My shiny new used toy

[Jerrek]

I got a shiny new used laptop today. Check this out:

Toshiba Satellite 1800

Pentium III 1.0 GHz
256 MB RAM
20 GB Hard Drive
12X DVD Drive

2 USB ports
Video out
56k modem
10/100 NIC

Price: US$500

I got it from eBay. The only problem is that it has a crack in the plastic around the screen. Nothing major.

I also got it a Linksys Wireless-G Network card. It can now connect to wireless networks at up to 54 Mbps. That is the neat part. I had my wireless access point (router really, it connects to the cable modem and my roommates plug into it [it is also a 4-port switch]) setup already. As soon as the device was installed, Windows came up with the yellow balloon "One or more wireless networks are available." Enter your password and off you go.

So here I am, sitting on the toilet browsing the net and posting this message. What is even weirder is that I'm downloading Windows XP Service Pack 1 and that I can carry my laptop around and continue downloading... It is just different.

Tomorrow I'm going to take it to school to see how well it connects with the wireless networks there. I can literally sit in class and take notes on my laptop, or um, browse other "educational websites."

No gaming on this laptop though. I don't even know what video card it has, but it shares 16 MB of memory with the system. Graphics are rather slow. For my purpose, which is documents, email, and web surfing in a wireless environment it is just fine though.



I'm also anxious to drive around in the neighborhood and into town to see what wireless networks are um, not secure. Any laws regarding that? Anyone have any experience?

[handyman]

Well done Jerrek,

Once you have had wireless broadband you dont go back. I quite often take mine round the house, in the garden etc.

So nice to be able to lay on the sofa with the laptop downloading and surfing. What I do like to do is play mp3 from my mates computer so I dont even have to bother downloading them.

[nighthawk]

Originally posted by Jerrek
I'm also anxious to drive around in the neighborhood and into town to see what wireless networks are um, not secure. Any laws regarding that? Anyone have any experience? [/B]

I have done this purley by accident, i was sitting in the back garden with my laptop & i found 8 wirless networks. 6 of which were not password protected. I dont think the security flaws of a badly set up (or not properly set up) wirless network has ever been properly publisised.

[Richard M]

Ahh...good old wardriving eh?
A couple of sites for you:
http://www.wardriving.com/
http://www.wardrivingisnotacrime.com/

[Caspar]

I did this in Manchester City the other day with my PDA (ipaq 5550) ...needed to email a friend to sort something whilst walking through Boots! :p

This world is going crazy!... (I'm glad I registered 'bodyareanetwork.co.uk now! )

[Shaun]

Originally Posted by Caspar

I did this in Manchester City the other day with my PDA (ipaq 5550) ...needed to email a friend to sort something whilst walking through Boots! :p

This world is going crazy!... (I'm glad I registered 'bodyareanetwork.co.uk now! )

What software did you use Cas? Was it just the windows WLAN software?

Now I've finally got a working Axim I'm going to have a go myself

[Shaun]

Bump