Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Question about 17" powerbook
- Thread starter babka
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
Depending where you are is what determines how its is done. On a standard wifi you would just tap in but access to a wifi in a public place is different sometimes. For example. If you want to connect at a Starbucks you have to subscribe to a service provided by TMobile. In any case just double click your airport signal icon and see what networks are available.
Anyone care to comment?
Anyone care to comment?
There are lots of wi-fi spots available in my area. If the wi-fi access is free, your airport signal should automatically recognize it and ask if you want to connect (which I think can be changed to automatically connect once you've used their signal)....and then you can access the signal and use it for web browsing. In the places where the signal is not free when trying to load a web page it will redirect you to the company providing the wi-fi service and inform you on how to sign up for the service......which it will let you do on their website or via phone.
This is how I have experienced it (in Indiana and NYC), but it could be different in your area.
This is how I have experienced it (in Indiana and NYC), but it could be different in your area.
Just click on your wifi singnal and pick it, you have to pay for someone like daveway00 said. I went to local coffee shop once where i needed to check my email and it said something like $20.00 an hour to connect with them 
Beware of some places like this.
Beware of some places like this.
just go wardriving on your local area and see how many residential (or even business) wireless networks you can pick up...
my bro did that with his PC laptop, and i'm going to go with him one time with my PB as well. yippie!!
my bro did that with his PC laptop, and i'm going to go with him one time with my PB as well. yippie!!
There's no physical button on the PowerBook. Its all software related. There should be a wave like pattern near your clock on the menubar. If its all gray then there's no connected network. If you click on the waves and you see a network there then click on it and see if its works. If there's black in those waves then you are connected to a network.
I've pasted the icon mklos is talking about below. If you don't see this in your menu bar, you'll need to go to System Preferences -- Network (on the apple menu), and configure your Airport. You want it to connect automatically, and you can check the box to "show AirPort status in menu bar"
Attachments
cb911 said:just go wardriving on your local area and see how many residential (or even business) wireless networks you can pick up...
my bro did that with his PC laptop, and i'm going to go with him one time with my PB as well. yippie!!
How does that work? Do I need to drive around some places and see if it changes from gray to black?
scratch the war driving. if you can't even get it setup then war driving is a bit outta your league yet.
does your powerbook have the airport card in it? If not then you'll need one. I am unsure if all 17" pb's have come with airport.. maybe they have, not sure.
Next, System Preferences->Network
Click Airport and click Configure.. it'll change to another screen and it should say "Connect Automatically"
Another way to do this is if you have the Airport icon in the menu bar to the far right, (To the left of the clock) someone posted a picture of the icon already. I'd almost say that if it does not appear there you probably don't have airport on your powerbook... if you do then you need to configure it by doing what i said above and selecting "Show AirPort status in the menu bar" and that icon should reveal itself. If you are near a network if you click on that it should be listed in the menu that drops down when you click on it.
War driving is using a program that searches for open unprotected wireless 802.11 signals. if they're unprotected (no encryption, are broadcasting SSID, and not filtering by mac address) then you can freely connect to the network and use it... as someone stated, sometimes these free networks display a webpage if you try to access without a login/password, in which case you'd have to sign up with them in order to use that particular wireless access point.
You cannot just "get" wireless anywhere.. there has to be a wireless router within a very short distance (100 feet or so in my own personal use.. more if they use better anntenna's).. it's not like a cell service and you just "get it"..
check to see if you have an airport card first and go from there.
does your powerbook have the airport card in it? If not then you'll need one. I am unsure if all 17" pb's have come with airport.. maybe they have, not sure.
Next, System Preferences->Network
Click Airport and click Configure.. it'll change to another screen and it should say "Connect Automatically"
Another way to do this is if you have the Airport icon in the menu bar to the far right, (To the left of the clock) someone posted a picture of the icon already. I'd almost say that if it does not appear there you probably don't have airport on your powerbook... if you do then you need to configure it by doing what i said above and selecting "Show AirPort status in the menu bar" and that icon should reveal itself. If you are near a network if you click on that it should be listed in the menu that drops down when you click on it.
War driving is using a program that searches for open unprotected wireless 802.11 signals. if they're unprotected (no encryption, are broadcasting SSID, and not filtering by mac address) then you can freely connect to the network and use it... as someone stated, sometimes these free networks display a webpage if you try to access without a login/password, in which case you'd have to sign up with them in order to use that particular wireless access point.
You cannot just "get" wireless anywhere.. there has to be a wireless router within a very short distance (100 feet or so in my own personal use.. more if they use better anntenna's).. it's not like a cell service and you just "get it"..
check to see if you have an airport card first and go from there.
Do a Google search on your hometown - click on advanced search:
-> exact phrase: free wireless
-> with at least one of the words: (your town name)
hit enter
I ran a seacrh like this on my hometown (Chicago) and it spat out TONS of sites of bars, restaurants, hotles, coffee shops, etc. with FREE wireless access.
Sheesh - how come no one ever thinks to Google anything anymore.
Heck - try this site I found durning my Google search - nt a comprehensive listing but it's a good start:
http://www.wififreespot.com/
-> exact phrase: free wireless
-> with at least one of the words: (your town name)
hit enter
I ran a seacrh like this on my hometown (Chicago) and it spat out TONS of sites of bars, restaurants, hotles, coffee shops, etc. with FREE wireless access.
Sheesh - how come no one ever thinks to Google anything anymore.
Heck - try this site I found durning my Google search - nt a comprehensive listing but it's a good start:
http://www.wififreespot.com/