Wireless connections with powerbook

[Rankin]

Hello I recently bought a powerbook with airport but I am not set up with broadband at home. I would like to join a wireless network and have found this http://www2.boingo.com/

But it only supports PC's. Has anyone used this, or have any other suggestions for a mac user? Cheers

 

[winwintoo]

Is there a Boingo hotspot in your area that you could access if you had a PC?? If there is, then you can also access it using your Mac. In fact, it's easier with your PowerBook than it is with a PC.

If I read their pages correctly, I think what they provide is "hotspots" in cafes and other public places - for example there is a hotspot in a coffee shop it the city I live in (which I didn't know about before today - I'll have to check it out now!)

I don't think Boingo is in the business of providing wireless internet to the home user, but if you live close to one of the hotspots you might be able to pick up a strong enough signal and they certainly wouldn't refuse to take your money.

Margaret

 

[Rankin]

Yes I do have a hotspot near my house that I could access. I might actually look into it. I guess I could subscribe for one month and see if it works

 

[winwintoo]

My experience with "hotspots" is this: Open your powerbook, if there is a network within range, there will be bars in the airport thingy in the menu. Click on the airport menu, try to join the network, if it's one that wants you to pay for it, there'll be a warning or something.

Good luck with it. If you can use a Boingo network without the hassle of dealing with a broadband ISP and then your own router etc. you're lucky

Take care, Margaret

 

[dduchene]

From there FAQ's I would have to say that it does not look good

Do I need the Boingo® software in order to connect?

Yes. The Boingo® client allows you to access your account at any of the Boingo locations, but it also helps to ensure that your account and connection are secure.

The Boingo software does more than just allow you to log onto the nationwide Boingo network, though. It gives you an easy way to manage multiple wireless networks, too. It's a useful tool to use whether your a Boingo Wireless® service customer or not.

Which operating systems are currently supported for use with Boingo®?

Boingo currently supports the following: Windows 98SE, Windows 2000, Windows Me, Windows XP, Pocket PC (2002 operating system with ARM processor and portrait screen).

Support for other operating systems and platforms is coming soon.

 

[Westside guy]

Boingo's statements about security sound like marketing-speak - it's unlikely they're adding any sort of non-standard wireless security (such as IPSec) on top of the standard 802.11b wireless, simply because the overhead it'd require on their network and servers would be significant.

I'd guess the sole reason they require their software to be installed is so they can keep track of your network usage and charge you accordingly. Since that seems like a reasonable thing, I don't know why they don't just say it...

 

[winwintoo]

Sorry, I didn't read the FAQs

I bet the Windows part of it is just the application that allows them to collect the money and figures out how to make the PC wireless card work with their network - something that most PC users can never figure out on their own BTW

If that's the case, how stupid of them!!

Mac people could just walk in, flip open the lid of their laptop and be connected immediately with not hassle no matter how their network is configured and they could do like major airports do - hijack the web browser with a web page demanding payment. In fact according to their listings, there's a Boingo network in the airport in Minneapolis, but there is also another network that I've used several times with my PowerBook with no hassle, no software to install, just give them my credit card and boom I'm connected, and that payment is good for several other airports as well, so depending where I'm going, I can just open my PB at the next stop and I'm back in business with no further payment.

A pox on Boingo!

Take care, Margaret