I also got a netbook for use when traveling, my choice was to get the ATT air card for mine that way no matter where I am I can use the air card to connect. It is secure and I am the only one using it. When at home I can either plug directly into my router with an ethernet cable or use my air card until I move to a wireless router in the future. I had my cell phones with ATT anyway so I went with them but there are other companies that have air cards such as Verizon and Sprint, I did comparisons and the ATT and Verizon seemed the best and both are about the same price, there is a cost for the card but they had a rebate that paid fully for the card, I have a monthly fee for the card just like if it was a cell phone and in fact it does assign it a cell phone number. so anywhere you would have cell phone coverage you would be able to use it. I have not been anywhere yet that I did not get a signal. For the price they want to charge you for that one week you could pay for your air card for a month.

and since it mentions b/g/n it means it can use all of those technologies with n being the most current. So should you want or need a new wireless router any of those would work but you really want would be best with an N for latest technology and longest distance. I have my modem and router right on the desk beside my desktop so I actually prefer to simply use cables to connect. Just use the wireless for my portable devices.

Thanks mike. I guess I should have said 'reboot' in my initial post rather than restart. Yes, I rebooted several times to get the opportunity to enter the security password. This pad does not have cellular capability so when wi fi is gone, it is disconnected. It certainly used to connect to other networks, but I haven't checked lately. I was beginning to think that the pad was retaining wifi connection, but today it is again back to disconnected, still with the blue check indicating that it is connected. The only difference from several days ago, is that the password on 'client ID' is still showing. I had assumed that the showing password was somehow involved in the wifi retention. I have considered 'forget your WiFi', but I don't know where to get the ssid. I suppose it is built in but I don't understand this stuff that well. Edit for addition: OK, I got brave (or could have been stupid) and 'forgot the network' and at least for the time being, the pad is reconnected. It was easy to reconnect because my regular network was still waiting for me to re choose it and it immediately asked for the password and I was properly connected. The password isn't showing in 'client ID'. Perhaps it was never the appropriate place to add it anyway!? I do see a couple of possible differences in the settings that I wrote down if things didn't work. There may have been a difference in the DNS setting (whatever that is) (or it might have been a hand written typo on my part) but the new setting's last 7 chars are now 171.2.226 and I scribed 172.2.226. And under the area of HTTP Proxy (whatever that is), OFF is highlighted, and before there was a space below where it said URL. Was it waiting for some website? So, for the time being, things are in order. It took 2.5 days to lose the network the last time, so we'll see.?!

geo fencing is a lower end option so you don't have to fuss with remembering to change the settings on the thermostat. Once you are far enough away from the location the thermostat will enter your away settings or if you come close enough the thermostat switches to your present settings. The range, the last time I looked at these was around 7 miles on the high end and 3 miles I think at the low end. So the biggest problem with geo fence is if you are going to this place you may be going to a hot / cold place only being 7 miles from the location to switch the system on. Even if it takes you 15 minutes to drive those 7 miles or 10 minutes to drive 3 miles it's not going to make much difference. So it really comes down to the type of control you want. I don't think you can make changes to the system settings away from the location like you could with a redlink capable thermostat. With a redlink type control you could shut the AC / heat completely off or turn it on to whatever setting you want from anywhere in the world with an internet connection where you are and internet connection at the home you are controlling. They even have a smart phone app, so if you carry your cell phone with you your control options are wide open. The other advantage in Redlink is that it would show you what the temperature is at this location. If there is a problem with equipment you would be able to check on it that way. I service the Katy, Texas area.