Warchalking 101

Once you've found a network, getting your laptop or PDA to join it is the next step. If the network is encrypted, forget it. It may also have a password on it -- a "closed" network -- in which case you're also out of luck. What you want is an open network, one that allows any computer to connect unencumbered. Look for networks named "linksys" or "default." These may be access points that are still configured the way they came out of the box, without a password. Some network admins deliberately set the network name SSID on their non-Linksys hardware to "linksys" to indicate to passers-by that the network has no password.

If you're jumping onto someone else's network, chances are the access point is behind one or more walls or floors rather than in the room with you. That will dampen the quality of the wireless signal, resulting in transmission errors and reduced transmission speed. So, if at first you don't succeed in connecting, try again -- and again -- because a few dropped packets here and there can mess up your attempt to connect. Watch the settings on the configuration panel for your wireless LAN card to see if you're connecting to the network or not, and move around to try to get the best signal.

Once you think you're connected, fire up your Web browser and email program. Try to download email and open a reliable Web site like Google. If both email and Web fail, the network may not provide dynamic IP address assignment, or dynamic domain name resolution. If you're a PC user, you may need to check your network settings again to see if you've been assigned an address. Try joining the network a few times, waiting a few seconds after each attempt to see if the dynamic configuration takes effect. For more information on what these configuration panels look like, see JIWIRE's Guide to Wi-Fi Setup.

Even if you do connect, some networks require you to sign in first, via a Web page that's delivered to your browser the first time you try to open a page. The page may prompt you for a username and password (darn!), or it may just say, "Click to log in." Sometimes, it will ask you to type in some personal information, such as your email address, in exchange for using the network. Schlotzsky's Deli and other franchise businesses have begun using such setups as a marketing beacon to alert laptop-toting travelers to their presence.

The last hurdle you face is your employer's virtual private network (VPN), if the company requires you to use one to connect to the office. That's great for security, but it just doesn't work on many Wi-Fi networks. So your corporate network may be off-limits. If that's the case, check with your company's IT department to see if they have a suggested workaround for use on Wi-Fi networks.

If your wireless connection isn't solid -- it keeps dropping out and in as you try to work -- remember that your wireless laptop is a portable radio with an antenna, just like your cordless phone at home. You can improve the signal by turning to face different directions, and by tilting your laptop up and down, or rotating it slightly. Also try to determine the location of the access point by walking around, and move closer to the signal source. People may look at you funny as you hold your IBM Thinkpad over your head to download your mail, but so what? You're online and they're not.