Sort of.. If they don't broadcast an SSid then they most likely aren't free, and while possible, it's a bit (very) diffiult to find/connect if they don't broadcast.
If they DO broadcast an SSID, it is usually very easy to connect.
OK, let's see if I can net this out. If I upgrade my laptop to XP, then I can use Cirond's Winc. Asuming my Linksys WPC11 card works, I can pull up outside a place that has free WiFi and connect. I don't need their SSID.
Bill L
You don't need Winc. If you can make wireless connections to your router at home, you should be able to pull up to "starbucks", or any freely available hotspot and connect.
With earlier versions of Windows and some drivers, you might need to know the SSID of the hotspot. Some allowed the magic word ANY as the SSID, and would connect to anything. Boingo software helps with that for free.
WindowsXP is much handier than previous Windows in a wireless environment. It allows multiple profiles, and will find any of the public hotspots. It gives a warning about them being unencrypted before it lets you connect, but the public hotspots are all unencrypted. You should have the WinXP firewall enabled before you do anything wirelessly, even in your house.
Ok, I give up trying to get this old laptop to run. I just ordered a Dell 1150. Hopefully it will be easier to use.
Bill L
For traveling about in my truck, I've hot glued a magnetic business card type refidgirator magnet to the bottom of my Microsoft wireless adapter and just reach it out the window and stick it on the roof with the antenna sticking straight up. I haven't tried a USB extention cord yet to see if the adapter would still work with the longer wire run, but will in the future. You might could weather proof the adapter some and put it on the roof of the RV. I'm sure camp groounds and RV camps will be adding some type of wireless connections for their customers. I'm going to be carrying the laptop on the next camping trip out west. The page below shows the simple adapter setup.
downside: money. upside: New computers work very nicely with WinXP and wireless.
Yep, I pretty much hit the end working with Linksys. They sent me some softwear that was supposed to remore all the files connected with the WPC11. It still doesn't work.
Bill L
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