ipaq 4300 wi-fi...questions

[chrisnonstop]

Ok, so my Ipaq 4355 with built in wi-fi is really neat. I can turn on the Wi-Fi and the Ipaq automatically sniffs out Hot-spots or Wi-fi signals. If I'm at boarders or starbucks or any place that has it, it pops up on my Ipaq and I have the option of connecting.

Now on the other hand, when I'm at my buddies house I have problems connecting. He's got one of those wireless networks in his home.

I turned on my Ipaq and I saw his name pop up and it asked me if I wanted to connect. I clicked connect but nothing happened. My buddy told me that his wireless network had security settings. Ok fine I thought. I turned off my wi-fi and then turned it on again, this time nothing happened. It did not "sniff" out his connection. After about a minute or so I saw his network name come up. Still could not connect though. The third time I turned off wi-fi and turned it back on again, his name never poped up...I'm assuming his network IP or whatever was logged into memory as unuseable. Am I right in assuming this? Another thing, at my other buddies house, I can sometimes connect to his network and sometimes I can't...what gives?

Can anyone explain this home networking wi-fi stuff to me...also, what hardware do I need to allow my ipaq to surf the net over my cable connection? Something that delivers good range as well as keeps other users out.

Thanks,
Chris

[Society]

Ask your buddy what kind of security he has on his wifi. He's probably using one, or both, of these: WEP or MAC filtering.

WEP(Wired Equivelence Privacy) is encryption on the data sent to & from the wif router or access point (AP). If he is using this you need to obtain the encryption key from him in order to access his wifi. This is very easy to set up and is pretty common way of securing your wifi connection from unwanted intruders.

MAC filtering is when the router or AP is told to only allow device with a certian MAC address, which is hardcoded into all NIC's , wired or not. If he has this turned on then for you to access his wifi he will need to add the MAC address of your 4355 to the list of "Trusted" addesses. You can find your MAC address by going to Start->Settings->System tab->Asset viewer->wireless LAN.

I recommend asking your friend 1. If it's ok if you access his wifi and if he ok with it 2. ask what kind of security he is using on his wifi. He should then be able to help you access it.

As for the hardware you need to access your cable connection, any wifi router should suit your needs. I use a D-Link 614+ for my home connection, it works well and does what I need it to. There are many other routers out there now & I recommend taking a look on Amazon.com & see what comments people have on each router.

Hope this was helpful.

~Soc