A little bit about Wireless Networks and Macs
A Mac will discover all the wireless networks within range and offer
to join the strongest one or let you pick another. What happens next
depends on the network.
An open network will permit the Mac to join without any further
assistance from you. Open networks are often found at public
libraries, coffee shops and similar places. Many open networks are
found in people homes where they are left open more by accident than
design. The problem with open networks is you have no idea who is on
your network or what they might be up to.
A closed network expects a password key and the Mac will ask for it
before connecting. A variation on the closed network is one that will
only permit connections from certain computers whose MAC address of
the wireless interface is known to the network. A final system in one
which is open but does not give out IP addresses meaning that you
would have to know network connection particulars before gaining access.
Some open networks have proxy servers between the user and the
outside world. These will let you connect but then require usernames
and password from a web interface. Hotels seem to use this kind of
connection a great deal.
Hope this helps.
Greg Kearney
On Jan 9, 2007, at 18:38 , Cheryl Homiak wrote:
Hmm, are you sure you have to do all that much in Windows? One of
my helpers for my daughter has a laptop. the first time she brought
it to my house, it seems all it did was ask her for the password
once she selected my wireless system. Once she did that she was in
and she's been using it every time she comes to my house without
having to ask for the password again.
I don't know, but i would think on the Mac the possible connections
would be listed, just as at my apartment I can also see other
wireless systems listed that must belong to my neighbors, and you'd
just be able to type in the password and join the network. but
admitedly I don't know this from experience.
--
Cheryl
"Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also."
