Thinkpads Forum

Hello, I just acquired a Linksys wireless card and trying to get it set up. If I install the driver for it and insert the card in the PCMCIA slot,
would I be able to connect to a hot spot ( Starbucks, etc. ) or is there something else I need to do? Sorry for the dumb question, but I'm totally clueless regarding Wi-Fi internet. Thanks.

Double click on the icon in the taskbar and a configuration window will pop up. Click on the center tab, it will list/show what networks are within range. Sometime you'll have to hit the refresh button. Click on the access point and then click connect. Sometimes it connects quickly but can take a little longer to connect to the internet.

Wireless networking can be a pain to setup but generally all you need is the SSID (name) of the network you are trying to connect to and (optionally) a "password". This password is known as a WEP or WPA encryption key. These items need to be entered into the wireless configuration program for your Linksys card. This can either be the one built into Windows, the IBM Access Connections utility or one supplied by Linksys. If the "hotspot" you are attempting to connect to is truly free, then just the SSID is needed.

I believe that the WiFi networks at Starbucks are run by T-Mobile and generally require a fee. Most likely you will be presented with a signup screen and instructions on how to go about connecting. If you need help I'm sure that one of the people there can assist. The best advice comes from Musti in this post:

http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.ph ... 165#234165

Another recent thread about WiFi:

http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.php?t=38935

rkawakami wrote:The best advice comes from Musti in this post:

http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.ph ... 165#234165

I've read this before, has the best advice not just technically but socially as well.

I use your exact same notebook card, it works great for me and I have easily connected with other networks. I love the utility for it, I actually disabled Windows Zero Configuration utility and use the Linksys utility for connect to networks.

Thank you everyone for the replies.