NetAway

While more affordable notebooks have made it easier for people to work on the move, getting online during your travels can still be an expensive business. Even if your ISP offers dial-up internet access at local call rates across the UK, using the same number when abroad will mean big telephone bills. With this in mind, Netaway has launched a pay-as-you-go service that claims to provide easy net access at a reasonable rate in over 104 countries.

NetAway's software boasts 15,000 access numbers that cover just about everywhere, from Algeria to Zimbabwe. Once it's installed you simply select the country you're in, choose the nearest town and hit dial to connect to the net. Even better, the service lets you send and receive POP3 emails using your existing accounts. You only need to change the name of your outgoing mail server - there's no real need to change it back later.

The initial package price includes five hours of online credit, which can then be topped up either online or over the phone at a cost of 8p per minute - the minimum top-up package is 150 minutes for £12. The credit remains in your account until you use it, provided you log onto the system at least once every nine months. You do, of course, still have to pay the cost of local phone calls.

What sounds simple in theory may work out quite differently in practice, but despite a few hiccups with busy signals in Belgium and the odd connection break in France, everything worked as advertised and the service proved extremely handy.

The question remains, though: is it worth the money? After all, wireless internet hotspots offer a faster connection and you can always set up a webmail email service and access it at an internet cafe. However, both can be difficult to find and often expensive. We'd like to see cheaper access and a bundle containing the more common phone adapters, but the sheer convenience of NetAway makes it a winner. The service can also be used with a handheld PC or a Mac.

Contact: Net2Roam 08707 511111
www.netaway.com