View Full Version : Wireless hotspots
Hi,
We've booked a villa in Crescent Lakes and I was wondering what sort of presence (if any) do wireless networks have over in those parts? Maybe not necessarily CL but in the Kissimmee area.
Thanks,
Lee
floridadreamvilla.co.uk
12-03-2003, 16:15
Not sure I follow you Lee - what are you planning on doing if there is a wireless network?
Are you planning on some warchalking for free, fast internet access(www.warchalking.org) :)?
florida4sun
12-03-2003, 20:27
If you mean cell phones then the coverage is not bbrilliant.
quote:Originally posted by Lee
Hi,
We've booked a villa in Crescent Lakes and I was wondering what sort of presence (if any) do wireless networks have over in those parts? Maybe not necessarily CL but in the Kissimmee area.
Thanks,
Lee
I'll have a laptop in tow and I was wondering if there were any wireless networks available in the area so I could keep on top of emails while I'm away. Wireless networks allow you to access the Internet without having to connect any cables etc. (hence, wireless :). For example, I believe that some McDonalds & Starbucks outlets offer wireless networking connectivity for customers.
Failing that, can anyone provide information on Internet Service Providers in the area?
Cheers
floridadreamvilla.co.uk
13-03-2003, 13:53
I see now Lee.
Not sure of the answer though - our MC Martin (florida4sun above) can probably set you up for net access via the phone line in the villa (if I've guessed correctly, you are staying in our 7 bed villa - ref 388 on OV?). Let us know if you want us to try and sort something out in this regard.
OrlandoSecret
24-08-2003, 00:28
I just purchassed our vacation home (Villa) in Windsor Palms last week, and have already had a new Dell computer shipped, the internet turned on and will be installing a wireless access point next week. Although the internet connection is only dialup, I like the apility to surf and sent email from the pool :)
From my knowledge, there are not many access points in the area, and even high speed internet is hard to find. I am still pushing the DSL and Cable internet providers, but no luck so far.
Since I work at a well known computer company in Austin TX, being in touch and "wired" is my way of life. In fact, researching my night out, buying movie tickets and reading the news vie internet are the only way I know how any more!
To see our villa, check my signature and good luck with your hunt for wireless!
There are very few Wireless access points in the general Orlando area at the moment. If you
have a wireless card, you will still need a modem for the dial up and connect to your card
wireless.
Also remember security, or in the case of wireless the lack of it
Chris
chrizzy100
24-08-2003, 00:51
quote:Originally posted by OrlandoSecret
I just purchassed our vacation home (Villa) in Windsor Palms last week, and have already had a new Dell computer shipped, the internet turned on and will be installing a wireless access point next week. Although the internet connection is only dialup, I like the apility to surf and sent email from the pool :)
From my knowledge, there are not many access points in the area, and even high speed internet is hard to find. I am still pushing the DSL and Cable internet providers, but no luck so far.
Since I work at a well known computer company in Austin TX, being in touch and "wired" is my way of life. In fact, researching my night out, buying movie tickets and reading the news vie internet are the only way I know how any more!
To see our villa, check my signature and good luck with your hunt for wireless!
It would worry me having a PC on the internet incase someone downloaded kiddie **** or something.......I'd worry if it needed repairs and someone found something not nice on it they would report me to the cops and I'd be the one arrested....can you make it a hundred percent **** proof.....what if a kiddie found **** in history after a guest left.....the parents would go mad....maybe sue......I'm not saying guests are perverts.....lol....but you never know....when I've tried to make a Pc **** proof I've end up not being able to get to so many sites that have no **** on them.....its would be one big headache to me......I'd keep the internet just for my family....just have the wireless for people to bring their own laptops......I know I'm a worrywort......:D
Chrizzy
There is no real way of stopping people getting access to **** sites on a pc, the software
companies sell you packages but to be honest they are no good.
As for wireless, this is great if you dont want wires all over the place and want to access
the internet while floating around the pool, but this is not very secure and anyone else with
a wirelss card in their pc can pick up your signals or even use your connection.
Companies that go wireless spend a small fortune making their buldings secure, In london you
can actually walk around with a wireless laptop and get free internet access. Its well published
what buildings arnt secure etc. So its a dangerous area and I wouldnt go that route until all
the loopholes have been sorted.
An exmaple is my mate round the corner has an adsl connection and a wireless network in his house
I have a dial up, but if the kids are on the phone which is most of the time I put in my wireless
card and connect via his network (he doesnt even know). So I get adsl for free cos ive jumped
on his network. So they are good but not secure at all
Chris
floridadreamvilla.co.uk
24-08-2003, 01:17
It's not quite true that wireless networks are not secure and are prone to bandwidth stealing.
We have a wireless ADSL network in the house here and I have configured the wireless router to only allow named wireless network cards to access it and also to encrypt the traffic over the wireless. Thus only my own PC's and laptop can connect to it :D.
Well thats a good way but like most computer systems there are many ways round anything. Its
a good way to protect yourself but in all honesty you cant protect against everything as the
so called underground are always a few steps ahead of us. But at least what you have done will
make it harder to get hacked, but if someone wanted to and they had the right kit, they could
The way to describe what im saying is if your house had a burglar alarm and your neighbours
didnt, its more than likely your home would be left alone, its the same with computers, if your
behind a firewall etc, they will move onto someone who hasnt.
But never feel you are 100 percent safe, Hackers etc are always working away to break through
all the security thats available and they keep on until they get through.
floridadreamvilla.co.uk
24-08-2003, 02:08
True - but they would have to guess one of two 15 digit MAC netowrk card addresses which are made up of a combination of numbers and letters - and do all this within range of the transmitter i.e. no further than the bottom of our driveway.
They would need a network of 100 or more PC's to generate the millions of possibilities required to guess the right one. Possible but extremely unlikely - as you say you would just move on to the next easier target ;).
Well at least your as safe as you can be, which is the best you or me or anyone can do.
OrlandoSecret
05-09-2003, 08:26
Been a while, and it seems I touched off an interesting conversations here!
Well, as for the concerns about what might be on the computer from guest to guest, I created a GHOST image (just Google Norton Ghost, you will find it) backup of the whole unspoiled system. This allows us to refresh the system after every guest to a pristeen working condintion. In fact if a guest mucks up something, they can refresh it themselves with instructions we left. This takes care of that concern there.
As for the support for the computer, we considered that as well. With Dell, they have a 24hr response time for on site repair for only about $100.00 above the computer price. They also perform phone and online support too. We got a 4 year support plan, so it will be obsolete by the time we run out on that! This is a bit much, but for the peace of mind there it was worth it. Support problem solved.
As for the security of the wireless, I'm not too concerned about that at all. Someone would have to sit outside the villa to use that and the likely hood of that going on would be low, and how many people are trying to tap into a wireless network from vacation home neighborhoods, not many I would say. Since I don't pay for the usage and can refresh the system after every guest, I'm not too concerned about it.
In fact I am considering contacting the neighbors and subsidising the cost of the service. This will basically allow me to have a wash on the cost of the 2 neighbors both pay me for 1/2, I get free high speed for the privelage of hosting it!
As for the speed, I have just configured for high speed now too. It was worth it, as the thing is about 500 X faster than dialup at only $39 / month. Now I can go there and stay in touch with the world at MY speed!
So, I think most concerns are met here. Let me know what you think.
Thats good you use ghost, but you can only refresh if you are at the Pc, I assume you must
live in Florida
OrlandoSecret
06-09-2003, 08:43
No, I don't live in Florida right now, but used to. [8D] The ghost image is on a seperate hard drive in the system, for every guest change the cleaning company pops in a floppy, boots and the system is refreshed in about 7 minutes. So, this baby is completely hands off and safe. I left extra copies of the bootable floppy in case it disappears or if a guest happens to screw things up and wants to refresh it. Worse case, Dell hase a restore CD that is similar to Ghost but brings the system back to shipping condition.
The whole idea is that I don't have to be there, and people staying there can do whatever they wish on the system within reason, no questions asked.
floridadreamvilla.co.uk
06-09-2003, 13:50
An even better solution, which out MC mentioned to us yesterday is:
http://www.symantec.com/goback/index.html
You can set a configuration on the PC and then every time the PC is rebooted this configuration is loaded so everyone automatically starts the PC setup as you intended.
Both are good and should answer the original question about visiting **** sites
OrlandoSecret
09-09-2003, 05:32
I thought about the goback solution, but the issue with that is if you stay at my villa for a while (frequently happens) and want to bring your favoriate online game for example, it is a pain to install it every day you re-boot the system. With the ghost solution there is a determined refresh of the system, no matter what is installed.
As stated above, either solution takes care of initial system reset dilema, no liability and everyone is happy.
Thinking about this, I think its a great idea for an internet Pc in a villa, from a renters
view it would mean we could email the owner to say we have arrived etc , but the best use
for me would be to search the web for ideas of where to go while we were there and most of
all keep in contact with you lot here :D
another option I would have suggested a few months ago would be one
of those 'NetNanny' programmes. Not anymore, after loading them up
for friends, only to return to take them off cos they cant get any
normal sites
In theory you could build an image onto a cd, remove the hard drive and always boot from the cd. I know that this is possible with linux. There would not be any permanent downloads at all.
More resort villa communities now have a wireless hot spot in the clubhouse. I know Lake Berkley now has this.
Starbucks in the UK has wireless deal with T mobile so my guess is they will have the same in the US?
Can anyone confirm?
P.S You boys all sound like my husband who is also a techno-freak!
TeeHee!
Hi
Starbucks in Premium Outlets the universal mall, has wifi - you dont even need to buy a coffee. You do however have to sign up with t-mobile, but first day is free. After that I don't know. (I was only using for one day.)
I was surprised that apart from this, the only place I found wifi in FLorida was outside a small Italian (PapaDons) in sleepy old Englewood. Restaurant was shut so sat in car to use laptop!
As for place you can pic up internet wireless access,around the lake at Celebration and a lot of the new malls offer it.