Wireless Hotspot

What you need to know before connecting to a WiFi network

Wireless hotspots are popping up everywhere. At first it was coffee shops and "internet cafes". Then hotels (lower priced ones first, believe it or not), restaurants and now even rest areas along interstates. To me, a hotspot is FREE wireless access. To others, it includes commercial hotspots, where you pay for access. I think that ought to be called a comspot (commercial hotspot). Some of these are referred to as "walled gardens" since they offer free access to only certain sites. Libraries sometimes offer this and I have had doctors want to provide service like this in their waiting rooms.

How do I connect to a free wireless hotspot?

Most laptops with wireless network capability will automatically try to connect to an open network, no password or authentication is required. If it is required, I don't personally call it a hotspot; I call it a private wireless network. Essentially just make sure your wireless hardware and software are turned on, then wait a minute or two. Many hotspots are somewhat of a captive portal, even if free. It's not uncommon to gain internet access only if you first open your web browser which is automatically redirected to a web page displaying the rules of the WIFI network and require you to acknowledge those rules. This is something to keep in mind if you try to connect to a corporate or home VPN first and find it won't work.

Risks of using Wireless Hotspots

• All data is transferred as naked text. Unless you go to additional lengths of setting up a VPN to your home or office, normal surfing (https is not naked text), email, text messaging, etc are all freely readable by anyone else on that hotspot with some simple, free software. Many user names and passwords are passed in the clear also. Some companies do offer alternatives to this, but it requires you to download their software to facilitate the encryption of the data so it is not readable by all.

• "Poison" hotspots do exist. This is where unscrupulous individuals, companies or groups will setup a free WIFI for the sole purpose of harvesting your data, hopefully enough to pull off identity theft of those using their "free" service.

• The hotspot may not be an intentional hotspot; it could just be a wireless network whose owner did not know enough or care enough to protect. In addition to the risk that it could be a poison hotspot, most U.S. jurisdictions have ruled it illegal to use an unprotected wireless network without the owners permission. Though I don't know if anyone has been prosecuted for this, persistent violation has prompted legal action in certain cases.

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