I recently established a wireless network set up in my home, with a cable modem, several PCs, and my laptop which connects up with PCMCIA USB, and an adapter, so I have a small, limited amount of understanding as to how to connect to a wireless network..
Figuring to see what all the fuss is, over wifi hotspots, I went to the local library which offers it to all who have a library account.
I turn on the laptop, and the site survey finds the library network, so I connect to it, and it turns the signal meter green at 99%, and activates the icon in the task bar, which on my home network, apparently indicating that I am now connected to the network.
I give it a few moments, but I have no connectivity. An ipconfig reveals the IP address apparently 'left over' from my home network. No ping, nothing to indicate connectivity, other than the wireless adapter software, which tells me I am connected, and of course the web browser gets me nowhere either.
I have never done this, and do not know for certain, all the steps I need to take, to connect, beyond what I have seen at home.
My question is, since the library adamantly refuses to talk about the wifi details, and leaves it up to the customer to cope, is it a safe assumption that there is no encryption, like WEP, and that because I can find the network by scanning, and I choose to connect and get a green signal meter and the green icon in the task bar, that its something on my laptop that needs attention, or could it still be that I am not really accessing the wifi network due to some encryption, or other issue on their end?
If it uses WEP or some other encryption, would I be able to connect at all, and get the indications I have gotten?
The library web page tells me that once I connect, and try to use the browser, their page will pop up and ask me for my library card information, but I don't get that far, and have no experience in this area, so I wish to know if its all on the laptop side, or do I need to know something more about the library network?
Sure appreciate any suggestions, or recommendations as to how to proceed, or what to look for.
Not any other free hotspots close by to experiment with.
Thanks a lot for any help,