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Mobile access
Wireless Connections Made Easy
These free sites will help you master Wi-Fi and locate hotspots in your community.
REVIEWED BY KELLY QUIGLEY
Wi-Fi Roundup:
Between home showings, listing presentations, and the other appointments that fill your day, it’s not easy to stop back at the office to check e-mail and browse the MLS. That’s one reason that Wi-Fi (short for Wireless Fidelity) has become such a popular choice for Web access among mobile professionals. Using wireless Internet access, you can send and receive data from your laptop or handheld device anywhere within the range of a base station. Base stations, commonly called “hotspots,” may be a coffee shop, library, or hotel. Wireless networks also can be set up in the home or office, allowing you to work without being plugged in. Whether you’re already a wireless user or a novice, these three sites will help you master the technology and quickly locate hotspots in the areas where you work.
- Wi-Fi Alliance. An abundance of Wi-Fi knowledge awaits you at this site, run by a nonprofit association made up of wireless companies and others in the industry. Keep in mind that the site’s goal is to promote the use of wireless Internet, not to be objective. Nonetheless, there are valuable tips here. Start off in the Wi-Fi Overview section to learn how wireless Internet works. Then get tips on How to Connect on the Road and learn about Creating a Wireless Network of your own. But don’t forget about Wi-Fi Security, a topic that this site addresses thoroughly. Finally, use the alliance’s Wi-Fi Zone Finder to locate a hotspot in your neighborhood.
- Wi-Fi Planet. News, product reviews, and how-to guides are the specialty of Wi-Fi Planet. In the Tutorials section, you’ll find helpful articles, such as Wireless Tips for Road Warriors. The Glossary will educate you on 40 common wireless terms and abbreviations so that you can talk intelligently about this technology. For those interested in wireless broadband, a new offering that allows faster remote Internet connectivity, the WiMax section provides an array of articles on providers of this new service. Wi-Fi Planet also offers Wi-FiHotSpotList.com, which pinpoints all hotspots within a mile of your location.
- The Wi-Fi-FreeSpot Directory. While the first two Web sites mentioned above provide hotspot finders that locate all Wi-Fi hotspots in your area, this site tracks down only the free hotspots. If you don’t want to pay to go online from the field, browse this site to see if any locations in your area provide wireless Internet access for free. If you’re a world traveler, you’ll be happy to see listings for other countries, too.
Learn More:
Wireless Access: Troubleshoot Set-Up Glitches
Setting up wireless Internet access in your home or office can be tricky. This step-by-step guide will help you troubleshoot if you’re having trouble getting a connection (REALTOR® Magazine, March 2005).
Tech Watch: A World Beyond W-Fi
Find out if you’re ready to make the switch from Wi-Fi to wireless broadband service. (REALTOR® Magazine Online, October 2005)
Recommend a Web Site for Review
Editors at REALTOR® Magazine Online surf the Web to find useful sites that can help you achieve greater success in your business and career. If you would like to recommend a Web site offering free, practical tools and resources to real estate professionals, please send your suggestion to mediatech@realtors.org.
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The NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® and REALTOR® Magazine Online are not responsible for any Web site, its content, products and services, or its provider. Nothing in the Web Reviews shall constitute NAR's or REALTOR® Magazine Online's endorsement of the Web sites or their content. NAR and REALTOR® Magazine Online believe the information contained in the Web Reviews were correct and accurate as of the time they were prepared, but do not warrant or guarantee the accuracy or completeness of that information and are not responsible for changes in the Web sites after the review. Members should conduct their own independent review of the Web sites prior to any use of the Web sites, their content, products, or services to determine their suitability for the members’ intended purposes.
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