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Built in wireless capabilities are becoming almost standard equipment on most laptop and home computers these days for a couple of reasons. One of the primary reasons is cost. Adding wireless capacity is so inexpensive that it would be silly for the manufacturers not to add it. The perceived value of any machine with wireless capacity far exceeds the cost to add it. Wireless is the wave of the future, so if the manufacturers want to stay ahead of the technology curve they need to add it to all but there most basic models.

If you’re like most people you probably can’t even check how much memory your computer has, let-alone if your computer is wireless enabled. Throw in the fact that you may not even know what wireless networking is and it’s easy to ignore even trying to determine if your computer has that capacity.

However, since you bought your computer you’ve probably heard more and more about “going wireless” because it’s becoming the hip thing to do. If that’s the case with you or I’ve simply peaked your imagination then read a bit more because I’ve outlined a few things you can to do to check if your computer has wireless capabilities.

Laptops - Intel Centrino Mobile Technology

Computer manufacturers do less than a perfect job at explaining what this means but if you if your laptop came with this built in then that’s good news for you! In a nutshell, it means that your laptop has wireless networking built right in and you don’t have to do a thing. Intel Centrino Mobile Technology is a marketing name for a combination of the Intel Pentium M processor and Intel’s’ Pro Wireless card.

If you have Intel Centrino Mobile Technology then your computer should have a “Centrino” sticker on it somewhere. If you can’t find a sticker but you suspect you had one at one time then simply do the following. Right click on your “My Computer” icon. It’s probably on your desktop but if not then go to your Start Menu, find My Computer, right-click and select Properties. When the menu opens look at what it says after or under the word Computer.

On a side note, Intel Centrino Mobile Technology also increases battery life and allows manufacturers to build computers smaller. If you can’t find anything referring to Intel Centrino Mobile Technology under the word Computer — don’t worry because as long as your laptop has a free card slot, installing wireless is a piece of cake.

Desktop Computers

If you’re not sure whether or not your desktop computer has a wireless connection, the easiest thing to do is to simply turn it around and look for a small aerial sticking out of the back towards the bottom. If it’s there then you are wireless enabled. On the other hand, if there’s nothing then it’s still possible that you have a wireless device in the computer, especially if you purchased anytime in 2005 or beyond. However, because it’s not the best idea (unless you’ve done it before) to try and open up your computer to check something I’ll show you a way to check, if your wireless enabled, using Windows.

Using Windows to Check Wireless Capacity

Rather than messing with your computers hardware to verify what you’ve got installed, you can just as easily check using your Windows’ Device Manager. To use it, right click My Computer / Choose Manage / and then click Device Manager.

After you click Device Manager a list of everything you can install will appear on the right half of the screen. Take a look under Network adapters and ignore anything that says 10/100 or Ethernet because they are simply normal network connections — not wireless ones. If there’s anything else there, it could be a wireless device.

If you think you have a wireless device, but it has a yellow warning sign alongside its name in the Device Manager, you should take a look at it to see what’s wrong by double clicking on it. Windows should then tell you why the device is not working at the moment and may even suggest that you go through its troubleshooter program. Do that before you do anything else.

If it turns out to be a driver problem, you should insert the driver CD that came with your computer. If you can’t find the driver CD that came with your computer - don’t worry because you should be able to find and then download the appropriate driver online. The first step would be to go to website of your computers manufacturer and do a search for the name of the wireless device that showed up in your Device Manager. Once you find the correct driver simply download it and follow the instructions.

After all this (actually about 5 minutes) you may discover that you don’t have a wireless enabled computer — oh well, those are the breaks. However, it’s clearly better to find out your computers wireless capacity now — before you go out and buy some wireless equipment and then realize that you didn’t even need it.

This article may be reproduced only in its entirety.

Kevin Erickson is an entrepreneur and writer. To read other articles he’s written visit: Wireless Internet | VoIP Provider | Trade Show Display

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WiFi is a very hot commodity worldwide…for both users & those wanting to cash in on the business potential. Below you’ll find some things to consider if you’re one of those interested in the business potential of WiFi. If you have more to add….please do.

I’ll try to keep this as simple as possible.

Here’s some simple ideas you should consider for becoming a WiFi Hotspot.

* To turn your business into a hotspot, you really only need 2 things:

- Hotspot Kit (which should include hardware, software, and remote monitoring)

- High Speed Internet (whatever is appropriate for your situation….DSL, T1, or DS3 connectivity)

* Before you order your hotspot kit, you need to first determine what type of service you will need:

- Single Access Point OR

- Multiple Access Point

The number of connection points you need is determined by the amount of area that you wish to make available for wireless internet access. For example….larger hotels will require one access point per every 20 rooms (on average) while a coffee shop can adequately service their clientele with just a single access point.

* The last decision you will need to make is whether or not to bill your clients for wireless internet access. Today, more and more enterprises are offering wireless internet access as a value-added service in an effort to attract more visitors to their hotels/shops. In today’s competitive environment, offering complimentary hot zones can be the determining factor when customers weigh your offering against that of your competitors.

However, should you find that billing your customers is what you want to do, find a provider who can help you do that. Your hotspot kit should come with software that will enable you to take credit cards right over your gateway (the page the users ’see’ when they try to access the web using your hotspot). You’ll likely partner with that provider in that revenues would be shared by both you and “them”. Thae provider you choose will make sure the hotspot is running efficiently. This allows you to focus on your key business and to receive a profit-share check each and every month your customers log on to the net in your hotspot.

The above is a simplistic description of what you’ll need to think about before becoming a WiFi hotspot. Do your homework along these lines and you’ll have a decent foundation to make a good business sense decision.

Michael is the owner of FreedomFire Communications….including DS3-Bandwidth.com and Business-VoIP-Solution.com Michael also authors Broadband Nation where you’re always welcome to drop in and catch up on the latest BroadBand news, tips, insights, and ramblings for the masses.

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If you are shopping for wireless security, you might want to look at the various alarms available on the market today.

There are alarms that have the same options you can find in the professional wireless security systems in the $500 to $1,000 bracket. With the use of the remote, the alarm will instantly sound in the whole house, similar to a car alarm. When you use the handheld control pad and set it to maximum, you have one minute to leave the house after you have armed the system and before the alarm sounds off.

This alarm can also be used to monitor children going in and out of the house. When the alarm is set in the “run2″ and it is off, it will sound a pleasant chime upon opening any door or window with a sensor or whenever the motion sensor senses movement. When you set the “run1″mode, there will be no sound of chimes.

Other features of this wireless alarm are the ease in installation and the 95dB piercing siren. It also has a remote control so that there are no security codes to remember and lamps that flash when the alarm is moved.

Aside from being simple to use, the alarm calls up to four phone numbers until one person answers. It then plays a message you recorded using your own voice. It has a listen-in feature that allows the contacted person to listen to your home for any activity or noise.

It also boasts a built-in microphone that records your message. The home and away modes allow you to either secure your home inside and outside or the exteriors only. Since it is not permanently installed, it means you can take the system with you.

The motion sensor has an LED that indicates any sensed movement. Entry and exit charms alert parents or other occupants. This device, priced at $109.99 includes a base console, two door or window sensors, a lamp module, motion detector, keychain remote, and security or home control remote.

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