two questions about wi-fi & hotspots

The first question is simply, is wi-fi faster than dial-up? The
second is, would I need a separate wi-fi account or can I use my
current isp account without paying extra or do I even need an isp?
Thanks for any help.

"Wi-fi" is just a generic name that suggests a wireless data network.
It is not related to the type of internet connection. In the US Wi-Fi
normally means an 802.11A/G/B IP network connected to some internet
connection such as DSL, T1, ISDN, dial up, even sat. uplink.

So, for home use where you buy a wireless AP and setup your own
network then you would use your current ISP to connect to the
internet. Most people do this via DSL or cable modem but you CAN do
it with a dial-up account if you really want to.

For public for fee hot-spots you normally need to have an account with
the wireless provider and pay some fee to use the system. In this
case you use their ISP and don't need your own. Free hot-spots are
the same except you don't have to pay Nearly all public hot-spots
will be much faster than dial-up. Keep in mind that public hot-spots
may not allow all types of IP traffic. For example, you might be
limited to Web browsing etc. This is mostly an issue if you need to
use VPN software or other software that requires IP ports to be opened
other than HTTP/S, FTP, and the like.


(E-Mail Removed) (Robert Kelly) wrote in message news:<(E-Mail Removed) om>...
> The first question is simply, is wi-fi faster than dial-up? The
> second is, would I need a separate wi-fi account or can I use my
> current isp account without paying extra or do I even need an isp?
> Thanks for any help.

"dep_blueman" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed) om...
> "Wi-fi" is just a generic name that suggests a wireless data network.
> It is not related to the type of internet connection. In the US Wi-Fi
> normally means an 802.11A/G/B IP network connected to some internet
> connection such as DSL, T1, ISDN, dial up, even sat. uplink.

Wi-fi specifically means 802.11a/b/g, and only that. The term was coined by,
and is a registered trademark of, the Wi-fi Alliance, the industry group
that does functional and interoperability certification for 802.11 products.

>
> So, for home use where you buy a wireless AP and setup your own
> network then you would use your current ISP to connect to the
> internet. Most people do this via DSL or cable modem but you CAN do
> it with a dial-up account if you really want to.
>
> For public for fee hot-spots you normally need to have an account with
> the wireless provider and pay some fee to use the system. In this
> case you use their ISP and don't need your own. Free hot-spots are
> the same except you don't have to pay Nearly all public hot-spots
> will be much faster than dial-up. Keep in mind that public hot-spots
> may not allow all types of IP traffic. For example, you might be
> limited to Web browsing etc. This is mostly an issue if you need to
> use VPN software or other software that requires IP ports to be opened
> other than HTTP/S, FTP, and the like.
>
>
> (E-Mail Removed) (Robert Kelly) wrote in message
news:<(E-Mail Removed) om>...
> > The first question is simply, is wi-fi faster than dial-up? The
> > second is, would I need a separate wi-fi account or can I use my
> > current isp account without paying extra or do I even need an isp?
> > Thanks for any help.

OK, I know where there is a free hot spot, so do I need my own isp or
do I use another isp, and is it possible that I would have to pay for
using that isp?

A free hotspot provides free access to an ISP. There are commercial hotspots
that you'd have to pay for, such as Starbucks. These often use T-Mobile, If
the hotspot you know really is free, just fire up and connect to its SSID.
You may get a splash page from their web site, and they may even ask you to
sign up to get a userid/password for authentication, but once you've done
that you just connect through to the internet.

"Robert Kelly" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed) om...
> OK, I know where there is a free hot spot, so do I need my own isp or
> do I use another isp, and is it possible that I would have to pay for
> using that isp?

Thanks for the clarification.



"gary" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message news:<gnPxc.5469$(E-Mail Removed) m>...
> A free hotspot provides free access to an ISP. There are commercial hotspots
> that you'd have to pay for, such as Starbucks. These often use T-Mobile, If
> the hotspot you know really is free, just fire up and connect to its SSID.
> You may get a splash page from their web site, and they may even ask you to
> sign up to get a userid/password for authentication, but once you've done
> that you just connect through to the internet.
>
> "Robert Kelly" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:(E-Mail Removed) om...
> > OK, I know where there is a free hot spot, so do I need my own isp or
> > do I use another isp, and is it possible that I would have to pay for
> > using that isp?

A Wifi hotspot is "access".
How that hotspot handles "payment" is up to them -
Some charge a fee locally - we have some local cafe's
that you signon and pay for 1hr with a charge card.
Some require a national account - like Starbucks via T-mobile.
Some are tied to other telecom providers,
and some are free....

If you have a Panera Bread restaurant near you -
you can try out their "free" WiFi access -

Phil -