Internet on the move

**Nostromo** · 11-03-2005, 11:18

I finally discarded my old 6-year old Laptop and bought a Sony Vaio FS115S yesterday. One of the important features that I was told would be useful was its [u]built-in wireless facility </u> for internet 'hotspots'. I am not sure how this works. I travel a lot wihtin the UK as well as outside, especially to the US. What is the easiest and quickest (I understand that the two may not necessarily go together) way to access Internet in such situations?

I have been given conflicting advice by my colleagues. One tells me to get an account with "BT Openzone" while another said that it would be of very little use abroad and so an unnecessary expense; the latter also told me that I do not need an account and can use the modem or router cable (both provided) to access internet points in hotels etc or simply access their wireless facility on their terms. I'm afraid all this a bit Greek and Swahili to me and would be grateful if some technofile would help me.

wrpac00 · 11-03-2005, 15:40

I don't know about now but there were big security problems with this technology, it was very easily hackable.

**ravtino** · 11-03-2005, 16:25

I know at school we have wireless card that should enable us to access the net wherever there is a wireless signal, I know some of the staff can and some carn't not sure why though - not that this helps you of course!

**SunLover** · 11-03-2005, 17:22

Arun

I noticed last night on the news that there was a launch yesterday to send up a new communication satellite, which was claimed, in conjunction with a further two satellites, would allow anyone anywhere in the world to have instant access to Broadband on demand.

Needless to say, thereafter, it was never mentioned again, but the system was due to be switched on (possibly) today.

Might not help immediately, but worth looking out for a little further down the line.

**stabard** · 11-03-2005, 17:49

Lee has a vodaphone 3G card that he plugs into his laptop so that he can use it whilst on the move (train car etc). Service does vary depending on the accessability of the vodaphone network.

**Snapper** · 11-03-2005, 18:00

Hi Nostromo. It sounds like the wireless access that you get in airports and Starbucks and places like that. Does it mention the system 802.11b or 802.11g at all? These are the current standards for wireless networks.

The hotspots are the areas within the reach of the radio signals. Many villa owners (us included) also have this in the villas to allow guests to use their own laptops for internet access.

I can tell you how the process works with Windows XP. It may be slightly different on other machines but it will involve the same general steps.

Your laptop should detect the wireless zone automatically and will pop up a box telling you that a new network has been found and asking you if you want to connect to it. When you click on 'yes' any one of three things could happen. If the connection is completely open your laptop will just connect and that's it, you are on-line. If the connection is restricted by a password it will ask you for the password. Typically this will be a short set of 8 letters and numbers, like 8F221CA3. The third thing that might happen if you need to pay to use the connection is that when you open a web page it will direct you to a payment page that will have more instructions.

It's an excellent system. I've used it in hotels, airport lounges, and indeed am typing this to you right now from the same system in my villa.

As for the launch yesterday, you might see it on the news again today. [msnwink] We went over to Kennedy to watch and photograph it. It was a really beautiful day, not a cloud in the sky. We got a great view from the causeway over the Banana river. The launch time came and went. We learned later that the launch was scrubbed at only T - 2 minutes due to a technical fault. It's been re-scheduled for this afternoon although it's a lot more cloudy today. I'll be heading back over there later so if it flies and we can see it I'll post a photo or two later tonight.

**Nostromo** · 11-03-2005, 18:50

Thanks Snapper and Sunlover. Snapper, the Laptop mentions the 802.11b sysytem, but I only got it yesterday and have not even taken it out of the package yet. I intend to play with it over the weekend and thought some advance info would be useful. Thanks again.

I did not know about this new satellite, but it sounds interesting. Looks like I bought it at the right time. There was a big 'Buy now, Pay Later' offer at PC World that included their After Sales Package and I could not resist it. ( I haven't told the wife yet. I was supposed to be saving for my share of a major repair job on our drive & she will bawl me out soon

. Fortunately, It is 'pay later')

Am I right in thinking that a) I do not need a separate ISP account to use this system and b) In areas where there are no 'hotspots' nearby (or not working) I can still use my router cable to connect to broadband if an outlet is availble (say, in a hotel room)?

**Snapper** · 11-03-2005, 19:10

Yep. You are right on both counts Nostromo.

The people providing the wireless hotspot also provide the ISP, so you laptop basically sees a native internet connection. So to give you the example I'm on here, my laptop (now out by the pool!!) 'sees' the internet through it's wireless card. It doesn't know who provides the service, only that any internet traffic (web requests, emails, etc.) that is sends over the wireless transmit successfully. The technicalities behind the connection are that it's talking to a router which then routes the internet traffic to the cable modem, which sends the signals along the cable provided by Brighthouse Networks, and talks to an ISP called RoadRunner.

If you switch from using wireless to a wired network your laptop will be smart enough to switch between them. It will detect that there is no longer a wireless network, will detect that there is a wired network and will switch to routing internet traffic down the wire instead of out across the wireless network.

If you are ever in the situation where you have both a wireless and a hard-wired network available your laptop will likely through up a different prompt that you very seldom see. It will ask you if you want to 'bridge' the two networks. Click No. This would be bad. Think of it like a patient asking if they should take Asprin, Ibuprofen, Paracetamol and Codeine all at the same time.