Adapting Overseas: Be Prepared
Do you have all the equipment you may need, such as surge protectors and adapters? Better check.
by by Leigh Sprimont

When it comes to staying connected overseas, travelers are well advised to follow the Boy Scout motto, “Be prepared.” International business travelers face a number of unique challenges when using laptops, cell phones, modems, and other electronic devices. Electric and telephone standards vary from country to country, and sometimes even within the same country. This means that your laptop and modem may not work in some overseas locations, at least not without special equipment designed for use in that area.


Before you travel, research the countries you’ll be visiting and determine what type of electrical outlets and phone systems you can expect to find. TeleAdapt’s Web site (www.teleadaptusa.com/nme/solutions_guide.htm) offers a guide to electricity in over 300 countries, including pictures of the various outlets, so you can determine which adapters you’ll need.


Kropla.com (www.kropla.com) offers a treasure trove of information for international travelers, including The World Wide Phone Guide, The World Wide Electric Guide, an international dialing guide, and tips and tricks for staying connected around the world.


Next, determine if your devices are compatible with foreign power sources. Check the manufacturer’s label on your power supply for details. If your laptop has a dual-voltage power adapter, it will work with both U.S. standard 110/120-volt power and 220/240-volt foreign power sources.

If your power supply is not dual voltage, you have two options: you can use a dedicated voltage converter to change the line voltage for your laptop, or you can use a surge protector. Many surge protectors will allow your laptop to function on different voltage. American Power Conversion’s (www.apc.com) SurgeArrest Notebook Pro ($45), for example, is a travel-sized surge protector that supports 110/120 to 220/240-volt power and protects your laptop and modem from power surges and line static.

Once you’ve accounted for the voltage differences, you may still need an adapter to physically connect your equipment. The power outlets you encounter in your travels may be a different shape or have a different number of holes than U.S. outlets. If you travel a lot internationally, you may want to purchase a travel pack of adapters, which includes adapters for a number of different countries in one handy package.

If you want Web access while traveling, you’ll need to consider the phone system. Even in the U.S., many hotels use digital phone systems that may be incompatible with your laptop’s modem. Without the proper adapter, a digital phone system can cause permanent damage to your equipment. A handy accessory for travelers is a line tester, which will reveal if the phone line is digital or analog. If the phone system or PBX is digital, you will need a digital line converter for your modem. This is a device that usually connects between the handset and telephone base unit and provides an analog connection for plugging into your modem.

The U.S. standard RJ-11 phone/modem jack is being implemented by an increasing number of countries, but international travelers are likely to encounter other types of connections. If the hotel uses RJ-11 connectors, you may be able to attach your modem to the wall jack. A simple dual-jack adapter will allow you to keep the phone and your modem connected simultaneously, so you needn’t keep swapping the two during your stay.

If the phone is hardwired to the wall and the handset, you may still be able to connect, using an acoustic coupler. You place the telephone handset in a special cradle that uses the phone’s microphone and speaker to send and receive data. This way, there is no electrical connection between your modem and the telephone. These devices are bulky and expensive, but may be your only option in some locations.

Dial tones also vary around the world, so you may need to reconfigure your modem. You can add a simple command to your modem setup to ignore the dial tone, but you’ll want to consult your user’s manual before your travel so you’re not caught by surprise later.

Another potential issue is tax impulses. These high-frequency signals are used in some European countries to measure phone usage and determine charges, and they can wreak havoc with a modem. A tax-impulse filter can be used to circumvent this problem.

Before your trip, contact the hotels at which you plan to stay. They should be able to inform you as to what to expect and what kinds of adapters, if any, you’ll need to get connected.

Some larger hotel chains now offer dedicated personnel to assist guests with their electronic needs. The Ritz Carlton, for example, offers a technology butler in all of its properties. This dedicated staff member can assist with technical problems related to laptops and telecommunications, providing voltage converters and adapters, configuring modems, identifying local ISPs and access numbers, and handling international roaming for mobile phones.

If all else fails and you truly can’t get connected overseas, consider an Internet cafe. Cybercaptive.com provides a searchable list of Internet cafes around the world.

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