Techies? wireless help?

[sithknight]

Hey there, this is for any good hearted techies out there: I've got a small wireless question.

I'm currently running Windows98 (bleah) but can't afford/don't really want to upgrade to XP. In any case, i can get my Trumobile wireless card to work at home and my friends place, but at my favorite local coffee shop I can't get it to run.

I've asked the barristas what the network name is, and they don't have a clue and are not too interested in helping me out. I was wondering if anyone knows a way to 1)get windows to query the network name 2)download an application to do the same 3) any other solution I've not thought of.

Thanks much in adavance.

[Rabrrrrrr]

1. Are you sure the local coffee shop offers free wireless?

Some - like Starbucks - you have to pay for.

Though since you asked the barristas and they didn't say "YOu have to pay for it", i woudl assume that isn't the case.

I can't imagine why you'd need to know the network name, either. You should be able pop on without it. I've never had a problem with it. But i and my friends have always used routers, not servers, and perhaps that makes a difference. I'm not sure on that one. but I'd be surprised if a coffee shop was running everything through a server anyway - unless, as I mentioned before, they want to be paid for it.

[salvorhardin]

2. This should help

http://www.netstumbler.com/downloads

Also check out the forums at http://www.netstumbler.org

From their release notes:
What is NetStumbler?
NetStumbler is a tool for Windows that allows you to detect Wireless Local Area Networks (WLANs) using 802.11b, 802.11a and 802.11g. It has many uses:

Verify that your network is set up the way you intended.
Find locations with poor coverage in your WLAN.
Detect other networks that might be causing interference with your network.
Detect unauthorized "rogue" access points in your workplace.
Help aim directional antennas for long-haul WLAN links.
Use it recreationally for WarDriving.

[sithknight]

3. Thanks and...

...by the way: my home PC is slowly running Linux (i noticed the penguin). I've got Fedora Core installed and I'm trying to ween myself off of Microsoft and the foolish evil of a closed architecture.

I'll give this tool a try tomorrow when i get back out into the wide world and let you know if it worked.

[salvorhardin]

5. Linux is great

If you can wrap your head around a more technical mindset and don't mind poking around under the hood every now and then, you'll come to love it.

I have to run Windows XP in addition to Linux since much of the software I require for my business (Macromedia and Adobe stuff) has not been ported to Linux. Macromedia has made noises about porting to Linux and that'd be terriffic, but I doubt Adobe ever will. Still, I spend the majority of my time booted into my Debian partition. My server, of course, is Linux.

If I had the money to spare I'd certainly buy a Powerbook though. To me, it is the best of both worlds. Kernel based off Free BSD Unix and a pretty clicky interface.

[Misunderestimator]

4. Very odd. Everywhere I've connected wireless, they've known the network

name... They should know it. Maybe you should just go to the main site for that coffee shop. It is probably the same network for them in all locations. It is in Hilton Hotels. I connected in one hotel in NY, then in California a week later... it was the same network name. The hotel provided the name to me.