WiFi Hotspots...newbie how does it work

Hi Wireless people,


This summer I will make a six week trip from Las Vegas to Vancouver
(BC). I would like to be connected to the (rest of the) world every now
and then, so I decided to take my notebook with me, and to make use of
the WiFi possibilities.

But how does that work? I go to a WiFi hotspot, and then....?
1. do I need a subscription of any sort?
2. What are the costs?
3. What did I forget to ask?

Any reference to faqs or earlier discussions will be appreciated.

Thanks,

Carlo

"Quintsys" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:afe1c$446f52a7$9163af3c$(E-Mail Removed) ...
> Hi Wireless people,
>
>
> This summer I will make a six week trip from Las Vegas to Vancouver (BC).
> I would like to be connected to the (rest of the) world every now and
> then, so I decided to take my notebook with me, and to make use of the
> WiFi possibilities.
>
> But how does that work? I go to a WiFi hotspot, and then....?
> 1. do I need a subscription of any sort?
> 2. What are the costs?
> 3. What did I forget to ask?
>


Your question indicates that you already own a laptop computer.

Where I live we have several places with free WIFI including coffee shops, a
Laundromat , a pizza joint, and the town plaza.
I live in a small college town.

I would suggest that you take your laptop with you and try to find free
hotspots and familiarize yourself on how to connect. Netstumbler is a
program to show available networks.

Curly Bill wrote:
> "Quintsys" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:afe1c$446f52a7$9163af3c$(E-Mail Removed) ...
>
>>Hi Wireless people,
>>
>>
>>This summer I will make a six week trip from Las Vegas to Vancouver (BC).
>>I would like to be connected to the (rest of the) world every now and
>>then, so I decided to take my notebook with me, and to make use of the
>>WiFi possibilities.
>>
>>But how does that work? I go to a WiFi hotspot, and then....?
>>1. do I need a subscription of any sort?
>>2. What are the costs?
>>3. What did I forget to ask?
>>
>
>
>
> Your question indicates that you already own a laptop computer.
>
> Where I live we have several places with free WIFI including coffee shops, a
> Laundromat , a pizza joint, and the town plaza.
> I live in a small college town.
>
> I would suggest that you take your laptop with you and try to find free
> hotspots and familiarize yourself on how to connect. Netstumbler is a
> program to show available networks.
>
>
Thanks, I'll check out the Netstumbler as well.

Carlo

Quintsys <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
> This summer I will make a six week trip from Las Vegas to Vancouver
> (BC). I would like to be connected to the (rest of the) world every now
> and then, so I decided to take my notebook with me, and to make use of
> the WiFi possibilities.

If you have an SBC/AT&T DSL at home, a subscription to their brand of WiFi
is $1.99 per month, and is available at a lot of "UPS Stores".
http://www02.sbc.com/Products_Servic...-1-3-3,00.html

T-Mobile is available in lots of places, Barnes&Noble Bookstores, Starbucks
coffee houses and such, $19.95.
https://selfcare.hotspot.t-mobile.co...ationDomain.do

KOA campgrounds offer subscription WiFi.
http://www.koa.com/wireless/
http://hotspotzz.com/

Many hotels offer WiFi for free to guests.

http://www.mcdonalds.com/wireless.html
http://www.jiwire.com/hotspot-hot-sp...by-country.htm

Truckstops have subscription or free WiFi.
http://www.fjcomm.com/internet-hotspots.asp

Boingo has a subscription, and cooperative listings.
http://www.boingo.com/search.html

If you know where you are going to be, you might plot according to the
availability of one of these services along the route.

I wouldn't go strictly on the basis of shopping for free WiFi spots, unless
access really isn't important.

Newer cellular phones offer "tethering", the ability to connect a PC to the
internet at speeds ranging from fast dialup to DSL, and the connection is
available almost anywhere a cellular signal is available. That's $20-$60
per month. For a six week trip, it might be a good backup to attempts to
find free WiFi.


--
---
Clarence A Dold - Hidden Valley Lake, CA, USA GPS: 38.8,-122.5

Quintsys <quint....@inter.nl.netniet> writes:

> I'll check out the Netstumbler as well.

Netstumbler doesn't seem to have been updated in a very long time.
Many current wireless devices do not work with Netstumbler, or do
not work with complete functions. I know that it does not correctly
work with my new Zydas and Ralink wireless cards.

Also, a lot of retail places with WiFi for customers do not supply=20
it for free, and it can be _very_ pricey.


-=-
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