How To Find Free Public Wi-Fi Hotspots
Wi-Fi Detection With Gadgets, Laptops, and Cell Phone Applications
Feb 14, 2009
With public Wi-Fi hot spots and wireless Internet access becoming an almost ubiquitous part of our society many people are starting to rely on the availability of free, open Wi-Fi spots to connect while outside of the home.
There are many different ways that a user can go about finding free public Wi-Fi near their location. Some of these require the purchase of new, inexpensive, pocket sized gadgets while others rely on the capabilities built into many popular consumer devices.
Find Wi-Fi Hot Spots Using A Cell Phone
Almost any cellular phone that has built in Wi-Fi capabilities can also serve as a Wi-Fi hot spot detector. Even in the absence of a Wi-Fi signal, many phones can run software that utilizes the phone's built in GPS unit to identify the users current location and then check the Internet via the phone's data connection to search for a list of known Wi-Fi spots nearby.
iPhone users can make use of the included Wi-Fi Finder application while Symbian based cell phones such as the Nokia Communicator 9500 can use a program called Hotspot Finder .
Find Wi-Fi Hot Spots Using Handheld Gadgets
Handheld Wi-Fi detectors can also seek out and detect signals that are within a usable range. Simple to use and ultra portable in size, keychain style devices such as the Chrysalis Wi-Fi Seeker ($30) show a visual representation of signal strength at the push of a button. Another product called the Wi-Fi Walker adds a small digital display and a USB key that allows the detector to double as an 802.11b/g adaptor allowing a laptop to connect to a Wi-Fi network even if it does not have the technology built into the computer.
Find Wi-Fi-Hot Spots Using A Laptop Computer
Of all of the possible ways to locate open Wi-Fi hot spots, using the built in Wi-Fi capabilities of a laptop computer is the least expensive and probably the most accurate for most individuals. Any Wi-Fi capable computer can also discover hot spots as well as determine their overall signal strength and any WEP security protocols that the hot spot might be running.
This method is often the most reliable and practical way to discover a public Wi-Fi hot spot as the antenna quality between a cell phone, hand held gadget, or laptop computer will vary greatly. Detecting a strong signal from a laptop's Wi-Fi antenna may not mean that an iPhone Wi-Fi antenna will also pull in the same strong signal. In most cases larger antennas are better, and often the best antennas are built into laptop computers when compared to other smaller wireless devices.
There are literally dozens of options for those who need to find free open Wi-Fi access, yet even with these technologies it is often just as effective and much less frustrating to call ahead and inquire about Wi-Fi hot spot availability before beginning your trip.
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