My aunt said some visitors came to her house & were able to use the laptop they brought via a wifi signal in the neighborhood. She wants to get online, so we got her a laptop, but when we try to connect to wifi, 7 signals show but all are secured, we'd need a password to use them.
Questions:
1. Is it possible the friends somehow connected to one of these without a password? Or did she just assume they were on the internet but they really weren't?
2. If we can't use one of these signals without a password, how do we get her on wifi? Do we just pay some service that broadcasts a signal into the air (we are in Portland, OR) or does she need some connection to the internet in her house & some equipment installed to broadcast a signal?
Thanks in advance!
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Answers & Comments
Verified answer
*1) Yes, it is certainly possible they connected to an access point without a password as long as the access point was running in open mode. If that open access point has since been closed, then you won't be able to attach to it without the proper codes.
It's also possible that the visitors weren't using WiFi but were instead using a cellular data card. You can get these from your major cellular vendors, like Verizon and AT&T. These cards use the cell phone network to deliver data. It should also be noted that this is one of the more expensive ways of getting service.
And, yes, it is possible your aunt assumed they were on the Internet, but they were not.
*2)To get WiFi access in your aunt's house, you will have to do one of two things.
If there is a public WiFi available in her location, you might have to subscribe to that service to use it. One of the seven secured signals you are seeing may be a neighborhood broadband service that you need to pay a monthly fee to for usage.
If there is no public WiFi available, you would need to create your own. You would do this by subscribing to some sort of high-speed Internet service: either a cable modem (through the cable company) or a DSL modem (through the phone company). This will get her basic Internet connectivity in her home. You will then need to purchase and install a Wireless Router (retail around $50-$80) to broadcast the WiFi signal to her laptop.
Just make sure to secure her wireless network!
The in-home options (cable and DSL) will be limited to her home. If she leaves her home, she won't be able to access her WiFi network while out and about... she would need to find a public hot spot for that. If she purchases a cellular wireless card it has the extra benefit of being able to travel with her... as long as she can get a cellular signal, she'll be able to access the Internet.
So do a little homework and price compare the three options. Then, select the option that makes the most sense for her.
1: Secure Wifi connections will always need a password. Your friend probably connected to an unsecured network.
2: If she already has an internet connection to her house, you could get her a 'Wifi router'. This will allow you to connect via Wifi to the internet (give it a password to keep it secure).
For your information:
Connecting to an unsecured wifi access point is illegal, it would be the same as saying "well they left their front door open so i just walked in and took all their stuff".
ahh in my opinion maybe u shud try guessing sm password...like any thing {xyzvonsvsdv...}u mite think am i crazy to do this...it really happened a several times such tht i rote sm thing in the password sector and it got connected both in my mobile and in my laptop...hws tht....just give a tryyyyyyyyy