Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with hotspot

I just want to download some Professor Layton puzzles!

Lucinda — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 11:34:37 -0800

Where can I find a Nintendo DS wifi hotspot in Rochester, NY that works? The "hotspot" located on the Nintendo website is out of date (places are no longer in business, or the connection doesn't work) and I don't really want to drive around the county to every place listed just to find out it doesn't work.

(I can't use the USB connector thing because from what I understand it's PC only.)

Is T-Mobile Hotspot calling worth it?

nnk — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 18:12:41 -0800

I am strongly considering switching to T-mobile and a big draw for me is wifi hotspot option. Specifically, I am looking to get a Hotspot enabled phone and use it through my home Wifi connection for better reception and/or, I might spend the additional $10/month and get the unlimited hotspot calling option. I am not talking about T-Mobile@home. If you're using your T-mobile phone for hotspot calling (VOIP) how well does it work and are you happy with it?

Connecting with WiFi, what does "Identifying" mean?

exphysicist345 — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 18:47:54 -0800

[WiFi Filter] What does "Identifying" mean? When connecting up to a WiFi hotspot, the Network and Sharing Center on my laptop shows the word "Identifying." My question is simple: Who is identifying whom?

The word "Identifying" appears underneath the middle icon, which represents the hotspot. Sometimes the Identifying is completed quickly, sometimes it hangs and never finishes.

As I sit glumly staring at it, I can't help needing to know: Who is doing the Identifying? Whom are they trying to Identify? And why does the Identifying sometimes fail?

Windows Vista SP1 on a Toshiba laptop, various hotspots.

How do I create a wifi "hotspot" for our apartment complex?

lot49 — Sat, 31 May 2008 12:15:39 -0800

I've been asked to help create a wifi "hotspot" for the outdoor common area of our apartment complex... We will have a dedicated broadband connection (cable modem) for this purpose. I'm thinking that we do not want it to be "wide open" as it might get abused -- I could be wrong, I'm not sure. But I'm interested to hear from anyone who may have created their own hotspot, and perhaps additional information on various solutions that might allow us to require tenants to register for an account, etc. Are there any turnkey/"hotspot in a box" solutions out there that do not require us to have (lots of) additional equipment outside of the transmitter/router itself? In addition, any recommendations for an outdoor/weather-safe signal-providing device? Any help or leads in this direction would be most appreciated. Thanks! (BTW, I am tech-savvy, so feel free to answer in technical terms.)

My own hotspot...

wongcorgi — Thu, 15 May 2008 14:01:55 -0800

What is the legality of providing free/cheap wifi to neighbors? I live in a townhouse complex, what is the legality of broadcasting an access point that gives free or possibly cheap internet? Barring your own internet providers' stance on sharing internet, are there any permit requirements, legal issues that may come up?

I'm thinking a redirected portal page that comes up, so no advertising other than the AP name. Possibly free low speed and nominal charges for full speed.

Would this be something that would warrant something more than a slap on the wrist or a letter from the homeowners board saying "don't do that?"

Hot spot -- the dog kind, not the T Mobile kind.

katemonster — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 20:50:53 -0800

Does my dog have a hot spot? What should I do about it? Poppy, my miniature Australian shepherd, has a spot she's been chewing at for the last couple of days. It's on her back, just to the right of her spine and about 4 inches above her tail. I clipped the hair around it, some of which has gotten kind of matted and nasty. The skin underneath feels kind of stiff and scabby/cardboardy -- not much wet exudate, and the only color difference I can see is that it's darker (but not red) than the surrounding skin. The spot seems stinky, but I can't tell if it's that or her stinky butt I'm noticing.
I plan to take her to the vet as soon as possible, but in the meantime I'd like to know if there's anything I can or should do for her, given normal household items. (I've seen recommendations for specific pet-related products, or witch hazel, etc, but I don't have any of those things on hand). Does this sound like a hot spot? Does the location suggest any possible causes? (Could this be an anal gland issue?) She doesn't have fleas, but she spends a fair amount of time outside, and her favorite hobby is herding the cat, which means she sometimes comes out on the losing end of the cat's claws.
To repeat -- I'm calling the vet first thing in the morning, so unless you think I need to rush her to the 24 hour animal hospital, be assured I'm not relying on you for her only medical care. But my vet is very popular and thus very busy, so I'm afraid we might not be able to get in for a day or so, and I don't want to let this get any worse; I've read horror stories of how fast a hot spot can go bad. What should a first-time dog owner do?

Pacific North West serial killer hotspot?

Artw — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 15:52:53 -0800

I've heard several times from different sources how the NorthWest of America, and the Seattle area in particular, is a hotspot for serial killers. Is there any truth to this? Or is it just a reflection of the high profile of the Ted Bundy case? And if it is the case (or even if it isn't) has anyone offered any explanations?

Alternatives to Hotspot Shield

lemonfridge — Tue, 22 Jan 2008 15:26:48 -0800

My ISP (Pipex) seems to cripple torrents. When I use Hotspot Shield it seems to get around whatever they are doing and gives me reasonably consistently speedier downloads. But Hotspot Shield has a monthly usage allowance. Are there any alternatives?

Can I SSH with T-Mobile Hotspot in hotel?

xorry — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 19:50:32 -0800

The hotel I'm at uses T-Mobile HotSpot (or whatever..) for the wifi. It seems to work fine for web browsing, but I can't seem to use any ssh clients to connect to work and get any real work done. I've seen that others have also had problems with this. As far as I can tell it's just an issue of outgoing port blocking, and (from previous questions) there's nothing much to be done. I've called hotel support but it is just T-Mobile support, and moronic. I really don't feel like dealing with people. Am I just out of luck? Apologies if this isn't the most lucid of questions. It's been a long week.

It's a Windows machine. I just got the laptop today and haven't been able to try any other OSs on it.

Any advice on how to set up a wifi hotspot in my local cafe?

ajp — Tue, 31 Oct 2006 15:14:31 -0800

Any advice on how to set up a wifi hotspot in my local cafe? I've checked posts tagged wifi and wireless, and they lead to this helpful fella: How To: Using m0n0wall to create a wireless captive portal. It seems like a blueprint I'd like to follow.

I live in London, UK, and I want to set up wifi in my local cafe. They have nothing at all in the way of computing facilities or IT-savvy. I'll probably be doing it for cost, and maybe a few freebies. Assuming they go for it, I'll need to know a few specifics. So has anyone here actually done this sort of thing, and are there any pitfalls I should look out for?

I'm wondering about things like gotchas with m0n0wall, specific hardware I should use, how to limit access to patrons, etc. There are a few pages on the internet I've found that seem useful (such as Create your own hotspot) but they all show a heavy US bias. Are there an UK- or London-specific issues I should be aware of? For example, is there a reliable ISP that will allow the cafe to sell or give away internet access? Any other UK-centric advice will be gratefully noted.

I am reasonably technically able, although all this will be new to me. I want to create a set-up that allows patrons of the cafe (not just any passers-by) free (or paid-for) access to the internet for a time-limited period (say 1 hour per purchase). The system also has to be robust and secure enough to require basically zero administration, since I won't necessarily be around to fix it if it does break. Asking someone else to "do all the work" isn't really an option, since if this goes well I'd like to persuade a few other independent businesses to follow suit, with my help.

This seems like exactly the sort of question that's probably been answered here already; if so, I couldn't spot it but I'll happily follow a link :-)

Charming road warrior seeks smart and sassy net protection software for fulfilling relationship.

chrominance — Fri, 27 Oct 2006 23:22:17 -0800

Help this desktop power user protect his new laptop from evil internet demons while using public Wifi hotspots. I am utterly thrilled at the prospect of being able to surf the internet in locations other than my home, but there's one glaring problem to which I don't have a comprehensive solution. You see, my desktop Windows system has been fairly well taken of. Up-to-date antivirus and anti-malware packages and the presence of a hardware firewall have kept my system free of viruses, worms and spyware (yes, it is indeed possible!). I'd like to keep my laptop similarly free of such ailments.

Unfortunately, I can't rely on a hardware firewall when I use public hotspots. I may not know or trust the owners of the open hotspots, for one, and even if I do (thank goodness for the volunteer-based Wireless Toronto!) I can't necessarily trust other wireless users on the same hotspot. And I'm not fooling myself; I know a big reason why my desktop continues to have a clean bill of health is because of that hardware firewall, far more so than the antiviral and anti-malware software.

My experience with software firewalls have led me to believe they are clunky and annoying; an earlier AskMe question also indicates they are unreliable at best. So what should I do to protect my vulnerable laptop from the dangers that await it in the outside world? Are there any firewalls that are at least somewhat effective, and what can I do to patch the holes that remain in my security regimen?

(Please, no "get a Mac" snarks, I already weighed the pros and cons when I bought my laptop and I'm quite happy with my decision despite the superiority of the Mac with regards to internet security.)

Can you help set up our wifi?

brautigan — Wed, 08 Feb 2006 13:29:04 -0800

Wi-fi for small businesses 101. What is the best solution for providing our cafe customers wi-fi? We run a small independent coffee shop / bar in the Uk and we'd like it to become a wi-fi hotspot. Should we simply buy a router and charge a nominal fee for the password or go down the In-A-Box provider route eg the cloud and land our customers with a five pounds an hour fee. Or is there an in-between option? It would be nice for our homepage or similar to come up when they log in with a message and todays menu etc on it and we're also not interested in making money from it, just covering the expenses etc. Advice?

A burning question

jacquilynne — Mon, 02 Jan 2006 09:56:41 -0800

What is this hot spot on my back? I have a specific spot on my back that gets hotter than all the other spots on my back. It's on the lower side of my right shoulder blade. If my back gets warm, this particular spot gets burning, almost painfully hot. It's been doing this noticeably for a couple of months now and I think it's getting worse.

At first, I thought it coincided with the label in my winter jacket (since I recall it starting around the start of winter) even though it was off center, but today I'm noticing it as I sit here in my brand new, cozy warm bathrobe - which has a label, but nowhere near that area. I've taken off the robe, and the rest of my back has cooled off, but that particular spot is still quite hot (though not painful as it was when I was wearing the robe).

I should note that I feel the burning sensation there just sitting around not touching it, but when I do touch it, it does feel warmer than the surrounding skin. I can't touch the surrounding areas with the same parts of my hand though, as I'm just barely flexible enough to reach that area of my back, so I'm not sure how valid the comparison is.

Captive Portal with auth - help?

bystander — Thu, 22 Sep 2005 05:26:05 -0800

Captive Portals. I'd like one. I want it to work with a WRT54G, connected to a DSL line. I'd like a login screen that looks up an auth database (probably RADIUS, but not definite) and I would like the whole auth infrastructure to be centralised, so I don't need anything but the wireless router on the end of the DSL line. I want to have multiple DSL lines sharing the auth infratructure. I want to control access, so only users with existing credentials gain access (not anyone like wifidog).
Cheap or free is good.
I'm not the brains of the operation, but I think I can understand the answers, any recommendations?