Hotspotting: NetWorking in a Wireless World

It is no longer a rarity to see someone with a laptop, out in public, working on the Internet - get used to it and expect to see a lot more of this in the coming years. Cell phones started out this way a decade ago and now they are everywhere. Still, seeing laptop-toting Internet users firing them up to do work in public is a bit bizarre to some people.

What makes this capability possible is the marriage of wireless technology with the Internet and the availability of service in an increasing number of places. It isn’t just a feature used by engineers who go to Starbucks anymore.

The National NetWorker wants to help you to be a great networker, both online and in person. Most people use the Internet at a PC when they are either by themselves or in an office environment. The advent of WiFi changes all that. When we are talking wireless and the Internet in this instance, we are talking WiFi, a technology that has made its way into the mainstream. Most WiFi connections effectively operate at 1-40Mb, which is many times the speed of a modem.

This series of articles will focus on 1) what WiFi is 2) where you can find it 3) what you can do with it and 4) HOW you can take advantage of this technology to be a better networker and increase your quality of life.  In this, the first installment of a multi-part series, we define just what WiFi really is, how to get it going and where you might find WiFi service.

WiFi, simply put, is a method of connecting to the Internet without a cable and it is usually associated with laptops. It can be built-into a laptop, much like a CD player or a modem is standard, or it can be added to an older laptop with a card that plugs into a slot, typically on the side. These cards are about ¼ the size of a deck of cards.

For the last 5 years or so (since Windows XP came out) most laptops have had WiFi capabilities built into them. You can’t look at a laptop and tell if it has WiFi built-in. You need to know a little bit and we will cover this. You should assume that WiFi IS INCLUDED in your system in almost every case today.

The first step in using WiFi is to see if we even have it in your system. If you have Windows XP, you can do this as follows:

1. Click on the Start Button in the lower left corner, then
2. Select Control Panel, then
3. Select Classic View on the left if it is not already your default, then
4. Select Network Connections, then
5. You should see an entry that includes the words Wireless Network Connection
6. If you see this, you’ve got WiFi!  If not, take your laptop on down to the computer store and ask to get it installed.  Expect to pay about $50 for an adapter.

Today, you can get a wireless Internet connection in a lot of places, some are obvious and some are not. In some cities, you can get on WiFi all over town, not just at a particular place. In those cities (which include San Francisco and Philadelphia and will soon include Minneapolis), WiFi is universally available “almost” everywhere, much like you get a cellular signal on your phone.

WiFi can be used at home or out in public. The use of WiFi at home is also extremely popular. This article series deals with using WiFi in public, where there are opportunities for networking with others.

To use WiFi to talk to the Internet, you need to be at a location where WiFi service is “in the air”. These places have a device called a Wireless Access Point (WAP) installed somewhere nearby and this is what your WiFi laptop actually talks to. The WAP does the actual wireless communications to and from your laptop. It, in turn, is connected to the Internet and that is how you “get on the net”. Here is a simple example of the most common scenario:

Laptop >>>> Wireless Access Point >>>> Router (or cable/DSL Modem) >>>> Internet

Hot Spots

The term Hot Spot refers to a public location where you can access the Internet with your WiFi laptop. In most cases, the Internet service is free. The venues use this as an attraction to get you to frequent their establishments. The two most notable exceptions are Starbucks and airports. Both of these locations require you to buy Internet service, typically by the day or by the month.

Some Hot Spots will require you to sign up the first time you access the Internet there. They have you agree to some terms and conditions. If you like “legalese”, by all means read away. For the rest of us, just know that you are agreeing to use the Internet for acceptable purposes and not to use it for inappropriate things.  You can probably guess what this refers to and you would be right. Just click “OK” or “I Agree” and get on your way. Most sites do not require a sign in, you make a few clicks and you’re surfing away.

“Hotspotting”

Society is really funny sometimes. It can take something we all know and understand, like a noun, adverb or an adjective and turn it into verb. Have you “Googled” anything lately? Been hotspotting? What is that you say?

Well, hotspotting is the relatively new term that describes the practice of using the Internet, usually with a WiFi-enabled laptop, at a public place. Watch as this term moves into the mainstream before you know it.  You heard it here first!

We will talk a lot about the activity of hotspotting in the next installment.

Time to “Get on the ‘Net

On a WiFi-enabled laptop, there are a couple of things you need to do to get yourself on the net when you are at a Hot Spot. Fortunately, Windows XP has shortcuts and it will even remember when you are returning to a location where you have already visited. When you get to a new Hot Spot, one that you have not been to before, you will need to follow a few simple steps.

Look in the lower right corner of your screen. Windows XP has a nice shortcut to get your WiFi system connected.  It looks like a PC with two brackets to the right of it, like )). If this describes your system, then you are ready.  Do the following:

1. Right click on this icon
    
2. Select View Available Wireless Networks
    
3. Of the networks listed, select one that says Unsecured Wireless Network (if there are more than one, pick the one that has the strongest signal, i.e. the most green bars)
    
4. Click on Connect
    
5. Within 30 seconds or so, you should have your connection
    
6. Load up your browser and you are there!

Windows XP will take care of your wireless connection like this in most cases. Some computers may have a 3^rd party program that does this same thing and they may require you to use it instead. For example, Toshibas use a program called Atheros that manages your wireless connection.

There is one very important detail that frequently gets overlooked. Most laptops have the capability to turn the wireless adapter on and off to conserve battery power. They have a little switch on the side or they use a function key to do this. If you are having problems, look here first. We suggest you turn it on and leave it on if you will be using the Internet very much.

Where you may find WiFi

The places that you can get a WiFi signal and surf the net is constantly expanding. For example, you will soon be able to get WiFi on a city bus or even on a train. For now, these are the most likely places you will find WiFi:

• Coffee shops (not just Starbucks, where you must pay)
• Hotels, motels, rental condos
• Hospitals
• Restaurants and bars
• Airports (be prepared to pay)
• On the road at rest stops and truck stops
• Shopping areas
• Public parks
• Conference rooms
• Lobbies and reception areas

Next month we will look at how you can use WiFi to get you connected to others online and how you can use hotspotting to meet people in person.

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Mike can be contacted at MikeO@TheNationalNetworker.com.