How to Search WiFi Hotspots
- 1). Check your computer's equipment before proceeding. If you have an internal Wi-Fi card you are in luck, because you will need no additional equipment to search for and join a hot spot. You can verify that you have an internal Wi-Fi card by checking the documentation and manuals that came with your computer.
- 2). If you do not have an internal Wi-Fi card, connect an external Wi-Fi USB dongle to a USB port on your computer. Upon insertion of the USB dongle, your computer should quickly detect the new hardware and provide a status update on its installation status. You may need to restart your computer before proceeding.
- 3). Point your cursor to the wireless icon on your computer's desktop and click on it. You'll find this icon on the right side of the top toolbar on a Mac. On a Windows computer, you'll find the icon on the right side of the bottom toolbar (the system tray).
- 4). Select a wireless network name from the list shown. By clicking on the icon you initiated a search for all Wi-Fi hot spots in the area, and this list presents all hot spots that are within range of your computer. Keep in mind that if you attempt to join a security-encrypted network, you must have the password to join. Attempting to break into or otherwise hack a protected account is not a valid means of attaining a wireless signal, so stick with unsecured public hot spots.
- 5). Wait a moment for the computer to join the network. Your wireless icon will update and show a signal strength when you connect to the Wi-Fi hot spot. You are now free to browse the Internet using this wireless connection.
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