Hot Spots ?

9

90210

Registered User
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149
Hi all..... i have a laptop which i use for dial up but if i connect a USB wireless adaptor and use it in a hotspot e.g hotels , McDonalds , Airports how do i then connect to the net ?

Never treid its just something i could use however.

Do you need to have software other than XP or some sort of access codes ? or does the USB just hook you up to the WWW using wireless technology ?


Thanks
 

XP Service Pack 2 has everything you need (don't forget you will have to pay)...
 
jhegarty said:
don't forget you will have to pay...
Click to expand...

McDonalds provide it free once you've made a purchase - you get a free scratchcard with 30 minutes access
 
Thanks Clubman and all for the info, i am now off to plunder the free Wi Fi services or at least buy a Big Mac and then surf.
 
I have a Toshiba Laptop with no in-built Wi Fi, if I purchase a Bluetooth adapter, this will not enable me to connect to Wireless networks but only to PDA’S, Mobile phones etc but not to Hotspot/ Wireless networks to connect to the net.



Do I need to buy an Ethernet Wi Fi Bluetooth card to insert into my laptop to connect to a wireless network? or is the Bluetooth adapter capable of this

Thanks
 
You will need a wireless card. Bluetooth and Wireless lan (802.11b and g) are two separate technologies. Wireless lan cards are pretty much dirt cheap these days for a laptop. 802.11b cards shouldn't be much more than €20-40 these days.
 
Bluetooth is only for so called Personal Area Networking (PAN) to devices like PDAs, phones, headsets etc. which are in close proximity (c. 10m or less) to each other. 802.11 WiFi is a completely different technology/protocol. If you want to connect to Wireless LANs/hotspots then you will need an 802.11 WiFi card. I'm not sure what you mean by "Ethernet WiFi Bluetooth card" but that suggests three protocols in one device (viz. 802.3 (wired) Ethernet, 802.11 WiFi and Bluetooth - the latter two being different types of wireless networking technology). Perhaps you are confused by the different networking technologies in which case you should check out the different protocols/technologies on another website such as Wikipedia or HowStuffWorks?

Post crossed with previous one.
 
Thanks Clubman , i not too ofay with all the latest IT Soundbytes , bit of a newbie to this area, but it looks like your suggestion of a 802.11 WiFi wil do the trick , thanks.
 
To be fair machalla made the suggestion before me. If you are buying an 802.11 WiFi card for your laptop then consider getting 802.11b/g rather than 802.11b only since the former can (nominally) work at up to 54Mbps as compared to 11Mbps and is compatible with the slower speed of 802.11b as well. The price differential between 802.11b/g and 802.11b only should be marginal these days. For example see [broken link removed] for WiFi Cardbus/USB adaptors but shop around for the best deal suitable to your needs.
 
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