Hotel wifi hack that saved my work trip last month

I was stuck in a Bangkok hotel with wifi that cut out every 10 minutes. Couldn't get Zoom to stay connected for more than 5 seconds. Finally tried plugging my laptop directly into the ethernet port behind the TV stand. Worked perfectly for the whole 3 day stay. Anyone else found random hardline ports in hotel rooms actually work better than advertised?

3 comments

3 Comments

taylorshah2d ago

Yeah the ethernet hack is solid. But I've noticed this thing where the stuff that's supposed to be "convenient" actually fails way more than the old school backup options. Like Bluetooth headphones that die in two hours but wired earbuds never let you down. Or those smart lightbulbs that need five apps to work while a regular switch just flips. Hotels spend all this money on marketing their fast wifi but the dusty cable behind the TV has been there for years and never needs a password reset. Sometimes the simple stuff just works better because nobody messed with it trying to make it fancy.

fiona_west2120h ago

Did exactly this at a hotel in Chicago last fall. Plugged into the ethernet behind the nightstand and my work VPN finally stopped dropping every 15 minutes. The wifi claimed it was "premium" but kept timing out on basic stuff like loading emails. That little cable saved my whole presentation to a client the next morning. It's funny how something so simple and hidden works better than all the fancy systems they brag about.

torres.thea2d ago

the dusty cable behind the TV has been there for years and never needs a password reset" - YES that is SO true and I feel your pain completely.