Forums > Specific Focus > Technical Mexico

RickS

Aug 15, 2006, 6:26 PM

Post #1 of 9 (5569 views)

Shortcut

Laptop Hotspots

Can't Post | Private Reply

I am aware, in general, of the number of laptop hotspots in and around Lake Chapala. But I am wondering if this (accessibility) isn't an anomaly with respect to other places in Mexico.

For you folks who either live in or have knowledge of other places, how 'available' are these wireless hotspots to a traveler in your part of Mexico or places of which you have knowledge?

Rolly

Aug 15, 2006, 6:51 PM

Post #2 of 9 (5557 views)

Shortcut

Re: [RickS] Laptop Hotspots

Can't Post | Private Reply

I have some information about that here: http://rollybrook.com/internet.htm near the bottom of the page.

Rolly Pirate

Sherrill

Sep 13, 2006, 6:04 AM

Post #3 of 9 (5480 views)

Shortcut

Re: [RickS] Laptop Hotspots

Can't Post | Private Reply

VIPs restaurants provide free WiFi. They are located in all major cities. Used this service when driving from Yucatan to Jalisco. And as you probably know you can sit on patio at Salvador's in Ajijic and use your laptop. There is a tower across the street.

johanson / Moderator

Sep 13, 2006, 8:41 AM

Post #4 of 9 (5466 views)

Shortcut

Re: [Sherrill] Laptop Hotspots

Can't Post | Private Reply

As a result of your comments, Sherrill, I walked from that building that has all of the antennas on it across the street to Salvadors. I couldn't believe it, there must have been 10 access points. Most of them were Prodigy Infinitum "2Wire" wireless modems that are WEP protected. Those saying, East, West, Ajijic, etc require a username and password (They are PPPoE protected) which the Lagunanet customer would of course have.

What I didn't have time to check, was whether the signals were strong enough to maintain good contact or whether the owner of any of the access point foolish enough to not protect it, something, many of us senior citizens often either forget to do or do not understand the need.

Were you able to connect Sherrill?

Sherrill

Sep 13, 2006, 8:56 AM

Post #5 of 9 (5463 views)

Shortcut

Re: [johanson] Laptop Hotspots

Can't Post | Private Reply

Johanson,

Yes, I was able to connect no problem and without interruptions. I have Prod Infinitum 2Wire. But if memory serves me I was able to connect last fall without Infinit. Good advice re access without protection. One gets so giddy at the ease and availability of free connections that you forget the perils.

Papirex

Sep 13, 2006, 1:30 PM

Post #6 of 9 (5442 views)

Shortcut

Re: [johanson] Laptop Hotspots

Can't Post | Private Reply

I don’t entirely agree that everyone needs to enable WEP encryption on their home network, although it is a good thing for many people to do. I recently removed WEP encryption from my own wireless router here in Cuernavaca.

I have very effective firewalls, two of the computers are using ZoneAlarm Pro, one of them is using the firewall bundled in XP, and I have installed some good anti-virus and anti-spyware programs in all our computers. I occasionally run the Shields Up! Program to test the security of the first 1056 ports in the computers.

All our computers get perfect reports. All our computer ports are shielded, and are invisible to a hacker. They are non-existent computers to any probe.

https://www.grc.com/x/ne.dll?bh0bkyd2 If you click on this link, scroll to the bottom of the page, then click on “proceed.” You can then click on the buttons marked “common ports” and “All service ports” to see how secure your computer really is.

I had been thinking about removing the encryption from my wireless router for a while. A recent trip to America motivated me to go ahead and do it. We stayed for a couple of weeks at my cuñado’s house in Tacoma. He had just moved into a new house and had no phone line yet.

The second morning we were there, I started my laptop and enabled wireless reception. I didn’t expect to get anything, but three wireless connections showed up. One of them was a secured network and required a password. The other two were unsecured networks. I had Internet connectivity for two weeks in a house with no phone line.

I was so grateful for having the use of the unsecured networks in Tacoma that the second day I was home; I removed the encryption in my router. My router will support up to about 250 computers with no loss of speed or functionality. There is no risk to our own computers. I leave my modem and router turned on 24 hours per day seven days per week. It doesn’t cost me anything, so why not make it available to anyone?

Rex

"The supreme happiness of life is the conviction that we are loved" - Victor Hugo

johanson / Moderator

Sep 13, 2006, 3:16 PM

Post #7 of 9 (5433 views)

Shortcut

Re: [RexC] Laptop Hotspots

Can't Post | Private Reply

Yes Rex:

But you know what you are doing Smile

. I flew out of SeaTac over Tacoma last Thursday evening on my way to Ajijic.

Oh and on the 33rd floor of the condo I live in, when in Seattle, I picked up 49 access points, hot spots, or wireless networks using Microsoft's software. I didn't try connecting to an. The signals that far up were pretty weak. I did not even bother to determine that status of any of these networks

sfmacaws

Sep 13, 2006, 3:29 PM

Post #8 of 9 (5431 views)

Shortcut

Re: [johanson] Laptop Hotspots

Can't Post | Private Reply

I also leave my wireless router open. We have satellite internet and use it all over Mexico and CA. I've met some interesting people who have come over to thank me for the connection in out of the way spots. Like Rex, I have my computers pretty well firewalled - as well as I can do it. I use Commodo for a firewall on the pc. If I ever have a problem with someone using too much of my bandwidth, downloading a movie or something that hits my FAP limit, or trying to get through my firewall, then I'll shut it down. So far, in the US and SOB I have had no problems.

Jonna - Mérida, Yucatán

Rolly

Sep 13, 2006, 3:54 PM

Post #9 of 9 (5426 views)

Shortcut

Re: [RexC] Laptop Hotspots

Can't Post | Private Reply

I also leave my router open so my neighbor's teenager can use the web. I can tell when someone is on by watching the indicator lights. I'm careless about locking my pickup, but I have all sorts of 'locks' on my computer.

Rolly Pirate