JKM

I just got myself a new toy today , an acer notebook , like it very much , got the wide screen and the dvd burner.

my question is , i have a few buddies with wireless networks , how do i log on to them , and go online?

i have never dealt with this before, i have hear people talk about driving around looking for wireless networks , or bumming off of the guy down the street , how does one go about that?

I'm not too worried about the legality part of it right now, as i will probably never do this often, but i am curious to try it.

edwinsmith

Well, if the WiFi is left in it's default unlocked down condition then all you need is a wireless adapter in your notebook. If his is locked down then you will need to have the KEY to be able to use his network. The instructions for the WiFI card will show you how to do it. It's pretty simple.

Edwin

Lary Ellis (Top)

Honest Judge....I only robbed one liquor store because I was curious.....It's not like I am a criminal or anything like that

Got news for you, you take something that doesn't belong to you, you are a thief. Doesn't matter if you only do it once in awhile, or just want to try it because you are curious.

JKM

i am already setup for wireless, i guess i might have to read the instructions

A-Poc

Now Top... What ever happened to stealing from the rich and giving to the poor?

Lary Ellis (Top)

That makes you a POPULAR thief

MikeyB

Just go to the wireless properties (usually found in the sys tray at the bottom right hand corner of the screen) and do a scan for wireless networks. The scan will show each network within the radio range and also if it's locked or not.

MikeyB

bulabula

kcastsun, the easy part is letting folks enjoy a broadband wireless capability - no effort is required; the tough part is keeping those you DON'T want on it - OFF.

MikeyB

That's why you enable the WEP key and hide the SSID.

MikeyB

A-Poc

As I recall I remember him showing me this new toy and well, he opened the network, searched the network, connected to some host, and it'd say we were connected in the bottom right-hand corner of the screen. However it didn't seem as if we were able to use the internet because no web browser seemingly would connect... What went wrong?

chasd60

I use my laptop in my truck with a GPS unit when I travel. I have had my system connect to a wireless network while waiting at a stoplight. I checked my email before the light went green. You can only use the networks that people have set up for open access. It isn't like you are "breaking in" to them, they have chosen to leave them open and share their existance. My system automatically scans for a network and connects to it if it is open.

My home network is not shared but I live in a small town and if you stopped near my house, all of the neighbors would come out to see just who the new person was.

bulabula

MikeyB, hiding the SSID is pretty much useless (falls in the same category as MAC address filtering). That only keeps out the wireless illiterates - those aren't the folks who you are concerned with from attacking your network anyways.

JKM

call me wireless illiterate , but how the heck do i do a scan?

and if i do find something, how the heck do i connect to it?

bulabula

What OS are you running? XP? If so, do you have SP2 installed? If its a brand new notebook and wireless ready, I bet you do; so try a search in the help portion of XP on "connecting to a wireless network". It'll pretty much do a scan all by itself and connect to the best signal hands off. A dialogue box will be available for you to connect to by clicking on it. If you don't know the owner of the network, nor have permission to access it, you should ask first.

Are you sure your new computer has the hardware for a wireless connection? The hardware is sometimes optional.

Not sure about your neighborhood, but I've got 4-5 wireless networks here in mine. All but 2 have some kind of protection enabled. Maybe your location doesn't have any wireless networks to connect to.?

JKM

well it must be setup for wireless because i'm sittin infront of a hotel right now, 230 miles from home, but i still don't know what i am doing.

it does not have sp2 installed, but yes it is brand new.