Question about picking up "wireless internet service" at cafes & airports.

[Lex]

.
First of all I know there are safety issues about grabbing the wireless internet service from these places, but my question is . . .


I have a small wireless network here at my house--basically 2 laptops have a D-Link Air Plus wireless network card sticking out of the side of the them, and they 'talk' wirelessly to the desktop upstairs which is where the high-speed cable comes in.

Doesn't that mean that in addition to being wireless at home, I have the capability, with my laptop and my wireless card thing, to grab wireless where ever it is available?

I have tried this before at a coffeeshop and my laptop seems to be looking for the wireless connection at my house & then gives up--it won't "see" just any wireless connection that might be available (at the coffeeshop, for instance).

Is there a setting I have to change so that it can grab wireless connections other than my home wireless network?

(Sorry this is so long, and sorry if it is not a very smart question.)

[Nite Owl]

1. The only place I have tried it is at

Panera and all I have to do is turn it on. A box comes up the first time and says something about add Panera and that's about it. Some places that use T mobile are subscription.

[Lex]

4. Okay, thanks.

The coffeeshop seems to be offering free wireless service at their store, but I can't ever get my computer to 'find' it.

They say my computer should just be able to find it, but it never does.

Thanks though--I'll keep digging around to see what I can find out!

[NYC]

2. Question.

Is the coffee shop selling the internet service? If so, a password would be required to use it. Maybe that is why your computer doesn't pick it up?

[Lex]

6. No, it's a free connection

according to the the coffeeshop.

[amazona]

3. yes you do

If it is for pay, they will tell you. Often the price is $6.95 for 24 hours! If you can afford it, consider still not doing it anyway, because you are hurting those of us who can't.

In many airports, cafes, hotels, etc. your wireless hookup is entirely free, and they are proud to tell you so. Please patronize the free services, OK?

If ABQ can have free internet, why can't DTW????

The security issues are no different than the security issues of using wireless at home. If you use it anywhere, why not use it everywhere?

I guarantee there are lots of business travelers using wireless at cafes, hotels, and airports and somehow business has not come to a complete halt.

Wireless is OK. One day all internet will be wireless.

Disclosure -- can't afford, don't have a laptop, but have been known to bum off the laptop of others to take advantage of free wireless. My identity hasn't been robbed yet, and I've gone online on 3 continents including Africa.

The conservation movement is a breeding ground of communists
and other subversives. We intend to clean them out,
even if it means rounding up every birdwatcher in the country.
--John Mitchell, US Attorney General 1969-72

[Lex]

5. Thanks for the tip--this coffeeshop offers the connection for free.

And I'm only interested in figuring out how to grab the free service anyway!

I was staying at a hotel once that offered it free and my computer was supposed to find the wireless connection, but it never did! Frustrating!

[amazona]

7. you'll be fine -- enjoy -- and a tip

When my partner's "free wireless" wasn't working at his hotel, he asked at the desk, and they put him in another room. Where it worked fine.

There are still a few bugs in wireless so just roll with the punches.

I *love* free internet at cafes and coffeeshops in Europe. It is too cool.

But have a blast. I'm confident it is legitimate.

The conservation movement is a breeding ground of communists
and other subversives. We intend to clean them out,
even if it means rounding up every birdwatcher in the country.
--John Mitchell, US Attorney General 1969-72

[Lydia Leftcoast]

8. Do you have a Mac or PC?

If you have a Mac, here's what you do: (If you have a PC, I can't help you. :-) )

Go to your Airport icon in the menu bar (it looks like a fan). Pull down the menu and see which network is selected. The names of your home network and the name of the coffee shop's network should appear. Make sure that the name of the coffee shop's network is checked.

If your Airport icon is gray, then you're not picking up the network for some reason. I know that in my local coffee shop, the network simply becomes unavailable from time to time or becomes "invisible" to certain computers.

[Lex]

10. Thanks Lydia.

I do have a PC :( , but I'm sure Mac owners appreciate your excellent reply about connecting!

:hi:

[mondo joe]

11. If your laptop is set to look for your home network as the default

It might just say "oh no, no connection".

There's a way to look for available connections - but since I bought my apple I don't remember how.

[Lex]

12. Yes, there must be a setting

somewhere in the internet connection folder that says essentially 'if you don't find the home network, look around for other connections.'

[jeffrey_X]

13. if you click on the wireless icon down by the clock....

it should bring up the properties or settings for your wireless connection. Somewhere on there it should give you the ability to "view all wireless connections" or something to that nature.

[Ready4Change]

9. I've had less success finding wireless connections.

About 3/4s of the ones I've found have been pay only sites. (Mid Atlantic coast cities.) The free spots are few and far between. The airports I've passed through have used pay services as well. More aggravating, they all are DIFFERENT services, so to get a connection on them I'd need a zillion different accounts.

One tip. If you can find an Apple computer store they nearly always have a free access point.

I'd love to find more free access points. Are there any websites which make findings them (in advance of a trip, for example) easier?

[blue sky at night]

14. Try this...

In windows, a right-click on your wireless network adapter icon in the task bar will open a menu. On that menu, it will say "view all wireless networks." Click on that, and it will open a menu showing all the wireless networks your computer is picking up. If the window shows a line for you to insert a wireless encryption protocol (WEP) key, you won't be able to access the network.

Also, get Netstumbler (www.netstumbler.com), its a shareware program that identifies wireless access You install it and it will stop the windows wireless network configuration program and will display all of the WAPs in range, in addition to signal strength and whether or not they're using a WEP. This is helpful for finding a WAP you can connect to instead of hunting and pecking for one in the windows.