If you’re like the thousands of other vacationers, business travelers or just going from one place to another, you are almost certainly going to connect to the internet to keep in touch, read the latest news or join friends and perhaps competitors to play a game or two. Based on many questions relating to WiFi and HOTSPOTS, following is what you might call a primer on the topic.

The way we connect to the Internet is changing very fast.  Wired Internet is giving way to wireless Internet. Getting broadband Internet on a wireless connection has become quite common. Moreover, at places such as restaurants, coffee shops, airports, hotels, libraries or other public places, you can easily get wireless or Wi-Fi HOTSPOTS. If you aren't yet familiar with these terms, this column is for you... and even if you are, keep reading and you hopefully will pick-up some useful information you hadn't heard before.

First and foremost: What is WiFi? WiFi actually stands for Wireless Fidelity and is the new term used to describe a wireless network based on the international 802.11 standard for local area networks. Typically WiFi is coupled with the term HOT-SPOT.

What is a HOT-SPOT? A HOT-SPOT is a geographic area or zone that is enabled with high-speed wireless Internet access. HOT-SPOTs are generally available at many convenient public locations such as airports, cafés, hotels, hospitals, public buildings, shopping malls, parks and restaurants. Using either a laptop or handheld PDA that is WiFi 802.11 wirelessly-enabled, you can access the Internet or your corporate intranet at speeds up to 50 times faster than dial-up.

What is 802.11 and what does it mean to me? IEEE 802.11 is an international standard for wireless networking. It permits different devices to communicate with one another using this standard. There are different versions of this standard and depending where you are, you may be connected via any of the most common ones, 802.11b, g or n. Your laptop or PDA device must be enabled with an 802.11b, g or n network card or chip in order to communicate with a hotspot. There are both free ones and pay for use ones, but more and more places are starting to provide the free service, e.g. I recently flew in and out of the Cleveland Ohio airport and they had a terminal-wide free WiFi network. 

So, how does the service work? Most places have installed wireless access points throughout the building, cafe, terminal or mall, which transmit a radio signal wirelessly to a user's WiFi wireless network card. With a properly installed wireless network card, a user launches their browser and receives a login page to begin. Once they OK the Terms of Use Statement, they are able to connect to public Internet resources. With full connectivity to the Internet, users can access any Internet resources, as well as any corporate networks to which they have access from the Internet.

What do I need to access the service? A laptop computer or handheld PDA running a current version of Windows 95/98/ME/2000/XP/7 or MAC OS. A WiFi compliant (IEEE 802.11b, g or n) wireless network card. Most notebooks and netbooks are being shipped with the cards pre-installed or as a factory option. Also, an Internet browser such as Microsoft Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, Opera, Google Chrome or any of the MAC browsers.

How fast are these WiFi HOT-SPOTS?  The most used connection to the Internet is via a dedicated T1 circuit The WiFi 802.11b,g or n technology allows for speeds up to 100 Mbps, but actual throughput (speed) is governed, much like your home or office speed, by the T1 and how many users are connected at one time.

Do I need to download or install any special software to connect to a network? The only software you will need is the software driver for your wireless network card and an Internet-ready web browser.

How do I login to use the service?  Turn on your computer, allow it to fully "boot" up, and set your wireless network card SSID to the name which is usually displayed. Launch your web browser. A Log-in page should appear. A wireless "disclaimer" page will appear with Accept and Decline buttons located on the bottom of the page. After reading the disclaimer and logon agreement, click the Accept button. You are now good to go! If you have a problem, there should be someone you can ask for help, or, in the case of my most recent experience in Cleveland, a number to call with step-by-step instructions. Some HOTSPOT welcome pages have “support or help” links which contain helpful troubleshooting docs as well as “user guides”. Places like Starbucks usually have pretty knowledgeable folks that can help.

What operating systems are currently compatible with WiFi service? WiFi HOT-SPOTs are not OS-specific, and will work with any operating systems as long as there is a compatible, Internet-ready browser.

That is about it as far as a primer, but another important aspect of WiFi HOTSPOTS is security! The security risk may be more at the public WiFi HOTSPOTS that are freely accessible by everybody at places like airports, malls, bookstores or coffee shops. Most don’t require any password to access them and they may not support secure access or encrypted connection. Your communication through such unsafe hotspots can easily be picked up or intercepted by hackers. Since checking email at such hotspots is a very common thing with most people, your passwords for the email accounts may be compromised. And, if you’re doing some online shopping through these wi-fi hotspots, your sensitive information such as credit card number and passwords may not be safe. Also, you may be exposed to the security threats in the form of viruses, worms, malware, spyware, etc.

So what's a poor internet-eager person to do??? How about some basic safety tips for public hotspots  as well as the paid ones such as Verizon, T-Mobile, ATT, Boingo and iPass.

Avoid conducting sensitive transactions at hotspots: Mostly a common sense solution! Use the WiFi HOTSPOTS to generally browse the Internet; but avoid using them for conducting sensitive transactions such as banking transactions or credit card transactions or shopping online, etc.

Encrypt your important data: It is always advisable to encrypt your sensitive data and files. Lots of good programs to do this that are pretty easy to use... I like AxCrypt. Of course, you may not really need all those files you have on a notebook/netbook... a good house cleaning is always a smart idea before taking a trip.

Check your settings for connecting to a network; disable auto connect, use manual, it gives you the control for the connection. Also make sure you have your firewall up and running... XP, Vista and 7 all have them, but you may feel better using a third party one... ZoneAlarm and Comodo are both good and have free versions.

Naturally, all your security software is up to date... it is isn't it? Anti-virus, anti-spyware and anti-malware are all important tools in your security package.

Pick security connections whenever you can... remember to check that httpS is used and that little padlock at the bottom of the page is closed.

Finally, take a look at http://anchorfree.com/ select Hotspot Shield from the dropdown menu at the top left and read how it works to protect you... it's self-explanatory and it works... I have used it now for almost a year and can personally recommend it. Of course, if the ads bother you try http://www.ironkey.com/ where you can buy a secure flashdrive that will block any intruders. I didn’t spend any time writing about physical security because I know you protect your notebook/netbook as carefully as you do your wallet and credit cards, don’t you??? 

With that thought, I’ll let you get on with your packing...have a great and safe trip!
Aloha, Lou