I am doing a summer program in Italy and the wireless connection here is through a proxy or some godawful wireless and the sputtering connection is making me lose my mind. Is it possible for me to just buy a wireless router or something? Or is it not as simple as just buying a piece of wireless equipment? I've heard the wireless sim cards are extremely expensive... I would greatly appreciate any and all advice!

Are you using a phone or a computer as an internet device? Since you mentioned proxy, I am presuming you are using Wifi on a phone or a computer.

There may be a Wifi to Wifi router, but common ones are ethernet to Wifi, so unless you have an access to ethernet, it might be difficult. Also even if you have an access to ethernet, that circuit needs to be free of problems you mentioned. 3G to Wifi requires tethering of some sort and the carriers need to allow that usually with additional payment.

Last year I bought a USB stick from Vodafone Italia for about €50 and after that, I got unlimited bytes for €10 per 30hrs. I just needed to spend a €10 refill get 30hrs at a time after that. The speed was 3G and around Tuscan and Umbrian major cities, the speed felt faster than DSL.

If they are using the "Alice" wireless router, from my experience, it is just about as good as two tin cans and a string. In one apt. I rented in Rome, I could not get a constant signal from 2 feet away. Luckily I always carry a CAT5 cable, so I just plugged in and it worked fine.

<< I always carry a CAT5 cable >>

Dave - you are sooooo prepared!

Ah, yes, sorry if that wasn't clear. I am using a mac computer and a cat5 cable with an ehternet connection actually, but when everyone tries to uses it at once, I cannot even load gmail or skype. There is Free Luna wifi in the dorm but the signal is pretty weak.

It looks like neither hardwire or wifi based solution would likely to work for you. This probably rules out a router type of solution. I think you have to try out a 3G route. First get an evidence that it has some potential; find someone with a data plan, have that person make a connection from where you plan to use your mac around the time you plan to use your mac. Get a prepaid 3G USB stick that matches the carrier you experimented. I don't remember if Italian 3G carriers blocked Skype.

I agree with greg. Your internet speed will be limited by the weakest link in the chain, which in this case appears to be the underlying internet connection. A wireless router would plug into the same cat5 cable, so now you'd be able to have the same slow internet only untethered.

3G isn't blazing fast either, and can also be bogged down by many users competing for the same bandwidth.

I've also learned to the benefits of carrying a long (25') cat5 cable with me when I travel - some hotels only have wired, and it's often a short cable on the the other side of the room from where you want to be.