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Going wireless?
I will be staying at a relative's condo in Florida for a week. During the off season they disconnect the phone. If I get a wireless card for my laptop, can I get online that way? I searched other threads and am not sure if I also need a portable wireless router or some type of service plan.
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If they have a active wireless network and router in the house, and your laptop is equipped to receive 802.11 (a,b, and/or g) signals without a card, then no, you won't need a card. It there is an active network, but you don't have built in Wi-Fi in your computer, then you will need a card.
If there is not wireless network in the house, then you can always get online with one of wireless services offered by cellular providers like Verizon, Sprint, etc. Then you would need one of there cards, which is completely different than the wireless network card I just described. But this also assumes that the cellular provider's signal can reach your relatives condo. |
With some cell phones/services, you can connect the laptop with USB or bluetooth to the cell phone and get and internet connection through that.
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They don't have a wireless setup so I'm SOL on that. I have a Nextel phone with a data plan. I'll have to look into that.
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W/respect to your phone, you'll want to Google for what's known as "tethering".
Also, you'll want to find out if your laptop has built-in wireless (802.11) or not. If not, it's probably worth picking up a cheapie 802.11 USB adapter. Even if your relative's place doesn't have Wi-Fi...you may be able to pick up a signal from the surrounding area and "borrow" it. This may be considered a moral/ethical gray area...some people don't approve of it, others don't care. But it works. Wi-Fi adapters are so inexpensive these days that unless you're flat broke buying one shouldn't be that big a deal. |
microcenter
microcenter has the hawking USB G adaptors for free after rebate, 5.00$ shipping.
NEXTEL I don't think has a tether option, but they do have a roaming agreement with Boingo I think. checkout where you live there might be a boingo location near by where you could do email and internet. As for in the appartment, there are a couple of websites, don't have the names, which will show you what people have found war driving (essentially, driving around neighborhoods to find open signals) So, yes you could probably get a signal somewhere to use for free. but, we a bit wary of using other peoples signals, people are getting arrested for it around the country. http://www.joegratz.net/archives/200...-wifi-network/ |
AFAIK, only 1 person has been arrested for it. And he got arrested because he was sitting in his car in front of a house in the middle of the night. If you're inside your own house, "borrowing" a Wi-Fi signal from the neighbors...the chances of getting arrested are pretty much slim and zero. Good luck on the neighbors even realizing that you're using their signal.
There are also several legal challenges about to go up for those laws. Can that signal be considered "private" if you're broadcasting it out, etc. |
Data Calls via your cell phone are bound to be slooooow unless you have a specific hi-speed data plan or option you can sign up for. The slow type connection may be fine for just reading emails, but if you're going to be surfing the web, you may need a higher speed plan to make it workable for you.
What I would suggest is going to this site: http://www.jiwire.com/search-hotspot-locations.htm ...and plug in the Zip Code where you're staying and select the "free" button and do a Search for any free Wi-Fi locations in your area. If you find an acceptable hotel lobby, library, coffee shop, restaurant, bar or pub that offers free Wi-Fi, then consider investing in a cheapie Wi-Fi card for your laptop and go to those locations to do your surfing. Many McDonalds also offer Wi-Fi for $2.99 for 2 hours. see: http://www.mcdonalds.com/wireless.html Some McDonalds even have unofficial Wi-Fi for free on their own franchise's unsecured network. Good Luck! |
Originally Posted by H2O_Goalie
AFAIK, only 1 person has been arrested for it. And he got arrested because he was sitting in his car in front of a house in the middle of the night. If you're inside your own house, "borrowing" a Wi-Fi signal from the neighbors...the chances of getting arrested are pretty much slim and zero. Good luck on the neighbors even realizing that you're using their signal.
There are also several legal challenges about to go up for those laws. Can that signal be considered "private" if you're broadcasting it out, etc. what IS surprising, is that the same thing is happening internationally. As for open, closed much of this was covered back in the 80's when cordless phones came on the scene, the airwaves governed by the FCC. Cases were won for people having listened in on phone calls, normally not possible up till then, not so much that it was an open or closed network but that it was MY open or closed network. It was akin in that sense to wire tapping, illegal from a federal level and monitored by the FBI. I think recent cases of hacking into wireless has been seen as just like hacking into a system. I for one, run two networks. an ipsec, AES encrypted, MAC filtered, locked down G network and a fully open B network that sits outside the firewall and connects to the internet. I've had many people try to tunnel down, but none sucessfull. I have a seperate server that just sits there and registers there hits though, fun to watch - sort of like paint drying. |
If somebody was sitting in front of my house all day in an SUV playing on a laptop, I'd call the police too. I have to think that there is way more to this story then we will ever know.
Doing it by cell will be insanely slow, you may be better finding a public internet cafe or public wireless and going there when you need it. |
Thanks for all the help! I've decided to buy a wireless card and sign up with Boingo.
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broadband at home?
Do you have any broadband at home?
SBC has a deal for access to their freedomlink service, 1.99$ a month, and that is access to all wayport and other access locations, many of which are on the boingo network. jiwire.com is a nice sight that will show you closest location to your location. |
I think you just get the freedomlink locations for the $1.99. They have a separate plan for $21.99 a month that includes partners. I'm at a Barnes and Noble in Seattle right now using the $1.99 plan.
From their web site: Basic subscription service provides unlimited access to all FreedomLink Hot Spots — $1.99 per month for DSL members and $9.99 per month for Dial-up members. Premier subscription service provides unlimited access to all FreedomLink Hot Spots plus all roaming partner locations — $21.99 per month for DSL members and $29.99 per month for Dial-up members. --------- Have you been able to get access on the others under the $1.99 plan? |
I have Cox broadband at home. I think that lets me out of the $1.99 deal. The JiWire site has been very helpful.
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SBC has a deal for access to their freedomlink service, 1.99$ a month, and that is access to all wayport and other access locations, many of which are on the boingo network. I think you just get the freedomlink locations for the $1.99. They have a separate plan for $21.99 a month that includes partners. I'm at a Barnes and Noble in Seattle right now using the $1.99 plan. I guess they throw in Wayport McDonalds into the $1.99 plan because they normally only charge $2.99 for 2 hours there. So basically for your $1.99 per month you get Freedomlink access at: - Barnes & Nobels (Freedomlink) - UPS Stores (Freedomlink) - Mail Boxes Etc (Freedomlink) - McDonalds (Wayport) But no roaming at any other Wayport locations (like in hotels and airports), and hence no Boingo. But I still feel the $1.99 per month plan is a great deal and pretty fair coverage for the money, and there's usually one or more of the above in most locations. |
I signed up for the $1.99 deal to give it a try in Seattle this weekend. I popped into the Barnes and Noble downtown and it worked out fine (and, of course, I had to have a piece of New York cheesecake when I was there). Met up with some FTers left over from the SEA DO for dinner afterwards.
The next two weekends I'm in Washington DC for 24 hours each visit, so I'll give it a try there (Pricelined in DC and in Crystal City) if I can find a B&N, and use McDonalds for the backup if I can't. I might try my local McDonalds in Benicia when I get home (or any of the 4 in Vallejo) just to test it out when I'm back home Monday night. Thanks :) |
Originally Posted by tom911
I might try my local McDonalds in Benicia when I get home (or any of the 4 in Vallejo) just to test it out when I'm back home Monday night.
I've used it at about 15 different participating McDonalds throughout the country. Only had one place where I encountered difficulty. The Roaming Partner link was dead. I called the McDonalds-Wayport Customer Service number and got a rep immediately and he could see the problem but could not fix it right away, so he just gave me a free one-day code to enter, and I was on in a jiffy with that. Great and fast customer service from Wayport's McDonalds Desk, I thought. |
Do you have to be an SBC internet customer to get the $1.99 rate?
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hhmm
Well, I KNOW that it works at some wayport locations, like SJC, since that is a wayport port and I was able to login with my sbc login no problem.
It was also free for me, that was in july. Technically, it was free for everyone till I think end of may. |
Originally Posted by snowdogs
Do you have to be an SBC internet customer to get the $1.99 rate?
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Originally Posted by tom911
The next two weekends I'm in Washington DC for 24 hours each visit, so I'll give it a try there (Pricelined in DC and in Crystal City) if I can find a B&N, and use McDonalds for the backup if I can't. I might try my local McDonalds in Benicia when I get home (or any of the 4 in Vallejo) just to test it out when I'm back home Monday night.
Thanks :) |
I'll be on foot, so it looks like I may end up at McDonalds then. Thanks.
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Do you have to be an SBC internet customer to get the $1.99 rate? http://www.sbc.com/gen/general?pid=5949 You can sign-up for the Freedomlink add-on online, and you immediately get access. Well, I KNOW that it works at some wayport locations, like SJC, since that is a wayport port and I was able to login with my sbc login no problem. Although Avis Rent-A-Car at SJC has a Freedomlink hotspot. I've tried Wayport at dozens of hotels and several airports (including IAH which has a Sprint/Wayport roamer) and the logon page just rejects me. So for me so far, I'm only good to go at the actual Freedomlink locations (except McDonalds which as I mentioned is the allowed Wayport exception on the $1.99 no-roaming plan). But hoping that I might somehow get in at a Wayport roaming location...I figure it never hurts to try, so I keep trying. But I've yet to be allowed to sneak in. “Roaming” services are available through a number of partners. Roaming access is available through agreements between SBC FreedomLink and other Wi-Fi providers to let FreedomLink customers access their network at selected hot spots. The only services where “Roaming” is included are the Premier service products. Our FreedomLink service is priced to meet a variety of budgets and connection needs. Subscription Service — Available for SBC Internet access (DSL and Dial-up) members only. Members can choose from one of the following subscriptions: Basic subscription service provides unlimited access to all FreedomLink Hot Spots — $1.99 per month for DSL members and $9.99 per month for Dial-up members. Premier subscription service provides unlimited access to all FreedomLink Hot Spots plus all roaming partner locations — $21.99 per month for DSL members and $29.99 per month for Dial-up members. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Memberships — Available to non-SBC Internet access members. Customers can choose from one of the following memberships: Basic memberships provide unlimited Internet access at all FreedomLink Hot Spots for just $19.95 per month with a one year term commitment. Premier memberships provide unlimited Internet access at all FreedomLink Hot Spots, plus all roaming partner locations for just $39.95 per month with a one year term commitment. |
Originally Posted by PremEx
- UPS Stores (Freedomlink)
- Mail Boxes Etc (Freedomlink) Unless perhaps I haven't seen any UPS Stores that are equipped with such amenities? Jamester |
I can't find the answer to this question in searching through the SBC FAQs... hoping someone will have an answer.
I have the $1.99/mo subscription with SBC DSL (no premier). What are the roaming charges if I use one of the "partners?" Can I even roam? |
I have the $1.99/mo subscription with SBC DSL (no premier). What are the roaming charges if I use one of the "partners?" Can I even roam? Unless perhaps I haven't seen any UPS Stores that are equipped with such amenities? |
Originally Posted by PremEx
I've been in a couple that have a table and some chairs, but most you have to stand and work at an island-type table that's used for filling out forms and such. UPS is my last choice using Freedomlink.
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Originally Posted by Jamester
That's what I tend to do as well and at the same time feeling guilty since I don't plan on buying anything from them, just wanting to use the wifi - and the fact that a lot of these stores (this is true for Mailboxes Etc) are mom-n-pop operated doesn't help either. Hopefully one day this will change.
Perhaps they get a cut of the Freedomlink fee pot? |
Perhaps they get a cut of the Freedomlink fee pot? - Annual Payment - Usage Payment - Free Wi-Fi and/or wired hi-speed for themselves - Exposure to their services and place of business from visiting hotspotters My guess would be that the individual store only gets the last 2. Though who knows what kind of Alliance contract Freedomlink has with the Corporate offices of the UPS Stores. |
I'm at the Barnes and Noble in Arlington, VA, about 2 blocks from the Clarendon Metro station. Nice, comfortable chairs upstairs, and really nice to get out of the hot temps here (was in the 90's here today). Best $1.99 investment I ever made :)
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right
That is RIGHT, B&N are also in the SBC freedomlink network
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Originally Posted by PremEx
I've used it at about 15 different participating McDonalds throughout the country.
My DSL went out at 10:30 Monday night, and I made a trouble ticket on it this morning (no idea when it's going to be fixed). Best I could do on dialup with 40K and at 7pm I just surrendered and disconnected. Hopped down to the McDonalds in Benicia, just 5 mins out the door, and logged on in their parking lot to make sure it worked (it did), and now I'm inside munching and typing. Would never have thought about this being included in my $1.99 a month access without your post. Hopefully my DSL will be up and running again tomorrow (have too many things running off it: desktop PC, wirless laptop, and both wired and wireless TIVO connections to different rooms). |
that premex
that premex, he knows EVERYTHING
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