Thinkpads Forum

I have just bought a wave buddy Wi-Fi card over the net for the Horrendous Sum of $17.00 including S/H. It is brand new.

My problem is that I am just not intelligent enuff to understand the attempts
by the Technical Writers to tell us how to do things. They seem to think that the mark of a good writer is somebody who can write as complicatedly as possible. I had this same problem with them as a young Technical Illustrator,
in Aerospace.

All I want to know is, how do you get on the net with it??? Do you hit the normal Dial Up AOL, for example, after the AOL has been configured for LAN... or what???

Ignoramous in Columbus....

If I understand your question correctly, you have a WiFi card. Do you have a WiFi station for the card to connect? The WiFi card has to be in an environment where a WiFi receiver/gateway is available to complete connection. Some businesses wire their premises to allow WiFi from any compatible computer.

If you already have the WiFi card and a WiFi gateway (bridge, router, etc.) the WiFi connection acts just like any other networking connection, except there is no wire involved.

Hope this helps, AJ.

Go to a cafe where they offer free Wireless Internet and turn on your ThinkPad there with you WiFi card inserted. Something should happen that is different and you should connect automatically. BTW, what OS are you using? Things are a bit different with Win98, Win2K and WinXP. If you didn't install the drivers with a setup application (usually from a CD that comes with the card) in Windows 98/W2k, but just install drivers as they are demanded by Windows after you put your card in the PCMCIA slot, then you'll need another application to get your card running....you can download Boingo (do a search for it) for free that will take care of things for you. WinXP takes care of all of this stuff automatically, so no other software is needed.

Hi Bruce and Made in Japan:

I dont have a Wi Fi Router. I am intending to use it in places where there is a hotspot.

I will look up the Boingo.....

'Preciate it y'all....

A J a

Made in Japan: I am using a W98 OS.

But what is this free download from boingo???

All I can find on that thing, is a monthly service for $21.00 a montyh.

A J A

They have a "hotspot" service that costs money each month, but their basic software is free. I've used it on my son's 600E for over a year now. I believe what the "hotspot" service is, is a way to look up any hotspot close to where you are and give you directions to where it is so you can hook up to the internet for free. Seems like an awful lot of money when you can just drive around and find where there's a signal on your own. Anyway, if they are no longer giving it away, IM me.

Re: Those Routers....I am assuming they have to be hooked up to a telephone line....correct me if I am wrong???

A J A

I assume you're asking if they have to be connected to the internet....like cable or DSL...well, not necessarily....but I had trouble trying to use a router as an access point and so took my router back and got an access point in its place. Here's what I got and it works great: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... eName=WDVW

I re-read my post and realized that if you're trying to get on the internet wirelssly, then YES, you have to have some type of connection to the internet. I use a wired cable modem/router that is connected directly to my computer, but it is also attached to my access point (the one at eBay, above) and all other computer in the house are connected to the access point wirelessly and therefore connect to the internet that way. Prior to having a Cable Modem/router, I dialed out to the internet and still connected wirelessly through out the house by way of the same access point, though the connection was very slow. This is very simple to do....just set-up your ISP dial-out (right click NetWork Neighborhood or My Networks and then right click your actual ISP's Icon and then select the tab at the top of that screen to see connection sharing).

Dang It!! Why cant we get the Interenet like turning on the radio.... the radio wave send out voice.... there is no reason why they cant send data!!!

A J A

Will any of these devices the Wi Fi card picks up, when there is no Internet Connection,pick up another device thats too far away for the cards antenna??? Extending the range of the PC Card???

A J A

Look around...yes, there are PC cards with an external antena connection. you'll just have to look around on eBay and elsewhere for these...I've never searched for one, so I don't have a lead on any of them.

Also, yes, it's possible to pick up a wireless signal for someone's network, but the network not being connected to the Internet. When this happens, in WindowsXP, it will tell you that you are about to connect to a "limited" network....there is also a yellow exclamation mark on the connection.

What does it mean by a limited network???

A J A

Limited Network, like I said means that there is no internet connection.

Okay, I'm getting it slowly....

Or am I??

What you are saying is that the whole operation, the card and 'Access Point'
will act like a card byitself when you are in a hotspot area???

Only the access point will reach further than a card by itself???

Hopefully I am not confusing issues here????

A J a