available. Some plug into your computer while others are a stand alone "puck." You'll just need to pick a device and data plan.

you can get a Broadband receiver that plugs into the usb port on your laptop. Or you can get a mobile hotspot.

You have to buy a data plan with a provider for either, and frankly, you're probably ahead getting a phone and using it as a hotspot.

Last time I looked into it, I concluded that my current data plan on my phone worked out to be cheaper - AT&T

Depending on what smartphone your wife has, you might be able to use her phone as a hotspot for your laptop.

Galaxy S6.

You mean my laptop can access the inet via her smartphone? Is this a wired connection to the phone or no?

You would access/enable her phones Hotspot thru WiFi. Her phone should be connected to power whole this is happening. Hotspot thru a cellphone eats power. Consider the paid version of Foxfi.

For buying an actual Hotspot consider Verizon or AT&T. They have different coverage maps depending on where you go. Buying a myfi frees up your wife's phone and would use a separate data plan.



Android Foxfi

Yes to first Q and no to second Q.

Good reading here, for other uninformed like me:

The Best Mobile Hotspots of 2016 | PCMag.com

.... and another (using phone as hotspot)

http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2481374,00.asp

Yes, and no. There's an option on her phone to enable it as a WiFi router, and anything that can connect to her phone via WiFi will be able to connect to the internet as long as she has a connection to her network.

The difference is that you'll be using her data, so if she's got a plan that is light on data minutes and you're planning on downloading lots of porn doing lots of surfing you might want to bump her plan to a higher tier. And you're only going to be as fast as her connection, so if you're in a spotty 3G area you'll have very slow internet. But if you're just checking T4R.org and reading email, you should be fine.

One caveat - where are you travelling? If you're headed outside the US, check with her carrier to make sure you'll have network access.

Another thing - who's your home internet provider? I have Xfinity, and their modems are set up to broadcast as hotspots. I have internet via WiFi any time I'm within range of ANY Xfinity modem, which is almost anywhere in town. If your provider has something similar, you might not need to worry about a hotspot?

Just make sure you tell her clearly you wanna connect your laptop to her hotspot; mumble that first part and you could be in for some strange looks from her.

Thanks to all y'all who replied. Your info got me to Googling, and an online chat with my Carrier. I'm not with a big 4 carrier, so using the S6 as a hotspot is my best choice. Besides, my use will be light. Time for me to get a smartphone.

Kid, protracted road trip between W. Central IL and Key West, FL for the winter.

Trust me, there is nothing that comes out of my mouth any more that surprises my wife.

Consider a small tablet? If your oldschool flip-phone does everything that you want your phone to do, but you want mobile connectivity, a small seven or eight inch tablet could be just the ticket. You can buy them cell-enabled and set them up with your cell carrier just like a smartphone, but bigger. More convenient than setting up the laptop for quick internet access, and you can still set it up as a hotspot when you do want to break out the laptop for serious surfing.

I have an old iPad 1 I keep just for that purpose @KidVermicious , CL usually has plenty for sale in the $50.00 range.
@philsey , is this something you do every year?