WiFi Hotspots

WiFi HotspotsUSB wireless adapter and PC wireless card Rosetta Stone photos courtesy Consumer Guide ProductsWireless adapters can plug into a computer's PC card slot or USB port.If you want to take advantage of public WiFi hotspots or start a wirelessnetwork in your home, the first thing you'll need to do is make sureyour computer has the right gear. Most new laptops and many new desktop computers come with built-in wireless transmitters. If your laptop doesn't, you can buy a wireless adapter that plugs into the PC card slot or USB port. Desktop computers can use USB adapters, or you can buy an adapter that plugs into the PCI slot inside the computer's case. Many of these adapters can use more than one 802.11 standard.Once you've installed your wireless Rosetta Stone Software adapter and the driversthat allow it to operate, your computer should be able to automaticallydiscover existing networks. This means that when you turn your computeron in a WiFi hotspot, the computer will inform you that the networkexists and ask whether you want to connect to it. If you have an oldercomputer, you may need to use a software program to detect and connectto a wireless network.Being able to connect to the Internet in public hotspots isextremely convenient. Wireless home networks are convenient as well.They allow you to easily connect multiple computers and to move themfrom place to place without disconnecting Rosetta Stone Spanish (Latin) and reconnecting wires. In the next section, we'll look at how to create a wireless network in your home.