I'll Hook You Up With A Wireless Hot Spot
A long time ago, in the early days of the Internet, whenever I wanted to go online I had to connect my notebook to the phone line with a cord and dial-up to gain Internet access. It was a slow, frustrating process and I often experienced severe connectivity problems. Even if I did get connected, in most cases the connection would drop after a short while. And last but not least, it was an expensive proposition, as one would be charged not only by the Internet service provider, but also by the phone company. But nowadays, whenever I get the desire to go online, I walk down to my friendly neighborhood coffee shop, relax with a cup of joe and connect wirelessly using their wireless hot spot.
While in many developing countries the slow dial-up is the only way to connect to the Internet, the increasing availability of broadband technologies in most of the advanced localities has made getting online much faster and more convenient than ever before.
Wireless hotspots are now a ubiquitous extension of this Internet connectivity. In basic terms, a wireless hot spot is any place — location — that enables a computer fitted with wireless network technology to access the Internet. Nowadays, almost all laptops and many handhelds come with built-in wireless technology, so having the technology is no longer an issue to getting online. But for those that do not have a wireless network device pre-installed, you can obtain an external network interface card to connect wirelessly.
Wireless Hot Spots Defined
What makes a particular locale a wireless hot spot however, is the presence of a wired network router that hosts the wireless network and provides end users with the required connectivity. Basically, a wireless hot spot is any place with a wireless enabled router that provides wireless connectivity to the Internet. And with the increasing usage of laptops to access and do work from just about anywhere, more and more places are jumping on the wireless hotspot bandwagon. Although many of the wireless hot spots provide free access, some of them, especially in private areas, clubs and some malls, ask for a small fee that needs to be paid before one can get connected. But this fee is usually nominal and is well worth the convenience of getting easy and reliable Internet access.
Wireless Hot Spot Locations
Most schools, colleges and universities in the US are wireless hotspots. As are a myriad of restaurants, cafes and even fast food joints in the larger cities. Some corporations, who have a robust security infrastructure, have limited wireless hot spots. This means the wireless hot spot is often restricted to the immediate surroundings of the building and users outside this range cannot access the Internet using the network.
Here's where to find a hotspot near you »
An interesting fact: Unsecured wireless networks can be usable wireless hot spots. The apartment block where I live has several power computer users who have all opted for broadband connections. Instead of staying in one room, they tend to wander all over the house and the only way they can do so while staying online is by setting up a wireless router. Now, the technologically advanced of these users — like me, for example — have implemented a password protected connection. But some of them have left their wireless networks open. Up to a certain distance, this makes them a literal wireless hot spot for your browsing pleasure.
