How to Find a Wireless Signal
Wireless networks exist in many public places, such as Internet cafés, airports and hotels, as well as public-accessible places such as college campuses. Connect your wireless-enabled laptop to these networks through hotspots. A hotspot is an area in a public place there the wireless signal is strong enough to be detected. These hotspots can be detected with a hotspot finder, a small device that lets you know there is a signal available before you turn on your laptop. Without a hotspot finder, you can use your laptop's ability to search for a wireless signal to find a hotspot.
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Instructions
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Turn on your laptop and let it boot to the desktop.
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Click "Start," then click on "Control Panel."
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Click on "Connect to a Network."
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Click on "Wireless" in the Show list. Wait a moment for the list to populate.
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Observe the results of the wireless search. Click to connect to a wireless network if a suitable network appears in the list. Inquire at the front desk or the counter of the public establishment to find out the name of their wireless network so you know which network is suitable.
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Bring your laptop to a different location if no available wireless networks are found. In a hotel room, that may mean moving across the room. In an airport, you may have to walk down the concourse a short way.
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Tips & Warnings
In Windows Vista, you can click "Connect To" from the Start menu instead of clicking "Control Panel" to take a shortcut to the "Connect to a Network" screen.
Your computer's anti-virus software and firewall should be up-to-date and enabled before connecting to a wireless hotspot.
Be aware that a nefarious person can set up a hotspot to lure unsuspecting people to connect their laptops to it. Once you are on the network, these hackers gain access to your computer and can copy your user names and password for sites that you visit while logged into their network.
