djw1981 Posted June 3, 2005 Share Posted June 3, 2005 Hi Ebuyer are offering a wireless card at under a tenner. Is this a good deal, and with this in my laptop should I be able o use any hot spot I am regostered for. I hope so, but at under a tenner it seemed too good to be true, which is normally the case. What am I Missing? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paulears Posted June 3, 2005 Share Posted June 3, 2005 what are you missing? Hotspots, for one. I've never found one anywhere where I want to use my laptop. I've stayed in 42 hotels since christmas, 3 had hotspots, none were BT ones (the people I signed up with). Macdonalds sometimes work - but sitting at the laptop with a greaseburger in hand isn't that good. Whatever they tell you, there aren't anywhere near enough hotpsots about - although very often you find unsecure domestic ones that you can use. For under a tenner, the card's great - it's the system thats poor. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
djw1981 Posted June 3, 2005 Author Share Posted June 3, 2005 Beinga uni student, I can use the Uni one. I was just trying to check that this card was what I thought it was at trhat price, and not some crap - I apreciate build quality maybe awful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dfinn Posted June 3, 2005 Share Posted June 3, 2005 I'm a bit in the dark here ** laughs out loud **. I have a centrino laptop so have wireless network capabilities. So when you say eg a macdonalds has a hotspot if I connected to their hotspot from my computer can I access the internet off them so they are paying ** laughs out loud **? or does it just enable to to connect? I'm no good with internet and network connections so sorry for being dumb. Thanks Daniel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeR Posted June 3, 2005 Share Posted June 3, 2005 I think the main point to notice from a brief view of the card is that its b spec. NB b not g spec. So its last years news in terms of the specification figuratively speaking and slower than current cards in terms of bandwidth. (11Mbps instead of 54) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J Pearce Posted June 3, 2005 Share Posted June 3, 2005 Yep, but if the OP was only looking at using it for internet access at hotspots is 11mbps really going to a be a huge restriction? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KindredHyperion Posted June 3, 2005 Share Posted June 3, 2005 Although if I remember correctly there are also some security benefits in 802.11g, and for future-proofing purposes it's best to go with the new technology - as with everything else, 802.11b is going to be phased out in the future. The official 802.11 site is http://grouper.ieee.org/802/11, although the IEEE group server doesn't seem to be working at the moment ¬_¬ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bruce Posted June 3, 2005 Share Posted June 3, 2005 djw - where in Glasgow(ish) are you - which of the Unis are you at? I manage the wireless network at one of them.... Ah - I see you're studying medicine, so you're at the pointy one in the west end..... probably the one with the smallest wireless infrastructure :) Re 802.11b vs g G is faster. They both use the same frequencies. There's no real difference in security. They both have the same interference problems. they are compatible to a certain extent - I don't believe that B will become obsolete in the near future, while G remains. There's already a big enough B user abse to make this unlikely short term. B is more than enough for most home installations - it offers a 11Mb/s carrier, which means about half that in real throughput terms. But since these units are generally uplinked by ADSL at 1Mb/s or less, it's not really an issue. At that price (£6.80+VAT) you can't really go wrong.... Bruce. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
djw1981 Posted June 3, 2005 Author Share Posted June 3, 2005 Indeed it does have a small infrastructure and small network generally - hence the wanting the wireless card so I can use my own laptop because the Medical School now has a hub on the top floor. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gareth Posted June 3, 2005 Share Posted June 3, 2005 I have a centrino laptop so have wireless network capabilities. So when you say eg a macdonalds has a hotspot if I connected to their hotspot from my computer can I access the internet off them so they are paying ** laughs out loud **? or does it just enable to to connect?A hotspot is a location which provides wireless internet access to any wireless-enabled laptop on a commercial basis - i.e. the technology is there, and you can sign up for internet access on a pay-as-you-go basis. It's not cheap, though. The best place I've ever found for wireless internet in a public place is Cork airport in Ireland - the only place I've ever found where it's free. I spent about two hours surfing the net there once while waiting for a delayed flight, and it didn't cost me a single Euro! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Freddie Posted June 3, 2005 Share Posted June 3, 2005 Of course, you may accidentally discover unsecured wifi networks which you can use for free. Disclaimer: "Wardriving", unauthorized use, or attempted unauthorized use of others' wireless networks is not allowed, I think it is in breach of the Misuse of Computers Act of 1989. It's not big, it's not clever and it isn't condoned by me, the Blue Room or any of the service providers between us. I am merely pointing out that it is possible [/covering-of-backside] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lamplighter Posted June 3, 2005 Share Posted June 3, 2005 The best place I've ever found for wireless internet in a public place is Cork airport in Ireland - the only place I've ever found where it's free. I spent about two hours surfing the net there once while waiting for a delayed flight, and it didn't cost me a single Euro!<{POST_SNAPBACK}> They are still looking for you, to be sure, to be sure. Brian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the kid Posted June 3, 2005 Share Posted June 3, 2005 I have heard roumors that you can "hitch hike" down most of oxford street on a palm top with wifi. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paulears Posted June 3, 2005 Share Posted June 3, 2005 BT openzone were offering a 3 month intro at £1 per month - not sure if it's running still - I cancelled mine after the 3 month period. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mush Posted June 3, 2005 Share Posted June 3, 2005 Free official wi-fi shows its not so grim up north London http://news.zdnet.co.uk/communications/wir...39195421,00.htm Bit quiet but not dead http://www.wi-find.com/ Community based WAN: http://www.wlan.org.uk/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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