Wireless in Spain

So here’s the deal:

There are hardly any wireless hotspots in Valencia.

Explaining to anyone what you need IN ENGLISH is another story all together.

If you want wireless, these are your options:

1) Get a wireless ADSL/ISD connection in your home by contacting any of the telecom providers: Vodafone, Telefonica, Movistar.
This is a) a pain the ass (communicating, coordinating) b) the radius of the frequency is only 100 metres, and if there are walls/houses/ etc within that distance, it will affect the speed and quality of the connection.

2) Get a 3G wireless card that is supplied by the telecom providers for around Euro 149 (prepaid). This will allow you to surf for around 80 hours (if you are using the net normally; if you are downloading movies/music it will be much less)

BUT if you have a laptop like mine – that doesn’t have a PCDMIA card slot – you cannot use this. Yes, my computer is too new for this technology.

If you are staying in Spain for 18 months or more, you can get a contract deal where you pay something like Euro56 a month for unlimited wireless. But you might need to show them a residency card for this and you will need to give them a bank account number.

3) For Euro 75, you can buy a wireless chip from Vodafone (not sure if the other two sell this), that you put into your mobile phone that gives you around 80 hours of wireless. You can renew for the same price. BUT your phone needs to have 3G, or you must buy a 3G phone for Euro200.

Of course I have a phone from the 90’s, so I don’t qualify for this either.

The guys who I will be living with in my new apartment said they have some network in the house. I pray it to be wireless that I can connect to, or will go for this option.

I have been very lucky this weekend though: my computer has been connecting to some wireless in my neighbourhood, so I didn’t have to visit the smelly internet café I go to most the time! (where I get bitten by mosquitoes).