Using a WIFI hotspot in Australia

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isuzu

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#22850 10-Jun-2008 12:59

Pls help, going to Oz for 10 days and have been told the place we are staying at is a WIFI hotspot and they provide their guests witha free username and password. I have a laptop which is about 4 years old and wondered how on earth I get to use this facility. My wifi knowledge is poor, so dont know where to start or what I need and if there is a big set up procedure. Currently in XTRA broadband in NZ. Can anyone explain in simple terms for this dummie.
Many Thanks

scottjpalmer

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#137000 10-Jun-2008 13:29

Are you using windows XP? Is there a little icon down by the clock that looks like a computer with waves coming out of it like http://www.cites.uiuc.edu/wireless/graphics/win-choosewireless.gif ?

xpd

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#137017 10-Jun-2008 14:13

Does your laptop have Wifi to start with ? :)
If yes, then goto the Control Panel, Network Connections and make sure the Wireless is enabled in there (also some laptops have an external switch to turn it on and off).
Then once youre in range of a Wifi connection, it should pop up, enter the password etc and off you go... in theory anyway :)

XPD / Gavin

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isuzu

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#137428 11-Jun-2008 17:39

Using windows XP, no indication of wireless facility on taskbar. Laptop does have a slot on the side with a blank insert, about the size of a wirless card i presume. Also has a switch on the front on / off with a little picture showing a tower and waves coming off it. Does nothing when switching it though.

scottjpalmer

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#137434 11-Jun-2008 17:58

Normally flicking that switch would result in some form of visual and/or audible indication that the wireless adaptor was being enabled / disabled if it was actually present.

Take your laptop into a shop and get them to verify the slot but something like http://www.dse.co.nz/cgi-bin/dse.storefront/en/product/XH9945 should do the trick.

Plug it in, install it, then when you get to the location of the network click the little wifi icon which should now be down by the clock after installing the wifi card, click "show available wireless networks", and select the one you want. It will probably prompt for your user name and password at that stage or else just connect up. If it just connects straight away then when you open your web browser it will then prompt you for the username and password.