Let’s face it, as artistic beings, you designers tend to take your WiFi connection for granted. However, what would you suddenly had no Web access, in the morning? Let’s assume a squirrel ate through the wires, or you forgot to pay your bill, and now they’ve got the line on ransom. If you’re not sure what to do, but require the Internet to work (which we always do) then read on down below the break: We’ve got some freelance design job-saving tips to help you weather the storm!

  1. Coffee is Your New Best Mate: The easiest alternative is to find a nearby Starbucks, Caribou Coffee, etc. and work on your designs for a while. These places offer all kinds of free Internet, and they usually don’t mind you camping out for a while. For best results, pick a table that’s somewhat out of the way from the rest of the venue. You don’t want to cause a fuss, and if you plan to take along a portable drawing device like a Bamboo Tablet, you’re not going to want to take up a too large table for your not-too large equipment. All in all, with a latte in hand and a load of time to work, you should be able to cruise along as if nothing were out of the ordinary. In fact, we have a feeling many of you do this already.
  2. Tether the Phone: This is an option you may not be aware of. If you have a smartphone through a major cell carrier, odds are you can tether your computer to your phone in a variety of ways. That 3G connection may seem slow on your phone, but jam it into a faster processor and we promise you’ll like the results whilst working on your designs. Just be aware that these services typically incur an additional fee, a fee you’ll want to have locked down before jumping on board.
  3. Hijack the Internet: Lastly, look around you to see if there are any open WiFi networks. No, we don’t condone the “stealing” of another’s Internet, but if you absolutely have to, piggybacking your career off another cable connection is an effective stopgap. Or even better, maybe you’ll have an understanding neighbour who can help with the situation. Who knows?