Wireless on the Move

Wireless on the Move
Section 1:
Wireless Hotspots Explained
Essential Information
Your wireless world doesn’t stop when you walk out
your front door. There are now hundreds of thousands
of wireless or ‘Wi-Fi’ hotspots around the world that you
can use when you’re on the move.
A hotspot is a place outside your home that transmits
broadband Internet as radio waves. Your laptop can pick up
these radio waves to allow you to surf the web. You’ll find
them in places such as cafés, pubs, shops and airports.
Section 2:
Wireless Adapters
Essential Information
To use wireless hotspots you’ll need a laptop computer
with a wireless adapter. A wireless adapter receives the
radio wave signals from a hotspot, and converts them into
an Internet connection for your computer. Most modern
laptops come with a built-in wireless adapter so you don’t
need to buy any extra equipment. They’re the best option
for using Wi-Fi hotspots if you’re thinking of buying a
new computer.
Action 1
To check if you already have a wireless adapter in your
laptop, right click on the My Computer icon on the
desktop and select Properties. Click the Hardware
tab and then the Device Manager button. If you have a
wireless adapter it will be listed in the Network Adapters
option.
If you don’t already have a wireless adapter, you’ll need to
buy one from any computer or online electronics retailer.
It’s called a wireless PC card and looks like a credit card
(Fig. 1). Popular brands
you can buy are DLink
(dlink.com), Linksys
(linksys.com), NETGEAR
(netgear.co.uk) and
SanDisk (sandisk.com).
Wireless standards are explained in Chapter Ten. These
refer to the type of radio wave signal used by both the
hotspot and the wireless adapter. Most hotspots use
Wireless B standard so choose a wireless PC card that is
Wireless B compatible. Some hotspots use the much faster
Wireless G standard. Wireless G works with all types of
hotspot. It will cost you more to buy but if you happen
to find a hotspot that uses Wireless G, you can connect to
the web at incredibly fast speeds.
Action 2
Plug the wireless PC card into the PC card expansion slot
on your laptop (you’ll find this at the back or on the side).
Your laptop will recognise it automatically and will display a Found New Hardware message. Insert the software
CD-ROM that comes with your PC card and follow the
on-screen instructions to complete the set up.
EXPERT TIP
If you don’t have a spare PC card expansion slot, you
can buy a USB wireless adapter. It does the same job as
a PC card, you just plug it into the USB socket on your
laptop instead.
Handheld Computers
Alternatively, you can use handheld computers or Pocket
PCs, such as the Palm LifeDrive Mobile Manager (palm.
com) or the HP iPAQ with Wi-Fi (hp.com). If you’re
buying a handheld computer, check in the product
specification, that it has Wi-Fi hotspot compatibility or look
for the ‘Wi-Fi certified’ logo. Finding and connecting to
hotspots with a handheld computer is done in much the
same way as connecting with a laptop.
EXPERT TIP
If you have an older handheld computer that isn’t Wi-Fi
certifi ed, you may be able to add Wi-Fi if it has a compact
fl ash expansion slot. You can check if it has one by
looking at the instruction manual. Expansion slots allow
you to add extra features to your handheld by plugging
a suitable card into the slot. If you have a compact fl ash
slot you can buy a Wi-Fi card. SanDisk (sandisk.com) and
Linksys (linksys.com) make Wi-Fi compact fl ash cards,
or you could ask your local computer retailer for their
recommendations. Alternatively, consider upgrading to
a new handheld which is Wi-Fi certifi ed.
Section 3:
Types of Hotspot
Once you have the right equipment, the next step is to
know how to find a hotspot when you’re on the move.
There are two types of hotspot – fee paying or free.
Fee Paying Hotspots
Most hotspots are fee based and are run by major hotspot
networks, such as T-Mobile. If you intend to use wireless
hotspots a lot, you can sign up for an account in advance
and pay a monthly or annual fee. If you’re more likely to be
an occasional user or use hotspots from different networks,
it is better to sign up for a Pay As You Go account when
you next visit each hotspot. These can be paid on an hourly
or per minute basis.
Free Hotspots
You can find free hotspots too. Some cafés or pubs offer
free hotspots to encourage you to visit their premises in
the hope you will buy something.
EXPERT TIP
If you’re in a big city you will often be able to access
other peoples’ wireless networks from nearby homes or
businesses. If you do fi nd one, it may be because they
are happy for other people to use their network for free, or
it may be because they have failed to secure it properly.
There’s nothing to stop you using it if you want to surf the
web. Chapter Ten explains how important it is to secure
your home wireless network.
Finding a Hotspot
Essential Information
You’ll find hotspots all over the world. You’re more likely
to find one in a town and there are a lot to choose from in
the UK and the US. The easiest way to find a hotspot is
to search for one in an online directory before you leave
home (see Section 5 of this chapter). But if you’re already
out and need to find one, your laptop will tell you if there’s
one nearby (within 70–100 metres).
Action 1
To see if you are in a hotspot area, switch on your laptop.
Place your mouse over the wireless network connection
icon in the bottom right of your laptop screen (Fig. 2) and
right click it.
Fig. 2
Action 2
Click View available wireless networks. Here you will
see the Wireless Network Connection window. If there are
any hotspots in your area their names will be listed here.
If you’re in Starbucks for example, you’ll see T-Mobile as
the network listed. Click on it and select Connect. Your
laptop is now connected to the hotspot (Fig. 3). Open up
your Internet browser (such as Internet Explorer) and
follow the on-screen instructions in Section 7 of this
chapter to get online.
EXPERT TIP
If you don’t use Windows XP, you can download free
software from the Internet that searches for hotspots
and alerts you if it fi nds one. NetStumbler is a popular
choice and can be downloaded from netstumbler.com.
Your wireless PC card may also come with software that
does this for you or some of the hotspot networks (such
as boingo.com) have hotspot-searching software you
can download.
Action 3
If there isn’t a hotspot listed in the Wireless Network
Connection window, you’ll need to find one. In large cities
it is not uncommon to simply walk down the street for
just ten minutes to find a hotspot signal.
Large Stores and Hotels
Big chain hotels and stores also offer wireless hotspots
in many of their locations and are a good place to go if
you’re looking for a hotspot. Some of the biggest to look
out for are:
Borders
bordersstores.co.uk
BT Openzone Payphones
www.btopenzone.com
Caffè Nero
caffenero.com
McDonald’s
mcdwireless.com
Starbucks
starbucks.com
Hilton Hotels
hilton.com
Holiday Inn Express
hiexpress.com
Section 5:
Hotspot Directories
Essential Information
The easiest way to find a hotspot is to check out a list of
them in the area you will be visiting before you leave home.
You can do this online using one of the following hotspot
directories. Simply enter your town in the search box and
you’ll be presented with a list of hotspots (Fig. 4). You can
print out the results to take with you or better still, many
will give you the option to download the locations to your
laptop so you can refer to the list any time you want. The HotSpot Haven
hotspothaven.com
The HotSpot Directory
hotspot-hotel.com
Jiwire
jiwire.com
Total Hotspots
totalhotspots.com
WiFi411
wifi411.com
Wi-Fi Hotspot List
wi-fihotspotlist.com
WiFinder
wifinder.com
Wi-Fi Zone
wi-fizone.org
WiFi Free Spot
wififreespot.com
EXPERT TIP
Another useful way to fi nd a hotspot near you is to use
Google Local. This is a local online information service
that indicates shops and businesses on an easy-to-read
map so you can see exactly where to go.
To access this website visit local.google.co.uk (or
local.google.com in the US), enter your location name or
postcode and hit Search. You’ll then see a map of your
area. Now search again on Wi-Fi, and nearby hotspots
will appear on the map.
Hotspot Finding Gadgets
Essential Information
The problem with walking down the street to find a
hotspot, is that you’ll need to keep taking your laptop
out of its bag to see if there is a hotspot nearby. A useful
gadget to buy is a handheld hotspot finder (Fig. 5). This
can be used as a keyring and has a hotspot button on it.
Press the button at any time and it will tell you if there
is a hotspot nearby. Two good finders are the Kensington
WiFi Finder (kensington.com) or the Trust WiFi Hot Spot
Finder (trust.com).
Section 7:
Using a Hotspot
Once you’ve found a hotspot and are connected to it you’re
ready to go online.
Action 1
Open your Internet browser such as Internet Explorer. If
you’re in a free hotspot you’ll see a web page for the café,
shop or wherever you are. You can then surf the web as
normal.
Action 2
If you’re in a fee-paying hotspot you’ll see a webpage for
the hotspot network such as BT Openzone (Fig. 6). Click
to buy an e-voucher with your credit card to start using the
hotspot, or enter your login details if you already have an
account with that network. You’re then ready to surf.
Action 3
If you choose a Pay As You Go account, it will last for a
set number of hours. Don’t forget to keep an eye on how
long you’ve been online to keep the cost down. Try doing
so by using a simple online alarm clock. Search for free
downloadable alarm clocks at download.com.
Action 4
Make sure you log off from your account and then close
your web browser when you’ve finished, to ensure that you
don’t use any more of the credit in your account.
Hotspot Speeds
You’ll find the speed of Internet access in a hotspot is
as good as your access at home. But as everyone in that
hotspot shares an Internet connection, you may find the
speed slows down in very busy hotspot locations.
EXPERT TIP
With some hotspot networks you can download Access
Manager Software from their website (Fig. 7). This
ensures your computer is properly confi gured for all the
network’s hotspots and you can easily get online. You
can download an access manager for the BT Openzone
network that also works with several other networks at
www.btopenzone.com/using/access_manager.
Hotspot Networks
You’ll find at least one of these networks to be operating
hotspots in locations near you. You can register for an
account in advance or when you’re next at a hotspot.
Boingo
boingo.com
BT Open Zone
www.btopenzone.com
T-Mobile
t-mobile.co.uk/hotspot in the UK or t-mobile.com/hotspot
in the US
The Cloud
www.thecloud.net
Wayport
wayport.net (US only)
Section 9:
Hotspot Security
Essential Information
Ensuring your Internet activity is secure is even more
important when you’re on the move. (See Chapter Ten for
more on how to secure a wireless network at home and
prevent anyone else connecting to it.) But public hotspots
do want you to connect to them and as a result have much
lower levels of security.
You’re most at risk of a hacker attack when you’re using
a hotspot. Hackers use hotspots to snoop on your wireless
signal or trap you in an ‘evil twin’ hotspot. Evil twins
are so called because the hacker sits nearby and creates a
second hotspot that tricks you into thinking it is actually
the location’s hotspot. Once you connect to the evil twin
the hacker can spy on your Internet activity.
You need to take these seven steps to stay safe when using
a Wi-Fi hotspot:
Action 1
Make sure you have a firewall on your laptop, use upto-
date anti-virus software and use Windows Update
regularly. Find out how to do this in Chapter Three.
Action 2
Choose a hotspot that has advanced security such as one of
the major networks rather than one in a local shop or café.
If the hotspot advertises itself as offering Wi-Fi Protected
Access or ‘WPA’ it has better security.
Action 3
It’s fine to check your e-mail account when you’re in a
hotspot but save any sensitive jobs, such as accessing your
online bank account, until you get home.
Action 4
Make sure you are using a secure website when you enter
your credit card details online in a hotspot. Look for
the little padlock symbol at the bottom of your browser
window (Fig. 8).
Action 5
Switch off file and print sharing. This is a setting that shares
the files on your computer with other people using the
same wireless network. If you are using a public hotspot,
it’s not wise to share your files with anyone. To switch
this off, go to Start, Control Panel, then Network
and Internet Connections and select Network
Connections. You will see the wireless Internet service
you are using listed here. Right click your mouse over it
and choose Properties. Finally, click on the General tab
and untick the box which says File and Printer Sharing
for Microsoft Networks (Fig. 9).
Action 6
If you’re using your laptop but don’t need to use a nearby
hotspot, switch off your wireless adapter completely to
stop it receiving incoming signals. To do this, right click
your mouse over the wireless network connection icon
which you’ll find at the bottom of your screen. Then
select Disable.
Action 7
Buy software that helps secure your laptop from attacks
when you’re in a hotspot. Try SpotLock from jiwire.
com, which also includes a built-in hotspot directory and
personal firewall.
Section 10:
Getting Online Without a Hotspot
If you need to get online and there’s no hotspot nearby,
consider these two alternatives:
Surf Using Your Phone
The most flexible way to go wireless is to connect your
laptop to a ‘3G’ mobile phone service. 3G is offered by
most major mobile phone companies and allows you to
surf the web wherever you can pick up a 3G mobile phone
signal. 3G mobile phones can also pick up standard mobile
phone signals. Standard signals can be used to surf the web
if you aren’t in a 3G-signal area, but they are very slow.
You can purchase a 3G data card from most of the major
mobile phone networks.
Buy a 3G data card instead of a wireless PC card and
place this in the PC card expansion slot on your laptop.
Insert the software CD-ROM provided to complete set
up.
There are a couple of problems with 3G. Firstly, it’s
slower than using a wireless hotspot, so whilst it’s OK
for e-mail or web surfing, it’s not good for downloading
files. Secondly, it’s not cheap. That’s why it’s mostly used
by business people.
Vodafone
vodafone.co.uk
T-Mobile
t-mobile.co.uk
Orange
orange.co.uk
Browse Offl ine
If you know you won’t be near a hotspot but still want
to visit a particular website at a later time, you can use an
offline browser instead. Offline browsers capture web
pages or entire websites and save them to your computer
so you can look at them when you can’t access the Internet.
You’ll need offline browser software to do this and you
can download this online. Try the free HTTrack offline
browser (httrack.com) or get a free trial of Teleport Pro at
tenmax.com/teleport/pro.