wifi

[ginger12snap]

We were unable to use the WiFi connection at our hotel or at the library. We went on a different unsecured connection and used that until we lost the signal. We have Vista on our laptop. Any idea what's missing in this picture?

[bigtoe]

Currently vacation traveling western US National Parks, taking a Win7 laptop for Internet. Found a couple of hotels where same thing happened and noticed both were requiring additional sign-in/log-in info. Those that just requested agreement with their generic wifi terms posed no problem whatsoever. The difficult ones took a re-booting of the laptop and re-opening of browser window so could finally get their log-in screen requiring name and room number.... Mention this so readers see it is not likely your/their computer, but instead, something with the hotel/sites wireless set-up... One  hotel setup would not let Firefox browser be used for the log-in, but insisted on IE8 browser instead...... Certainly a little perturbing during the reg process, but finally forgot about it when got connected....LOL. At one, the stronger signal would never connect, so used a weaker signal from a different floor of the hotel and finally successful in getting the log-in signal to work and let me sign in. They even had a weak link near the office area where breakfast was served.

About all I can suggest is to try, then if immediately unsuccessful, do a reboot or a momentary shut down of the computer, and then open a browser and window so you can log-in to their system. Used to take a Netbook for trips with its small size being a plus, but since not all hotels have wifi and some still use ethernet connections, the Netbook was not effective as it only connected wirelessly as it had no ethernet plug available, so now only take a regular laptop which will connect either wirelessly or via an ethernet connection. I make the presumption that you have no troubles connecting wirelessly at home. My laptop has some network repair features built in (plus that which Win7 provides) but even those were not successful at the couple trouble spots/hotels; just kept trying and finally got the log-in screen for the hotel system. When I get home the connection will again be instantaneous to my home network. This morning, at this particular hotel, the connection was again instant with the opening of the browser, ticking to agree with generic terms of wifi use, and tabs opened to my regular sites (including a favorite of CompuKISS... ...).

Good luck at your next hotel, hoping they have a stronger signal and better set-up of their network, so your (and my) connections will be painless, quick, and frustration free. Also suggest being sure you have a good firewall and that it is not blocking the hotel site.....  

[ginger12snap]

Thank you for your input. I have been advised by others that my security setting may have blocked entrance to the hotel & library WiFi systems. But how do you change your security settings? Also try to play games on Lexulous.com and find the site too slow and freezing; have asked for assitance but no reply. do I have to specifically allow certain sites?

[bigtoe]

Reason I asked if you were able to connect wirelessly to a router at home or most wifi hotspot locations. If you can then there is likely nothing at all wrong with your default security settings and the problem is with the library/particular hotel.... You can take a look at this page for security info....http://mobileoffice.about.com/od/findingusinghotspots/l/blwificonnectio.htm . And, again, your firewall could be blocking the hotel/library site.... As the link explains, just a matter of disabling the firewall and if you can connect to the web, then change your firewall settings so the hotel/library site is not being blocked..... tech parlance would be to say to "add the hotel site to your firewalls white list", items that are blacklisted are blocked and those on a white list are accepted connections.... I don't know who came up with the coloring scheme, but it is quite common in many aspects of computer hardware as well as software that might be involved in blocking web sites, etc.

Slowness at a game site could be a problem with them at their end, or could be that your ISP connection is not fast enough to play games.... That would be a matter of you contacting your ISP and increase the payment for a faster connection account. Perhaps a 1 or 2 MB connection speed is affordable and fine for basic internet needs, but the game site might require you to have a 6 MB or 10 MB connection (download) speed to play their games.... your ISP will charge more for the faster connection, so really up to you on what you can afford and if it is worth it....

[bigtoe]

Ginger ... Just to give you an additional example of connection difficulties... Last night, staying in a hotel after leaving the Grand Canyon National Park my daughter and I each had no problem initially connecting to the hotel wifi. But, due to a quick moving thunder storm moving Northward, the interference from the storm apparently also interfered with the hotel getting its server to stay connected as our connections kept dropping, re-establishing, and mostly staying out..... In the morning, after the storms left, the connection was routine and stayed connected...... We did nothing to the settings on our computers, all the problem was with the hotel and their ISP...... So, if you connect wirelessly to most WiFi hotspots, then nothing is wrong with the settings on your laptop, it is the WiFi provider having difficulties....

I haven't mentioned, but you do need to be sure you use any password the hotel requires to connect to their service.... and you may have to reboot your computer and go through the connection steps if the connection is lost at any time.....

[ginger12snap]

My son offered this advice:  You should update this message board that your connection problem was due to the fact that your computer was configured to use a static IP address and not a dynamic IP address which is used by most, if not all public WIFI connections, regardless of authentification. You would never be able to reach the authentification page the way your WIFI card was configured. You were able to connect to those connections that were accepting connections on the configured address and not others that provide alternate dynamic addresses.

 

You may also want to tell whoever answered you that if she wants to travel with a netbook and connect to WIFI AND Ethernet connections she can buy a USB to Ethernet adapter for around $30 as all netbooks would have a USB port. See the link below for the adaper.

 

http://www.amazon.com/Belkin-F5D5050-Networking-Ethernet-Adaptor/dp/B000062R4P/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1280425951&sr=8-1