WiFi Seeker, Finder, Detector Roundup 168
captainJam points to this review at handtops.com of five reasonably priced hardware WiFi finders. A snippet: "If you're not using a WiFi enabled PDA, you either have to turn on your handtop or laptop, or wake it from standby just to check if there's a network in the area. While a WiFi Finder / Seeker won't make a connection out of thin air, it will conveniently tell you whether there is a WiFi network in the area."
Home Depot selling these? (Score:4, Informative)
Re:Application? (Score:4, Informative)
Accessing a network you don't have permission to access is illegal (and, frankly, immoral). I never once did that, even though I very well could have.
I have the SmartID WiFi Detector. (Score:3, Informative)
While it wasn't the #1 in the comparison, i'd recommend it to anyone.
encrypted? (Score:5, Informative)
At about 2X the cost of the cheapest one (50 vs. 25 bucks), it's easily worth the expense.
I dunno about you, but the amount of time it would take me to get my laptop out of my bag, fire it up, and try to connect isn't minor.
The ability to show if I'm wasting my time or not is worth the extra 25 bucks.
Re:Application? (Score:5, Informative)
2. "I wonder if someone else has a WiFi connection in my appartment block that is causing problems with my laptop connection to my home network" (do they interfere? Or can you just choose which to connect to?)
3. "Does this library have WiFi?" (Yeah, I know. Ask at the desk. But what kind of self-respecting geek asks, when he/she can find out for him/herself?)
Laugh. It's funny.
RTFA (Score:2, Informative)
Nice karma whoring.
Re:time (Score:3, Informative)
Hm.. (Score:5, Informative)
The problem is, that a lot of networks -seem- open, but require a login once you are connected, and around here, you are never far from a signal, so I just never found it worthwhile to plunk down the $30 or so they ask for them.
The only one of them that I find interesting is the Canary one, which actualy has an LCD that shows you the SSID of the network. But I am not sure it's worth the $50 to me, but it's a much better value then any of the "if the light blinks, you got WiFi" ones.
Re:time (Score:4, Informative)
No, these don't tell you if you can connect, but it at least brings us one step closer to wether there is a network at all.
Re:time (Score:3, Informative)
Re:What about the signal strength (Score:1, Informative)
mod this up
Re:Laziness (Score:1, Informative)
Re:Expensive but excellent solution. (Score:3, Informative)
Well, first off I'm in Canada, so the carrier is probably going to differ from your available choices (as I'm assuming based on your selection of Sprint that you're in the US).
Secondly, I'm currently lookig at the Sony Ericsson T610. From my limited research thus far it appears to be less expensive than a lot of other Bluetooth-enabled phones, and will sync via iSync with my PowerBook.
I would prefer to be able to get a phone without a built-in camera, but most of the current crop of Bluetooth-enabled phones have one.
However, being a primarily data guy, I'm fairly new to the world of cell phones. I've never owned one, and really don't want people calling me wherever I might be. I'm just not tied to the telephone like some many other people in this day and age. So what I'll probably end up doing is going to a cellular retailler and grilling them to try to find the best phone and plan to fit my needs.
With all that said, based on my own research I'm thinking of going with Fido here in Canada, as they have a $50 unlimited data plan, whereas all the other providers have data plans that are more expensive. One of my concerns is to not pay an arm and a leg each month, but I also need to be able to do more than just check my e-mail (in fact, my primary need as a developer will be CVS access. As evil as it is, I can see myself starting to use -z9 :) ).
Yaz.
Comment removed (Score:5, Informative)
Don't buy the original Kensington finder! (Score:5, Informative)
I've got one myself, bought it about a year ago in a typical airport impulse purchase
I've also seen situations where I was able to get a WiFi connection on my laptop and the finder showed none, and the other way around (probably because it detected a bluetooth signal). I can't recommend it at all!
Just my 2 cents
Re:time (Score:5, Informative)
Oh yes. I just keep the laptop running while inside its nice leather carrying case. I use Kismet [kismetwireless.net] and it will tell me the SSID, MAC address, and GPS coordinates so I can find it again later.
Time Locating WiFi? (Score:3, Informative)