Piggybacking with my Desktop

Jaxon Bridge wrote:

> I am moving into Manhattan and I have heard from friends that random
> WiFi signals are pretty much everywhere, even at most homes, and that
> piggybacking is easy.
>
> I do not have Wifi on my desktop, so I am thinking about getting a
> Linksys WUSB54G Wireless-G USB Adapter.
>
> I have been using dial-up all my life, and neither cable or DSL is
> available in the apartment I'm moving into, so freebie WiFi seems like
> the best option. It's just not worth the nearly $50 per month for
> dialup that I would pay between the phone connection and the ISP.
>
> My questions are:
>
> 1. Is the Linksys WUSB54G Wireless-G USB Adapter my best choice?

Linksys is a well respected brand so that card should work fine. However,
most people consider Orinoco cards to be the best. The best advice is
probably to buy your card from a store with a 30 day return policy. That
way, if the card sucks, you can exchange it for another one.

>
> 2. I'm totally a WiFi novice, but from what I've heard, I can just plug
> it in and I'll be on the internet (assuming there is a signal near me).
> Is it potentially really this easy?? It sounds too good to be true.

It can be that easy but, chances are, it will not be. There aren't just
magical wifi internet connections all over the world. If you find some
that don't require a WEP key/password, they are probably just some stupid
neighbours that don't know how to properly configure their router. If you
use those signals, you may be breaking the law.

Also, wifi signals are at the same frequency as a 2.4GHz phone. Imagine the
range you get from your portable handset. That's about how far away you
can be from one of these unsecured wifi access points. Walls, microwaves,
etc. all cause a decrease in signal strength.

Some ISPs offer wifi access now using the cellular network but that requires
a totally different card.

So the moral of the story, don't count on some free wifi signals you can
"piggyback". You'll probably be much happier with a ~$25/month basic DSL
connection. If you really want to save money using wifi, offer to share it
with your neighbour.

--Mitchua


>
> thanks for advice,
>
> Jaxon

Jaxon Bridge wrote:

> I am moving into Manhattan and I have heard from friends that random
> WiFi signals are pretty much everywhere, even at most homes, and that
> piggybacking is easy.
>
> I do not have Wifi on my desktop, so I am thinking about getting a
> Linksys WUSB54G Wireless-G USB Adapter.
>
> I have been using dial-up all my life, and neither cable or DSL is
> available in the apartment I'm moving into, so freebie WiFi seems like
> the best option. It's just not worth the nearly $50 per month for
> dialup that I would pay between the phone connection and the ISP.
>
> My questions are:
>
> 1. Is the Linksys WUSB54G Wireless-G USB Adapter my best choice?

Linksys is a well respected brand so that card should work fine. However,
most people consider Orinoco cards to be the best. The best advice is
probably to buy your card from a store with a 30 day return policy. That
way, if the card sucks, you can exchange it for another one.

>
> 2. I'm totally a WiFi novice, but from what I've heard, I can just plug
> it in and I'll be on the internet (assuming there is a signal near me).
> Is it potentially really this easy?? It sounds too good to be true.

It can be that easy but, chances are, it will not be. There aren't just
magical wifi internet connections all over the world. If you find some
that don't require a WEP key/password, they are probably just some stupid
neighbours that don't know how to properly configure their router. If you
use those signals, you may be breaking the law.

Also, wifi signals are at the same frequency as a 2.4GHz phone. Imagine the
range you get from your portable handset. That's about how far away you
can be from one of these unsecured wifi access points. Walls, microwaves,
etc. all cause a decrease in signal strength.

Some ISPs offer wifi access now using the cellular network but that requires
a totally different card.

So the moral of the story, don't count on some free wifi signals you can
"piggyback". You'll probably be much happier with a ~$25/month basic DSL
connection. If you really want to save money using wifi, offer to share it
with your neighbour.

--Mitchua


>
> thanks for advice,
>
> Jaxon

I am moving into Manhattan and I have heard from friends that random
WiFi signals are pretty much everywhere, even at most homes, and that
piggybacking is easy.

I do not have Wifi on my desktop, so I am thinking about getting a
Linksys WUSB54G Wireless-G USB Adapter.

I have been using dial-up all my life, and neither cable or DSL is
available in the apartment I'm moving into, so freebie WiFi seems like
the best option. It's just not worth the nearly $50 per month for
dialup that I would pay between the phone connection and the ISP.

My questions are:

1. Is the Linksys WUSB54G Wireless-G USB Adapter my best choice?

2. I'm totally a WiFi novice, but from what I've heard, I can just plug
it in and I'll be on the internet (assuming there is a signal near me).
Is it potentially really this easy?? It sounds too good to be true.

thanks for advice,

Jaxon

Jaxon Bridge <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in news:109sla5ag87kt49
@news.supernews.com:

> I am moving into Manhattan and I have heard from friends that random
> WiFi signals are pretty much everywhere, even at most homes, and that
> piggybacking is easy.
>
> I do not have Wifi on my desktop, so I am thinking about getting a
> Linksys WUSB54G Wireless-G USB Adapter.
>
> I have been using dial-up all my life, and neither cable or DSL is
> available in the apartment I'm moving into, so freebie WiFi seems like
> the best option. It's just not worth the nearly $50 per month for
> dialup that I would pay between the phone connection and the ISP.
>
> My questions are:
>
> 1. Is the Linksys WUSB54G Wireless-G USB Adapter my best choice?
>
> 2. I'm totally a WiFi novice, but from what I've heard, I can just
plug
> it in and I'll be on the internet (assuming there is a signal near me).
> Is it potentially really this easy?? It sounds too good to be true.
>
> thanks for advice,
>
> Jaxon
>

The advice is don't become a *dog* because you can.

Duane

Jaxon Bridge wrote:

> 2. I'm totally a WiFi novice, but from what I've heard, I can just plug
> it in and I'll be on the internet (assuming there is a signal near me).
> Is it potentially really this easy?? It sounds too good to be true.
>

It probably is to good to be true, unless there's some one nearby who's
willingly sharing his connection. Otherwise, it's theft of services.

--

Fundamentalism is fundamentally wrong.

To reply to this message, replace everything to the left of "@" with
james.knott.

If neither cable nor DSL is available in your apartment building, whose
wireless signal are you hoping to pick up? Someone else using dial up??
Does this new apartment have running water?


"Jaxon Bridge" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> I am moving into Manhattan and I have heard from friends that random
> WiFi signals are pretty much everywhere, even at most homes, and that
> piggybacking is easy.
>
> I do not have Wifi on my desktop, so I am thinking about getting a
> Linksys WUSB54G Wireless-G USB Adapter.
>
> I have been using dial-up all my life, and neither cable or DSL is
> available in the apartment I'm moving into, so freebie WiFi seems like
> the best option. It's just not worth the nearly $50 per month for
> dialup that I would pay between the phone connection and the ISP.
>
> My questions are:
>
> 1. Is the Linksys WUSB54G Wireless-G USB Adapter my best choice?
>
> 2. I'm totally a WiFi novice, but from what I've heard, I can just plug
> it in and I'll be on the internet (assuming there is a signal near me).
> Is it potentially really this easy?? It sounds too good to be true.
>
> thanks for advice,
>
> Jaxon
>