[Ham-Computers] RE: Wireless

Mon Apr 23 14:19:20 EDT 2007

Jim,

Wireless isn't that difficult, but it wasn't made very user friendly either!  The first thing you'll need to get is a wireless adapter - PC Card based adapters are great for laptops and USB based adapters are more convenient (but possible more fragile due to connector flex).

Once you have the adapter, you'll install the drivers and the "wireless client" (the software that controls the adapter).  Once installed and running, the "client" software will search the area for publicly advertised "access points" (AP's).  If found, it should show you a list of these AP's.  At this point, it's up to you to decide what AP you should connect to.  Be aware that you should only connect to AP's you have permission to connect to - it may be illegal to do otherwise (check local laws).

More details:
AP's can be "open" or "secured" (aka "closed", "private", or "encrypted").  "Open" means that nothing special is required to connect to it - all you need to do is tell your wireless "client" to connect to the AP.  Once connected to the AP, you should be able to connect to the internet (as long as that AP is connected in some way to the internet).  However, "Open" also means that all data traveling from your computer to the AP is in "plain-text" - don't do anything you might consider confidential (such as enter a CC number) unless some other way of encryption is used.  For example, if using IE or Firefox, when visiting a "secure" website, you'll see a "lock" on the screen.  In this case IE/Firefox is encrypting the data - but be safe anyway...don't do anything unless you feel/know it's safe.

Some places, however, may require you to pass an additional "tollgate" in order to connect to the internet.  For example, I connect my laptop to the "open" wireless network available in a Hotel.  The connection works fine and I can see everything available on the Hotel's public network (front desk, room service, guest services, etc).  However, in order to get to the internet, I need to go through the Hotel's internet gateway which costs $x.xx per hour/day/whatever - this is the tollgate.  In some places, the tollgate is the first thing you see when you connect to their network and you can't do anything else until you agree to the fees (hence the reference to the name "tollgate" - can't get through without paying).  

A "secured" AP is one that requires to you know the "passphrase" or "key" in order to connect.  Without this "key", your wireless adapter won't even connect to the AP.  For example, the Hotel may have a sign at the front desk that has the "wireless key for the day".  This is the key you'll use to connect to the Hotel's wireless network.  Some hotels will require you to call from your room to get the access key, just to make sure you're a registered guest.  Once you're on the hotel's network, you may or may not be required to pass through an additional tollgate.  Many do - you just need to enter your name (as entered when you checked in), room number, and agree to the terms of service - they basically want a record of who's using the network (incase you do something illegal).

OK, on to things a bit more complicated.  When comes to "secure" AP's, the "security" is due to encryption of the data between the AP and your computer.  There are several forms of encryption currently used.  The oldest and most common is WEP (Wired Equivalent Privacy).  The encryption keys used with WEP are either 64-bit or 128-bit long.  In reality, it doesn't matter if you use 64-bit or 128-bit WEP encryption as the WEP protocol was flawed right at the start and a determined hacker can break the code in under 4 hours.  In essence, WEP is used as a way to prevent unauthorized use of an AP, but don't rely on it to keep anything "secure".

WPA (WiFi Protected Access) is the successor to WEP and is becomming more common.  At this point, WPA is pretty secure unless the AP is not properly configured.  With WPA, you use a "passphrase" to connect to the AP - this "passphrase" is entered when you attempt to attach to the AP via your wireless "client".  As secure as WPA is, WPA2 and WPA-Enterprise are also available, but you probably won't run into these as they're not very common yet.  For reference, the original WPA is also known as "WPA-Personal".

So what to do when you get to a wireless "hotspot"?  First, find out if the hotspot is "open" or "secured".  If "Open", then use your wireless "client" to connect to the hotspot AP.  If it is "secured", you'll first need to find the "key" or "passphrase" in order to connect to the AP.  Either way, once connected to the AP, you may be required to go through a "tollgate" to reach the internet.

Oh, many "paid" tollgates have "roaming" priviledges much like cellphones.  If so, there will be a section on the tollgate webpage on how to use your roaming priviledges.  For example, my AT&T DSL account allows me to pay an additional $1.99 a month for wireless hotspot access.  If I go to a place that has a tollgate, that tollgate webpage may have a place for me to sign-in as an AT&T DSL customer.  Once done, I don't have to pay the tollgate charge for internet access.

That's the jist of it.  One more note:  Many hackers are now setting up AP's with the same name as a legimite AP.  For example, let's say "Starbucks" is the AP name.  What a hacker will do is setup an AP nearby also with the name "Starbucks".  Your wireless client will show two different "Starbucks" AP's - it's up to you to determine which is the legit one.  Typically, if you're *in* the Starbucks, the AP with the stronger signal is the legit one.  You get the idea...just be careful.

73,

  - Aaron Hsu, NN6O

-----Original Message-----
Sent: Sunday, April 22, 2007 7:07 PM
Subject: [Ham-Computers] Wireless

I'm planning a driving trip to Alaska with my RV and would like to use my older Dell laptop with XP Home to connect to the Internet using a wireless "connection" at RV parks, etc.  I'm a total beginner when it comes to wireless; my computers at home are connected with cat5 cables using a router and hub.  I would appreciate suggestions regarding what equipment I need (manufacturer-model would be a plus) and info on using this equipment.  I'm leaving in a week or so, and a non-technical RVing friend suggested the Internet.
Thanks, Jim