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wb973 is offline wb973
2009-05-13 , 18:26
Posts: 3 | Thanked: 0 times | Joined on May 2009
#1
Hi. I recently purchase an N810. So far I really like it but I've been having problems with accessing internet using free public wifi (mainly at airports). I could connect to the public wifi network but could not open any internet sites. I've tried several different public wifi access points in different cities, and the connections always seemed to be local (no internet access).

This problem exists only with free public wifi access. Wifi connection at home and at hotels worked fine.

Is there a problem with my device setting? I have not changed any setting since my purchase.

Thanks for your help.
 
sjgadsby is offline sjgadsby
2009-05-13 , 18:41
Posts: 5,335 | Thanked: 8,187 times | Joined on Mar 2007 @ Pennsylvania, USA
#2
Originally Posted by wb973 View Post
This problem exists only with free public wifi access.
In the "Select connection" dialog, do these "Free Public WiFi" services each have a little dot at the top of their icons? If so, they aren't access points. They're Windows being odd.
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wb973 is offline wb973
2009-05-13 , 19:10
Posts: 3 | Thanked: 0 times | Joined on May 2009
#3
Originally Posted by sjgadsby View Post
In the "Select connection" dialog, do these "Free Public WiFi" services each have a little dot at the top of their icons? If so, they aren't access points. They're Windows being odd.
Thanks for your reply! I do recall once the "connection" got established there was a little dot at the top of the connection icon. So these are bogus connections? wow... The first time I saw this was at Newark airport and it was listed by the name "Free public wifi" and it never worked on my N810. Then I saw it in other airports, even on a highway in Pennsylvania! So the real free public wifi never listed by this "Free public wifi" name? Thanks a lot.
Last edited by wb973; 2009-05-13 at 19:26.
 
sjgadsby is offline sjgadsby
2009-05-13 , 19:23
Posts: 5,335 | Thanked: 8,187 times | Joined on Mar 2007 @ Pennsylvania, USA
#4
Originally Posted by wb973 View Post
So how is the real open wifi listed? by what name?
The name of a WiFi network is selected by the person or group providing the it, so names will vary with location and provider.

How do we differentiate the real public wifi with the bogus ones?
One thing you can do is skip any WiFi connections with that little dot at the top of the icon. The dot indicates that connection is what's called "ad hoc".

Ad hoc wireless connections are used to tie together a few standalone computers for local file exchanging or whatnot. They generally do not have access to the Internet, and certainly, no one providing free Internet access at an airport, restaurant, hotel, or elsewhere will have set up an ad hoc wireless network to do so.
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wb973 is offline wb973
2009-05-13 , 19:33
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#5
Originally Posted by sjgadsby View Post
The name of a WiFi network is selected by the person or group providing the it, so names will vary with location and provider.



One thing you can do is skip any WiFi connections with that little dot at the top of the icon. The dot indicates that connection is what's called "ad hoc".

Ad hoc wireless connections are used to tie together a few standalone computers for local file exchanging or whatnot. They generally do not have access to the Internet, and certainly, no one providing free Internet access at an airport, restaurant, hotel, or elsewhere will have set up an ad hoc wireless network to do so.

Thanks so much! I really learned something here! And I am glad that nothing's wrong with my N810. Such a cool toy!
 
TA-t3 is offline TA-t3
2009-05-14 , 14:44
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#6
If you see an an access point which is actually called "Free Public Wifi" then that's simply a (basically) harmless Windows 'virus', if you could call it that, which goes around the world. It works something like this:
1) Windows user sees 'Free Public WIfi'
2) WIndows user tries to connect
3) Windows user realises it doesn't actually connect you to the network
4) Forever after, when Windows user's machine is on, it will itself look like a 'Free Public Wifi' access point (ad-hoc mode).
5) Replace 'Windows user' with 'Another Windows user' and go to 1)
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fragos is offline fragos
2009-05-14 , 20:20
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#7
A large number of airports have BOINGO WiFi access. For the N810 it costs 7.95/mo and also works in Starbucks and McDonalds as well as many hotels.
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