installing a wifi card on my laptop

Hi all,

I have a newbie question for the group (I know, it's annoying). I
have a wifi-enabled laptop, and although I currently use a DSL line at
home, I'd like to be able to have wifi access while travelling. Since
there seems to be free wifi wherever I go, I'm wondering what is the
best way for me to take advantage of that. Can I just install a wifi
card on my laptop and I'm good to go? Again, I don't think I'd be
using this at home (unless I can scam a signal off my neighbors...).

Thanks!
Julie

On 26 Mar 2007 13:27:27 -0700, "JB" <jlbennink@gmail.com> wrote:

>I have a newbie question for the group (I know, it's annoying).

All that means is that I'm a little less obnoxious and critical than
usual. Very little.

>I have a wifi-enabled laptop,

Make and model? All laptops are not created equal.

>and although I currently use a DSL line at
>home, I'd like to be able to have wifi access while travelling.

Good thinking. That's how Wi-Fi is normally used at coffee shops,
hotels, airports, etc.

>Since
>there seems to be free wifi wherever I go, I'm wondering what is the
>best way for me to take advantage of that.

The best way? Legally, of course.

>Can I just install a wifi
>card on my laptop and I'm good to go? Again, I don't think I'd be
>using this at home (unless I can scam a signal off my neighbors...).

It's considered good form to ask the neighbors before mooching off
their bandwidth.

Basically, the answer is yes. Buy a suitable wi-fi card and find a
suitable hot spot. Lots of cards and hot spots to chose from. Most
recent model laptops have a socket for an internal wireless card.
Check if that's available before buying a USB or PCMCIA (PC Card) type
of wireless card.

To see what's available, try one of these search tools:
<http://wireless.wikia.com/wiki/Wi-Fi#Wi-Fi_Hotspots>
The problem is that they're not all free and not all the same. For
example, if you hang around Starbucks coffee acting cool while sipping
Chai, you'll need an account from T-Mobile:
<http://www.starbucks.com/retail/wireless.asp>
Hotels, marinas, fast food, and airports use other service providers.
Some are very tolerant of people sitting around all day sipping on one
cup of coffee. Others will demand that you buy something or get out.

Some will have a splash screen that demands a credit card number to
charge before you can surf. I would be wary of these as it's possible
to sniff the card number and account info. At the least, be sure that
the browser is in SSL 128bit encrypted mode when entering the
information.

Hint: Also carry a towel. You will spill coffee on your keyboard
while travelling. I've seen the results (a week or two later) all too
often. If it happen (and it will), turn the laptop keyboard *DOWN* so
that the liquid drains out of the laptop, not inside. Once it dries
and turns to tar and corrosion, the keyboard is usually unrepairable.


--
# Jeff Liebermann 150 Felker St #D Santa Cruz CA 95060
# 831-336-2558 jeffl@comix.santa-cruz.ca.us
# http://802.11junk.com jeffl@cruzio.com
# http://www.LearnByDestroying.com AE6KS

JB wrote:
> I'd like to be able to have wifi access while travelling. Since
> there seems to be free wifi wherever I go, I'm wondering what is the
> best way for me to take advantage of that. Can I just install a wifi
> card on my laptop and I'm good to go?

McDonalds has partnered with Wayport in providing WiFi hotspots.

And then SBCglobal comes into the picture with a really low cost service.

If you are a SBC DSL subscriber, you can get the McD/Wayport access for
only $1.95 per month added to your SBC account.

If you are a SBC dialup subscriber, you can get the McD/Wayport access for
only $19.95 per month added to your SBC dialup account.

Or...if you are a Cingular user, you can add the *SAME* McD/Wayport access
for around $60 per month to your Cingular account.

Anyone for a *McdByte*?

On Mar 26, 4:27 pm, "JB" <jlbenn...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Hi all,
>
> I have a newbie question for the group (I know, it's annoying). I
> have a wifi-enabled laptop, and although I currently use a DSL line at
> home, I'd like to be able to have wifi access while travelling. Since
> there seems to be free wifi wherever I go, I'm wondering what is the
> best way for me to take advantage of that. Can I just install a wifi
> card on my laptop and I'm good to go? Again, I don't think I'd be
> using this at home (unless I can scam a signal off my neighbors...).
>
> Thanks!
> Julie

Hi, Julie.

A standard response is "RTFM" (read the *** manual), "DAGS" (do a
Google search) and "read the FAQs" (Frequently Asked Questions).

Saves a lot of wheel-redesign.

Then there are lots of good, basic references out there on wireless
comm. Takes a moderate attention-span to form a mental picture.

Seems you have a wireless networking device "wi-fi enabled laptop."
My guess is that you just need to learn how to manage connecting it to
access points, and the do-s and don't-s. That's what the "standard
response" above was referring to.

Best Wishes,
J

JB <jlbennink@gmail.com> wrote:
> have a wifi-enabled laptop, and although I currently use a DSL line at

What do you mean by wifi-enabled? It already has a WiFi card and you just
haven't used it yet?

> there seems to be free wifi wherever I go, I'm wondering what is the

Free WiFi is not ubiquitous. I wouldn't depend on it being available in
any given location. Some hotel do make it available for their guests, and
their are paid connections available in lots of places, but the residential
points that used to be open and free are not so popular any more.

> best way for me to take advantage of that. Can I just install a wifi
> card on my laptop and I'm good to go? Again, I don't think I'd be

What do you mean by wifi-enabled? It already has a WiFi card and you just
haven't used it yet?

> using this at home (unless I can scam a signal off my neighbors...).

Scamming off the neighbors is generally lacking in social merit, unless the
access point says something like "freds free wifi", and that might be
seriously lacking in social grace if Fred is not truly a nice guy.

--
---
Clarence A Dold - Hidden Valley Lake, CA, USA GPS: 38.8,-122.5

Hi. As others are saying, it sounds like "wifi enabled" may mean you
already have what you need. If your laptop is newish, then it likely
has a wireless network adapter built-in.

First thing you want to do is get out the manual (or google for an
online manual) for your laptop and find the section on wireless and
see what it says. There may be a switch on your laptop to turn on
the radio. Or it may be turned on using a keyboard combo. IF your
laptop has built-in wifi....

Once it's on, find the utility that controls it (the manual tells you
about this) and have it scan or whatever and see what it picks up. If
you can see names of different access points, then your radio is
working and you are well on your way to success.

Final step is connecting.

You should know that there are settings in your brand's (Dell, Toshiba
etc) Wireless Connection Utility and Windows Networking for your
address, DNS and passwords if needed. These settings will depend on
the network you want to connect to, but generally the default settings
for address and DNS (automatic) work and I believe that most hotspots
don't need passwords or keys.

So basically, when you are at a hotspot, you boot up, start up your
wireless utility (that you read about in the manual), have it scan for
availible networks, select one and tell it to connect. If it connects,
then start up your Internet browser and take it from there. If it
asks for a password or key, then check with the people who run the
hotspot.

Cheers,
Steve

(unless I can scam a signal off my neighbors...).


I imagine that you use "scam" like some folks to mean "get them to
share it with me"

"Dude, can I scam a bite off your veggie burrito?- I'm starved"

seaweedsteve <seaweedsteve@gmail.com> wrote:
> Hi. As others are saying, it sounds like "wifi enabled" may mean you
> already have what you need. If your laptop is newish, then it likely
> has a wireless network adapter built-in.
....
> So basically, when you are at a hotspot, you boot up,

Or just boot up and see what happens next. Some laptops have a button to
turn the radio off or on, others don't.

Magic might occur, if this is a Windows XP laptop. If you are sitting in a
Starbucks or McDonalds or UPSStore that has WiFi, you might be presented
with a popup asking if you want to connect to this unsecured hotspot.
Click yes, and then open a browser window, like Internet Explorer. You
might be presented with a screen from the hotspot asking for login
information.

Maybe http://www.jiwire.com/wifi-users-guide-what-is-wifi.htm would be good
reading. http://www.jiwire.com has a hotspot locater that might reveal
some test places for you to visit. If you get a signon screen, you are
connected to a hotspot. You don't actually need to log in (and pay) in
order to test.

--
---
Clarence A Dold - Hidden Valley Lake, CA, USA GPS: 38.8,-122.5

There are many considerations here. If you
are a road-warrior you need a hot "USB"Unit
with the RF unit out on the end of about
five feet of cable so that you can move
your RF unit around a bit to connect up to
weak signals. Some units are A and B.
If you're just going to connect to Wayport
or T-Mobile at a table at Starbucks or MacDonalds
your built-in may be all you'll need. Cards
look pretty, and some will accept an
external antenna, but a few db will be lost
in the feed. If you want to look for an Engenius
with a swappable antenna, you, in my opinion
will be far ahead of the game..One caveat
many USB devices are not really plug-and-
play will destruct when yanked out and plugged
in. There is a learning curve..Good Luck