How to connect to hotspot with my laptop?

Question

I just recently bought a Gateway laptop with Vista and it already has a wireless button on the side that says on & off. So mine is always on, When I check my connections a few will appear and sometimes it will say Wireless networks are available. So when I click that it will sometimes give me a few names and I will try to connect to one and it will ask for a security key or passphrase needless to say I don't have one. So my question is will this happen in any location even if there is a hotspot? Will I need to add something like a wireless card to my laptop to pick up a hotspot or it isn't a requirement and if I go to a friends house who has internet and modem will I be able to use the connection?

Also when I buy a router which I plan on getting since I have a laptop and desktop should I get a wireless card for my laptop would that make it better and if so how do you know which card is for your pc?

Answer 1

Wireless card = wireless adapter.  Your laptop has one already.

You're being asked for a key or passphrase because the owner of the network you're trying to connect to doesn't want anyone using his internet without permission.

Hotspots are often unsecured and you don't need a key.  Or you buy something and they give you the key.  Or you pay to use the hotspot network.

If you go to your friend's house, and he has a wireless network, then he can give you the key to use the connection if he wants to.

You might want a wireless adapter for your desktop, but most people just put the router near the desktop and use an ethernet cable for access.

And, just to cover all the bases, you do have a broadband internet connection at home, right?  Otherwise getting a router is useless.

Answer 2

no what is happening is when your at a hot spot you simply need to ask the counter person for the pass word as far as home router you would be advised to turn on your wep encryption  to keep you home net safe you make up the pass word there and need it to access the net as well as any one you let on your home net

Answer 3

your laptop has one built in...hence y it picks up the wireless networks...the networks you're picking up are probably your neighbors or someone else and the reason they need a password is so that the person who set it up can use it and others can't. If you go to a starbucks or a place that has free wifi (i dont kno if starbucks is free) all you have to do is click on the network and it will conect...so ur laptop is set up to use wifi

Answer 4

1. Arrive at a hotspot, power up your laptop, and check to see whether you're getting a network signal. The signal indicator may be a green light on the wireless card or an icon on the bottom of the screen.

2. Some operating systems will configure your wireless networking card automatically and a login screen will pop up to announce you have wireless access. Access could be free, but either way you will be required to input user information such as an e-mail address, password, and method of payment—make sure the site uses 128-bit encryption. You are ready to start surfing.

3. If your wireless networking card is not configured automatically, Spotnik, a hotspot provider, recommends the following: On the Start menu, click Programs. Choose your wireless card utility, and select the Configuration tab. Set the mode to Infrastructure and the SSID to Spotnik or the name of the hotspot you are frequenting, which you should be able to glean from someone on the premises. Once configured, launch your browser, log in, manage your account, and connect to the Internet.

Thats it.