I am trying to outfit my Windows 2000 laptop with Wi-Fi capability for use on the road. After reading some websites on how to connect to public hotspots, I am still at a loss. Here is what is happening:
My D-Link wireless cardbus adapter installed with no problems. When I launch the D-Link configuration utility in the vicinity of a hotspot, the "Site Survey" function shows the expected connection, to which I then "connect". Now the link status is showing a successful connection ("Associated with..."), and the signal strength on transmit and receive looks good. Now I launch a browser. I tried both IE and Opera. IE just says "Page unavailable while offline". Opera says nothing. According to the descriptions that I have read, at this point I am supposed to be directed automatically to the login page of the hosting wireless ISP. In some cases it should be free, in other cases I might have to pay. But in either case I should see some sort of login page on my browser, but I am seeing nothing. Every other indication that I can find (properties of the LAN in the control panel, status of the link) looks good, as if a valid connection exists. Only the browsers give any indication of a problem by not connecting to anything. What should I do next to make my browsers recognize the connection and go on-line? In the past I have had an Ethernet card in this PC, and I have also used direct cable (parallel port) connections, both of which still show up in the list of network connections along with the new Wi-Fi LAN, although neither of those are connected right now.
-Robert Scott Ypsilanti, Michigan