Before trying to connect to a hotspot, make sure you have the right hardware. Most newer notebooks come with integrated wireless adapters. If you have an Intel Centrino notebook, then you have an 802.11b or 802.11g wireless adapter and should have little trouble connecting to most public hotspots. If you’re not sure, check your device for an 802.11-compliant WLAN (wireless local-area network) adapter.

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If several hotspots exist in the same general vicinity, you may need to specify the network to which you want to connect. To view the available wireless networks, right-click the Network Connections icon from the System Tray and then click View Available Wireless Networks. Click Advanced to open the Wireless Network Connection Properties dialog box and then select the wireless network’s SSID (Service Set Identifier) from the list of available networks that appear on the Wireless Networks tab.
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Make sure your operating system is up-to-date. Most wireless IPs only support a limited number of OSes or just specific versions of a particular OS. Depending on the wireless IP, some browsers are not supported and may not properly display the splash page, the Web page that lets you sign in to the hotspot’s Internet service. Check with the wireless IP offering the hotspot for details on which browsers are recommended for best viewing.
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Many gateway routers include a wireless access point, usually with security disabled by default. So even if your employees aren’t using wireless access, strangers sitting in your parking lot might be. Make sure security is enabled on all your wireless access points. A well-meaning employee could have picked up an inexpensive access point at the local computer store and attached it to the network so people in the conference room could access to their e-mail. The risk goes beyond just losing a little bandwidth: With access to your internal LAN, outsiders can access open Windows file shares that aren’t properly secured.

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If your wireless adapter is communicating with the hotspot, then often all you need to do is launch a Web browser. Sometimes you’ll need to sign in on the wireless IP’s login page. You may also need a valid credit card, mobile phone or purchanse receipt depending on whether the wireless IP charges a fee for its service.
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The Alberta Special Areas Board has selected Nortel to build what is believed to be the first commercial broadband wireless access network in Canada based on the WiMAX IEEE 802.16-2004 (fixed WiMAX) standard.
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Hardware drivers can be a real pain for Linux users. If the manufacturer does not release the specifications of its hardware, it can be difficult, if not possible, to reverse engineer the information needed to write a driver.

True, a few manufacturers are enlightened enough to release Linux drivers or information, but most are content with ensuring their product works with Windows.

While it would be nice be able to boycott such hardware, there’s not much we can do if the laptop’s integrated wireless card has no Linux driver.

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