Newbie Help: Mystery Wireless Source?

I just got my first computer with wireless capability (802.11g); whenever I
start it up, it seems to find a wireless connection somewhere. I have no
idea where this is coming from. When I try to check into it, it says
"Available Networks: SMC"; signal strength: Excellent; Speed: 36.0 Mbps;
Connection: Associated; SSID: SMC; AP's MAC Address: 00:04:E2 (and some more
numbers); Security: Disabled; Network Connection Type: Infrastructure;

I only have a dial-up connection (I can't get DSL where I live), so it would
be nice to be able to access this network, but how do I know if (1) it is a
publicly accessible network and (2) if so, how do I connect?

Thanks for your help!

Well, it WOULD be nice to use that connection, but it belongs to your
neighbor. There has been a whole 150+ messages discussion on the subject
back in 2003. We still keep it in our archive here.

http://www.cabling-design.com/forums...p_id=24&push=1

Read the posts there, you should be able to get a pretty clear picture.


--
Dmitri Abaimov, RCDD
http://www.cabling-design.com
Cabling Forum, color codes, pinouts and other useful resources for
premises cabling users and pros
http://www.cabling-design.com/homecabling
Residential Cabling Guide
-------------------------------------
J-Man wrote:


> I just got my first computer with wireless capability (802.11g);
> whenever I
> start it up, it seems to find a wireless connection somewhere. I have
> no
> idea where this is coming from. When I try to check into it, it says
> "Available Networks: SMC"; signal strength: Excellent; Speed:
> 36.0 Mbps;
> Connection: Associated; SSID: SMC; AP's MAC Address: 00:04:E2 (and some
> more
> numbers); Security: Disabled; Network Connection Type: Infrastructure;

> I only have a dial-up connection (I can't get DSL where I live), so it
> would
> be nice to be able to access this network, but how do I know if (1) it
> is a
> publicly accessible network and (2) if so, how do I connect?

> Thanks for your help!






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Thanks for your help! Now ... is there any way to disable whatever it is
that's finding this network so that it's not constantly running in the
background? I don't want to permanently remove it, in case I ever get
around to using it at a legitimate site.

"Dmitri(Cabling-Design.com)" <info_at_cabling-(E-Mail Removed)> wrote
in message news:(E-Mail Removed) s.com...
> Well, it WOULD be nice to use that connection, but it belongs to your
> neighbor. There has been a whole 150+ messages discussion on the subject
> back in 2003. We still keep it in our archive here.
>
>
http://www.cabling-design.com/forums...p_id=24&push=1
>
> Read the posts there, you should be able to get a pretty clear picture.
>
>
> --
> Dmitri Abaimov, RCDD
> http://www.cabling-design.com
> Cabling Forum, color codes, pinouts and other useful resources for
> premises cabling users and pros
> http://www.cabling-design.com/homecabling
> Residential Cabling Guide
> -------------------------------------
> J-Man wrote:
>
>
> > I just got my first computer with wireless capability (802.11g);
> > whenever I
> > start it up, it seems to find a wireless connection somewhere. I have
> > no
> > idea where this is coming from. When I try to check into it, it says
> > "Available Networks: SMC"; signal strength: Excellent; Speed:
> > 36.0 Mbps;
> > Connection: Associated; SSID: SMC; AP's MAC Address: 00:04:E2 (and some
> > more
> > numbers); Security: Disabled; Network Connection Type: Infrastructure;
>
> > I only have a dial-up connection (I can't get DSL where I live), so it
> > would
> > be nice to be able to access this network, but how do I know if (1) it
> > is a
> > publicly accessible network and (2) if so, how do I connect?
>
> > Thanks for your help!
>
>
>
>
>
>
> ##-----------------------------------------------##
> Article posted with Cabling-Design.com Newsgroup Archive
> http://www.cabling-design.com/forums
> no-spam read and post WWW interface to your favorite newsgroup -
alt.internet.wireless
> ##-----------------------------------------------##

There are actually couple ways of dealing with it:
If this is a laptop PC you got, chances are there is just a simple
mechanical switch that disables antenna (hence any wireless networking). I
have it on my Toshiba SatellitePro.
The other way to do it would be to go into "Network Connections", and open
properties of "Wireless Network Connection". (I'm assuming that since
you've just got the PC, it's a Win XP machine). On the "Wireless Networks"
tab simply remove the "SMC" connection. You can always hit "Refresh" and
see it back again, but then why would you?
Good luck!
--
Dmitri Abaimov, RCDD
http://www.cabling-design.com
Cabling Forum, color codes, pinouts and other useful resources for
premises cabling users and pros
http://www.cabling-design.com/homecabling
Residential Cabling Guide
-------------------------------------
J-Man wrote:

> Thanks for your help! Now ... is there any way to disable whatever it
> is
> that's finding this network so that it's not constantly running in the
> background? I don't want to permanently remove it, in case I ever get
> around to using it at a legitimate site.

> "Dmitri(Cabling-Design.com)"
> <info_at_cabling-(E-Mail Removed)> wrote
> in message news:(E-Mail Removed) s.com...
>> Well, it WOULD be nice to use that connection, but it belongs to
>> your
>> neighbor. There has been a whole 150+ messages discussion on the
>> subject
>> back in 2003. We still keep it in our archive here.
>>
>>
>>
http://www.cabling-design.com/forums...p_id=24&push=1
>>
>> Read the posts there, you should be able to get a pretty clear
>> picture.
>>
>>
>> --
>> Dmitri Abaimov, RCDD
>> http://www.cabling-design.com
>> Cabling Forum, color codes, pinouts and other useful resources for
>> premises cabling users and pros
>> http://www.cabling-design.com/homecabling
>> Residential Cabling Guide
>> -------------------------------------
>> J-Man wrote:
>>
>>
>> > I just got my first computer with wireless capability
>>> (802.11g);
>> > whenever I
>> > start it up, it seems to find a wireless connection
>>> somewhere. I have
>> > no
>> > idea where this is coming from. When I try to check into it,
>>> it says
>> > "Available Networks: SMC"; signal strength:
>>> Excellent; Speed:
>> > 36.0 Mbps;
>> > Connection: Associated; SSID: SMC; AP's MAC Address: 00:04:E2
>>> (and some
>> > more
>> > numbers); Security: Disabled; Network Connection Type:
>>> Infrastructure;
>>
>> > I only have a dial-up connection (I can't get DSL where I
>>> live), so it
>> > would
>> > be nice to be able to access this network, but how do I know
>>> if (1) it
>> > is a
>> > publicly accessible network and (2) if so, how do I connect?
>>
>> > Thanks for your help!
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> ##-----------------------------------------------##
>> Article posted with Cabling-Design.com Newsgroup Archive
>> http://www.cabling-design.com/forums
>> no-spam read and post WWW interface to your favorite newsgroup -
>> alt.internet.wireless
>> ##-----------------------------------------------##






##-----------------------------------------------#
Article posted with Cabling-Design.com Newsgroup Archiv
http://www.cabling-design.com/forum
no-spam read and post WWW interface to your favorite newsgroup - alt.internet.wireles
##-----------------------------------------------##

If YOU can't get DSL or cable then someone very close to you can; a
36mbps 802.11g or a link has to be within yelling distance*!

I would figure out who has it and see if they want to share the cost
with you. Then you could have high speed wireless and they could get
1/2 their bill paid for.

-D

*This COULD be a link on a high gain ant. and be farther from you but
anyone who could build such a link would surely have secured their
network with WEP or WPA unless it was intended for public use.

" J-Man" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message news:<MJSwc.4897$(E-Mail Removed) link.net>...
> I just got my first computer with wireless capability (802.11g); whenever I
> start it up, it seems to find a wireless connection somewhere. I have no
> idea where this is coming from. When I try to check into it, it says
> "Available Networks: SMC"; signal strength: Excellent; Speed: 36.0 Mbps;
> Connection: Associated; SSID: SMC; AP's MAC Address: 00:04:E2 (and some more
> numbers); Security: Disabled; Network Connection Type: Infrastructure;
>
> I only have a dial-up connection (I can't get DSL where I live), so it would
> be nice to be able to access this network, but how do I know if (1) it is a
> publicly accessible network and (2) if so, how do I connect?
>
> Thanks for your help!

On Mon, 07 Jun 2004 06:00:02 GMT, J-Man spoketh

>Thanks for your help! Now ... is there any way to disable whatever it is
>that's finding this network so that it's not constantly running in the
>background? I don't want to permanently remove it, in case I ever get
>around to using it at a legitimate site.
>

Disable the "Wireless Zero Configuration" service on your computer.
That'll stop it from looking for wireless networks.

Lars M. Hansen
http://www.hansenonline.net
(replace 'badnews' with 'news' in e-mail address)