I usually use a bluetooth connection to my WiFi phone from my laptop when I’m out of range of a WiFi hotspot and need to get online but I do have one laptop that doesn’t have bluetooth (it’s an oldie but really portable) and it doesn’t really help when there’s two of you trying to connect.

The last few days I’ve been playing with WMWiFiRouter – a Windows Mobile app that allows you to set your phone up as a WiFi hotspot (supports WEP) and use your laptop to connect to it just like any other hotspot… and the WMWiFiRouter app routes the connection over your cellular data connection – be it GPRS, EDGE or 3G.

There are similar hardware solutions you can carry around with you (or mount in your car) but they mean you have to carry something extra – this solution uses something you probably already have with you!

The only downside is that it can chew through the phone battery fairly quickly but in an emergency it’s a great solution.

If you try it while it’s still in beta they’re even offering a discount on the final price when it’s released ;)