In an increasingly wireless world, there are lots of places where you can connect your laptop to the internet when you are out and about. These places are called “hotspots,” and if you know where to find them, you may never want to go home again.

How To Find Public Hotspots

The first place to look for hotspots is big public institutions. Libraries are increasingly offering wireless access. And, if you’re a student, chances are that your campus is already wireless-enabled, or will be soon.

Searching Out Private Hotspots

The private sector, though, is the real growth area in wireless hotspots. Businesses are falling over themselves to provide free internet access to their customers. Cafes, hotels and airports are all starting to offer wireless access to anyone nearby. All you need to bring is a wireless ready laptop.

You may wonder how it benefits businesses to offer free wireless internet access. They are willing to pay the minimal cost in exchange for the new customers it brings in, especially in areas where internet access is hard to find. Customers see wireless access as a big added value, and they vote with their feet and wallets for places that provide it.

Tracking Down The Hotspots

Even though there are thousands of hotspots, they don’t advertise this service well. Doing an internet search for hotspots in your town could really surprise you. In a town of any size, it would be surprising if there weren’t lots of hotspots to choose from.

There are plenty of websites you can go to to find hotspots. The most comprehensive, though, is generally thought to be JiWire.com. Or you can type your zip code into Yahoo Maps and choose ‘WiFi Hotspots’ from the menu on the right of the screen.

Can’t be bothered with all this? Then just look for a Starbucks. They are everywhere, and almost all of them offer wireless internet access. Borders and Kinko’s are also good places to try. Failing that, just ask at a place of your choice.

Not All Hotspots Are Free

Some of the larger hotspot networks require a small fee to a wireless Internet Service Provider to use them. You usually buy a prepaid card where the access is offered — it’s easy and affordable. If you want to save your money, just stick to the smaller, independent places.

Get Your Own Free Hotspot Software

If you like visiting hotspots, you might be interested in an easier way to find them. Just download and install hotspot locator software on your computer. This software has a database of known hotspots that you can search at any time, whether you’re online or offline. Just type in a zip code or the name of the town, and the software will give you a list of the nearest hotspots, sorted by distance from you. Each time you make an Internet connection, the software downloads the latest hotspot list, to keep your database current. How cool is that?

This hotspot locator software is available free from hotspot provider sites. T-Mobile Hotspot, for example, at: http://www.tmobile.com/hotspot

The Nokia MP3 Cell Phone is a great little mobile portable device that fits right into the palm of your hands. It is very affordable and will do all the things that you are wanting it to do. It plays MP3 music so you can put your favorite MP3 songs on it. This cellphone is blue tooth enabled so you know that you have the best technology built in, for when you are surfing the internet or sending and recieving email back and forth to friends or family or just do some very important business. The built in digital camera is a 2 Mexga Pixel, but it takes some great shots and also shots video and has a built in flash.

The Nokia MP3 Cell Phone has slot for secure digital memory upgrades. You can also download video games onto this mp3 cell phone to play. It has a memory phone book to keep all those important people on a list for easy access. It also has 4 playS, AAC files and 4 mp3 player. It has ring tones built in to choose from or you acn download a favorite one that you want to hear everytime the phone rings. The battery is a standard li-ion with standby of up to 290 hours and talk time of up to 3 hours.

The Nokia MP3 Cell Phones come in a few different makes and models.

Here are some of them :

The new Nokia n60 empowers you to go for your presonal and professional goals.

The Nokia Mobile phone : general network UMITS GSM 900/ GMS1800/ GMS1900 with these are three other great models to ,they are the Nokia 71, Nokia9100i, Nokia 66680.

The Nokia 8800 , it has all the features you will want. It has also just recently come out with a brand new cell phone.

The Nokia N90 phone is one you will like just as well. This one has a flip up top.

The Nokia N -Page phone , this one is really cool looking and very affordale.

The Nokia 6230 phone .

The Nokia N80′S WI0FI’s phone.

The Nokia 9500 phone has the look of a small lap top.

To get all the lastest and current information on the Nokia MP3 Cell phone you should visit there website so you can compare phones and the features that you want and price too.

Brian Lupichuk, invites you to World of mp3 players an information web site focused on Mp3 Players, MP3 reviews, car mp3 players, brand name mp3 players, cell phone mp3 players, mp3 cell phone players with digital camera, podcasting, accessories, free downloads, and other valuable information about mp3 players. Find out why more and more people are replacing their cd player with a MP3 player or MP3 Cell phone. Before you go to by your new MP3 Player or MP3 Cell phone consult Worldof MP3 Players

to help you find the right mp3 player or mp3 cell phone that fits your lifestyle and budget so you can enjoy it to the MAX!

For that new MP3 Player or MP3 Cell phone player you have just purchased you are going to want to put all your favorite MP3 tunes on it. I can help get your FREE MP3 DOWNOLADS

The quest for convenience is a two edged sword. In our quest for speed, efficiency and walking as little as possible, we strive to make life as simple as possible. It was not so log ago that business was done face to face; meetings and paper letters were how we communicated. When we shopped we walked or drove to a store, loaded a trolley or basket and checked out.

Now, we can sit in the comfort of our own home and have face to face meetings through video conferencing, send a letter in less than a second and most importantly, shift our hard earned cash from one bank to another.

But there is a price some pay and it goes beyond the fees and any appropriate software. The more convenient we make life, the more potential avenues for theft and fraud we create.

Internet security is of paramount importance. When you live in a city, you lock your house door, lock the car, engage the alarm and leave lights on when you go out.

We speak of a ‘global village’, but I think this gives a false impression. Life on the internet is not a village – it’s a global city – and city mentality is needed.

So how can you lock up and alarm your virtual doors?

ANITVIRUS

For some reason, there are some people out there who get kicks out of writing little programs that cause computers problems. These range from annoying little bugs to complete computer breakdown. It can either be irritating or catastrophic leading to a loss of all data.

The solution – anti-virus (a virus killer). There are many programs that can spot a virus when it comes via a website or email – and kill it outright – is like cyber-bleach. These programs stay in the background, get updated with the latest threats and jump into action when needed.

SPYWARE

Although spy ware doesn’t usually cause computer meltdown, it can actually be more damaging. Spy ware are other little programs that run in the background of your computer – the monitor you online activity and report back to the sender. The threat? If you’re banking online or dealing with sensitive data, it could be under threat.

Like anti-virus software – there is a host of good spy ware checkers and removers.

It pays to get protected before you need it – there is no use locking the stable door after the horse has bolted. You can see the cyber locksmith at http://online-security-solutions.com.

© 2006 Copyright Steve Holloway. You may republish this article as long as it remains unchanged and the resource box is included.

Using the Physical World as a Game Board: This is not a Kinky game! SMS stands for Short Message Service.

Just like our last article, this can be fun for teens and adults. You just have to do it on a different scale.

Pick a location approximately 4 square city blocks of a favorite area where your teen group or friends like to be. Spend an afternoon picking locations from that area and creating hints that can be text paged easily. Pick at least ten locations if not more and three to five hints for each location. Put the hints in order of hardest to figure out to the simplest, which will almost tell them where it is.

You can mix the Location Hunt game with a Scavenger Hunt! Once they find the correct location they now have to find something else at that location. Either physically getting something to bring back, taking a digital photo or taking a video to bring back as proof. And this can make for a fun experience at the end of the game when everyone involved shows back up at the starting point. The best way to play it is only send one hint at a time, this way they don’t know the next location or what they are supposed to do when they get there. You can give a list out at the beginning of the game, but there is a little more mystery if they have no way to plan ahead.

If you have 15 or more people, set them up in groups. Only one page to one of the phones in each group. Send the groups in different directions, i.e.: One group might start with hint number 10, another group starts at hint 7, and so on. If everyone starts at 1 and goes straight through, they will end up following each other. This only keeps it fair. And if you have one location that’s hard to find, and you give the first group that looks for it the easiest hint, when the next group is trying to find that location, you must give them the easiest from the beginning. That’s really the only way to keep it fair.

You need to come up with a small prize for the first group to make it to the final location. For teens, you might come up with movie tickets for that night. For the adults, hmmm, a free round at the final location would be nice! Just about anything will do, it will give them something to fight for.

Depending on the age and ability of the individuals, they may begin to getting tired, if so you can always skip to the last location where the prize might be or just end the game when they find the next location. You might want to be ready with as many locations as you can think of. You can always use them on the next hunt.

Email me with any new or better ideas on “Creating your own breaks”. Thank you.

This document is under Copyright through Infinite Data. You have permission to copy this document in its’ entirety and make duplicates. You may not change, add, or edit anything within the document. Thank you for your help.

Robert Lett
http://www.robertlett.com

Let me ask you a question: How much is your computer worth when you or your employees are sitting in front of it? Now, how much is that same computer worth when you or your employees aren’t sitting in front of it?

When you’re out of the office and that potiential client calls, do you have to tell them that you will get in touch with them when you return to the office? Is that potiential client calling your competition in the mean time to see if they get a better response? What if you could have all your important files with you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week? Hanging on your belt or sitting in your purse, and it wouldn’t weigh too much more than the cell phone you are currently carrying.

Order now at the discounted price for reading this article at http://www.robertlett.com/order.htm

For a free copy of our ebook, email a blank email to: mailto:ebook@robertlett.com
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Recent companies have been advertising wifi hotspot locations that are ‘turnkey’ (they can run themselves), and only cost between $13,000 and $20,000 to start. Is that good?

First of all, if it’s so turnkey then why aren’t they just popping off wifi hotspot locations left and right for themselves, is it their newfound generosity that has them ’sharing’ the opportunities they have available. I’m not knocking the possibility of some companies to provide a business model, like in the restaurant business where they allow you to own a branded franchise for an initial investment in order to spread out locations in a more easier return on investment. However, wifi locations normally have an additional service or product that acts as an anchor for customers to come in and use the benefit of wi-fi to connect to the Internet thru broadband high speed access. Starbucks and Hilton Hotels are prime examples of a business model that has customers coming in for a service or product and then using wifi access as a secondary product/service.

Secondly, the potential for wifi hotspots cannot be limited to a cookie-cutter system that will fit everyone, after all if that were the case the other auto makers wouldn’t be in business and we would still be driving ‘Model T’ Fords. Not to mention the fact that if you open a business with only wifi access as the only product/service available and then the community, town or city where your business is located decides to wirelessly enable the public transportation system like in the southern California city of Cerritos; guess what – your business just got knocked the flip out.

African American small business people have resources, and some may believe those resources are unlimited. But if you shell out $20,000 for a new business and after 6 months get locked out of your client base by a larger business or business model, you have lost more than your investment. A wifi business is not something that can be advanced as able to stand on it’s own in the present day. In the example above the city of Cerritos is delivering wifi along with it’s transportation system, which should probably increase ridership as people will opt to ride and check their email or just finish up a project as they go to work or to shop.

Look carefully at starting to use wifi in your business, research and see if there is a potential for competition to knock you client base out of the ballpark. Even then, when is your competition going to implement their wifi access and see if you have time to enhance your wifi service with coupons or other attractive services that may not be available to your competition. Wifi access will become a very powerful business asset in the coming year and more so in the future. Now is the time to get your feet wet, just check out your options in order not to get drowned out of business.

We can help give you your freedom back…and a whole lot more. M.D.T.G.

Daviyd Peterson: 10-year consultant, instructor, trainer
Helps african american SMBs bridge the digital
divide by becoming wireless Small Office Digital Offices (SODO). Free article
on Home Wireless Internet Security and other related articles
http://www.mogendaviydtechgroup.com/firewallsmb.htm
See a video where big time firewalls duke it out!

Wireless networking is simple in theory: just install a wireless network adapter in each computer and forget about drilling holes and running cable. When you deal with equipment based on the 802.11b (or Wi-Fi) standard, unfortunately, the reality often falls short of claimed specifications. Your wireless network will have a limited range – you’ve probably experienced a decrease in speed at a certain distance from an access point. That’s why you must adjust the location and configuration of your wireless setup to obtain the best possible performance, range, and reliability. Follow expert advice and your connection will be faster across longer distances–and you’ll have fewer dropped connections.

Pick the best location: The farther your wireless networked computer is from a wireless access point–and the greater the number of solid objects that stand in the way–the slower your connection will be. To optimize your network’s speed and range, position your wireless access point at least a few feet above the floor and away from metal objects, particularly large appliances like refrigerators. Though most manuals for networking products tell you to position the access point in the middle of the coverage area, it’s often better to identify the locations where you expect to use a computer and put the access point where it will be in a direct line of sight (or close to it) to as many of those places as possible.

Don’t waste time worrying about “dead spots” if no one is likely to use a computer there. Once your wireless network is up and running, even slight changes in your wireless network card’s position (say, a shift in the orientation of your laptop as you recline on the couch) may dramatically improve throughput or even restore a dropped connection.

For larger areas–or areas with many obstructions–your only option may be to shell out the cash for multiple access points. If you go this route, you’ll find that wireless setup is easy: Simply make sure that the access points have identical settings. Virtually all wireless network adapters support “roaming”: In areas where access point coverage overlaps, the adapter will latch on to the strongest signal.

Zero to 5000 feet in 3 steps! With any type of flight, you must log your times and locations for upgrades to your license. With all the flight log programs, you’ll have to look at each one and see which you might like to use. One of the one I use is real basic but it allows you to connect to your existing Palm Address Book to log your flying buddies. The really nice feature of these programs is that it allows you to see all the flights you’ve taken from a particular location, or all flights you have had in the last year where you broke 10,000 feet. It also allows you to analysis where you might seem to be having your best flights from. (This way, if you’re feeling down, just go back to the place where you keep having your best flights, and you are almost guarantied to have a great day)! Most of these programs are for private pilot and beyond flight logging. But they work really well for Hang Gliding, Paragliding, or any other type of sport flying. The last time I was PIC (Pilot In Command) of a motorized aircraft was a C172 in 1987, this was the year I found Hang Gliding, and I’ve never looked back!

Timing of each flight is important. The clock programs usually have a stopwatch feature, they will either allow for counting up or down depending on what you want. Some of the flight log programs also have this feature. With the flight log programs, when you stop the clock, it automatically adds it to the flight log. You can always edit it later if you let the time run too long.

Another nice thing about using the clock programs is that you should be able to time more than one thing at a time. Most clock programs will allow you to name your timers. This will allow you to time yourself along with 3 or 4 of your flying buddies. You can even set all the timers to start simultaneously. So after you’ve named them, just one click and they all start. The only problem with this is you almost have to land first to be able to stop the timers for your buddies. I’ve dropped my Smartphone quiet a few times, but that’s only from about 4 to 5 feet at most, and so far, it’s survived each drop. I don’t think any Smartphone out there was meant to survive a 7000-foot drop. (I haven’t tried this yet)! I don’t suggest you try it either. I have a funny, non-fuzzy feeling it won’t make it.

The ParaPhone: I have tried to design a small parachute for my Smartphone. But I haven’t yet had the guts to actually give it a try. I guess I’m just chicken! I would also need a beacon of some kind to locate the phone in the middle of the woods, or where ever it lands after leaving the comfort of my Hang Glider harness. More on this later – watch www.robertlett.com for updates.

Most of the pilots use Amatuer radio’s to communicate with one another. I’m just waiting on the day where my Smartphone will incorporate at least the 2 meter and 7cm Amatuer bands. And a 1KHz to 1GHz scanner would also be nice! I’m still waiting.

The flight logs will also hold any notes you would like to make about another pilot. With mine, I keep radio information on each pilot I fly with. Some use HAM radio and others use Hang Gliding specific radios which are in the 151MHz band. This way I know which radio to carry with me so I can be on the same frequency.

Some of the more advanced flight decks with incorporated GPS will give the entire flight history of the last 10 flights. This data is easiely sent to your computer for future use. With programs such as DocsToGo or MiniCalc/Chart you can view all your past flights from a particular site graphically. The software outputs a comma delimited file that can be imported to a spreedsheet program. As long as the spreedsheet program has charting capabilities, you can view the graphs created from previous flights. Which is nice to get a graph chart on your average flight times, site altitude, flight track, and distance. Now when you are traveling, you just pull up the next location, and your flight trends are right there in the palm of your hand along with all the people you met at that location. And all the contact information you might need.

These GPS flightdeck units will usually have the following display capable:

Wind speed
Wind direction
Time of day
Flight time
Speed over ground
Diff. speed between TAS and groundspeed
Altitude over destination
Distance to destination
Bearing
Track
Direction to best climb in vicinity
Ambient temperature
Altimeter 2 (relative)
Altimeter 3 (cumulated altitude)
Barometric pressure (HPa/in Hg)
Glide ratio (through air, over ground, to waypoint)
You can check them out at: www.flytec.com

I’ve gone to a few new spots that I was planning to skip. And had to go online and search for contacts to call for site permissions. I would just do this while sitting next the fire at the camp site the night before showing up. Then, when I was getting close to the new site, just give them a call and pickup all the information I need. By the time I arrived at the site, everyone was ready for me. I knew what frequencies they used. What their procedures were and where to sign in. And of course, sign a waiver if need be. (People always worry about you crashing or something)!? Usually, before hitting the sack and the camp ground the night before, I email ahead to my contact list at the original site, just to let them know I might be a few days behind. (Something about this sport makes people paranoid when you don’t call when plans change. I have no idea why! I’ve been chewed-out by someone I didn’t even know, for not checking in with them).

This document is under Copyright through Infinite Data. You have permission to copy this document in its’ entirety and make duplicates. You may not change, add, or edit anything within the document. Thank you for your help.

As more people acquire laptops and begin making use of public Wi-Fi hotspots, hackers are able to easily exploit vast security vulnerabilities inherent in most public hotspot deployments. What follows are four specific security vulnerabilities along with our “best practice” recommendations to overcome them.

Security Threat #1: The Evil Twin

An “evil twin” can be a laptop in a hacker’s backpack set-up to trick users into logging onto the Internet via their “rogue” connection by mimicking the legitimate hotspot’s network name and login page (where applicable). Once logged on, the hacker can create fake login prompts for popular email and banking applications thereby stealing the user’s most valued login credentials.

What can be done to guard against such attacks? Look for connections that offer an SSL-encrypted login page (evidenced by https versus http in the address bar and a lock in the lower right hand corner of your web browser) that has been verified as authentic by public authorities such as Thawte or Versign. 82nd Street Wireless offers such a secure connection.

Security Threat #2: Unencrypted Wireless Data

Most public Wi-Fi hotspots disable wireless data encryption standards such as WEP and WPA as one user’s “secret key” can be used by a hacker to decrypt the entire network’s traffic thus making such keys both ineffective and unnecessarily complex for public deployments. What this means is that a hacker can view your data (email and web pages) as they travel through the air between your laptop and the wireless router using command line utilities found in certain operating systems.

The solution is to use a VPN (Virtual Private Network) which creates a secure encrypted connection between your laptop and the VPN server. You can find such solutions at 82nd Street Wireless.

Security Threat #3: Inappropriate Configuration of Wireless Network Settings

Wireless local area networks were designed so that computers sharing the network could easily access and share data amongst themselves. As such, in many public hotspot deployments, a hacker can obtain direct access to your computer unless you configure your wireless network settings as follows: turn your firewall on, disable file sharing and turn ad-hoc mode off. Those setting can be found in Windows XP via Start > Settings > Network Connections > Wireless Network Connection.

82nd Street Wireless automatically disables others from accessing your device via what is referred to as “client isolation”.

Security Threat #4: Operating System Vulnerabilities

As hackers are well know for exploiting operating system vulnerabilities, you’ll want to stay on top of both operating system updates and anti-virus updates which fortunately can be automated through the “automatic update” feature offered by the major brands in both product categories.

By employing the afore-mentioned security tips, your data will stay out of the unscrupulous hands of hackers while you continue to enjoy the benefits of public wireless Internet at your favorite Wi-Fi hotspot location.

About the author: Wade McMunn is President of Wireless Internet Provider – 82nd Street Wireless @ http://www.wirelessinternetprovider.net

The Internet, as most people know it, is history.

It just seems like yesterday the Internet was just one
big mass of wires and cables; a glorified file sharing
warehouse with more than a few too many lines sticking out.
One enormous LAN party that just got out of hand, causing a ruckus
and spilling out down the block and around the world; creating too
many millionaires for no good reason and causing too many sleepless
nights surfing the neon pink.

The Internet quietly crept into every facet of our lives…
no subject or topic was left unexplored in this binary medium.
Suddenly, there it was, the authority on everything. Our lives
encyclopedia-ed to death by bits and bites.

But the Internet has always been perceived as a connected medium;
tied together by cables, servers and networks. Until now that is,
because now everything has changed. And it’s about time, the Internet
has been tied to the ground for far too long, it’s time for
liberation. Independence Day. Bring it on!

The Internet is going Wireless — for real this time.

There were a few false starts; you can Bluetooth yourself silly,
but you won’t get much further than 30 feet or so. The BlackBerry
is great but a little limiting. And Wi-Fi services have been around
for a long while but those were not really convenient, if you have to
find something; it’s not convenient. Finding a ‘hot spot’ is the
space age equivalent of finding a ‘needle in a haystack’; takes
way too much time.

What changes things, what has finally given the Internet its
liberation?

Verizon Wireless 3G EV-DO (evolution-data optimized) and other
companies offering similar services around the world. This new
technology will change how we view and use the world wide web.
Verizon Wireless began commercial operations in Oct. of 2003 and
is now expanding to over 125 million US consumers by the end
of 2005.

With download speeds of 400 to 700 kbps and bursts up to 2 Mbps,
3G has really given us wireless Internet this time. It has or will
turn the Internet into a truly wireless system that’s devoid of any
cables or lines and really make it omnipotent. It will be everywhere.
No space within our biosphere will be without the Internet very soon.

For now Verizon Wireless or 3G is mainly located in the USA but
this will quickly change as other 3G companies and systems start up
to fulfill the demand. Wi-Fi may play a role too but will it go the
way of the ‘Beta’?

However, this wireless universe could not be possible without one other key
element. The one element that also helped give the Internet its wings.
The answer might or might not surprise you. What really gave the Internet
its groove? Can you guess? Give up?

Finally, we come to the last element of this brand new liberated
Internet — the little notebook computer. Don’t underestimate the
power of this great little revolutionary device, it is doing for
the Internet what the cell phone did for the phone industry — making
it wireless, portable, and accessible anywhere.

It could even be argued that it was the little notebook computer
that gave the Internet its freedom. Finally cutting the cable and
freeing the web, once and for all.

Once we had a portable computer that we could tuck under our
arm and take anywhere; we naturally wanted to take the Internet
along with it. After all, a computer without the Internet is like
having Mickey Mouse without Disneyland — a real downer — any kid
can tell you that!

Once the notebook or laptop computer gained in popularity, the demand
for a wireless Internet grew right along with it. The portability
factor being a strong selling point for both the notebook and the
Internet.

Likewise, in order to take full advantage of each of them; for
business operations, for personal communications, for emailing, for
web surfing… a wireless portable Internet was the obvious
next step. They compliment each other perfectly and one is not
completely whole without the other.

Technology has created this unholy trinity (the Internet, wireless
connections and the notebook computer) to fulfill our need for a portable
communication system that we can take and access anywhere. Until now,
the Internet was limited, tied to cables and wires…it never really
got off the ground!

But watch out; the cables are cut, the training wheels are off, the
bells are starting to ring real fast and this child has found its groove.

Every time a notebook opens, the Internet gets its wings!

————–
Copyright © 2005 Titus Hoskins of BWMagic’s Marketing Tools & Resources
This author’s articles have appeared on such sites as ‘Thetechzone.com’,
‘Promotionworld.com’ and ‘Addme.com’. Visit Notebook Reviews and Guide
to find out more about notebook computers. This article may be
freely distributed if this resource box stays attached.
————–

Hurricane Wilma Put Me Out Of Business For A While
———————————————–
WinXP Routing – My consulting services business is heavily
dependent on Internet access. Without it, I am pretty much
dead in the water. Since I cannot afford an enterprise
satellite backup link, I came up with a more economical way
of keeping my network online in the event of a critical
infrastructure failure. We experienced such a failure on
October 24th, 2005 courtesy of Category 3 Hurricane Wilma.

Verizon, and other carriers, offer wireless (digital /
analog) access pretty much anywhere in the US. Download
rates for this type of “mobile” Internet access can burst up
to 2Mb/sec but typically float around 768Kbps. This is still
a respectable speed if you find yourself without a working
wired Internet connection.

It’s one thing to have a laptop with wireless Internet
access anywhere, anytime, but quite another to have that
same access for your entire home / small business. However,
it can be done, and this is exactly how I stayed connected
during Hurricane Wilma.

How To Configure A Laptop As A Wireless Internet Access
Point
———————————————–
Note: I am making the assumption that you already have a
basic understanding of IP routing as well as how to use the
Windows registry editor. You will also need to install and
configure a proxy package, such as winproxy (I actually used
an older version that performs Network Address Translation
using the VZAccess Valid Internet IP assigned by Verizon as
the hiding address). This allows the computers on your
internal network to access the Internet. Optionally, you
could install Windows 2000 Prof / Server which can perform
Internet connection sharing.

I have a relatively new HP/Compaq laptop running Windows XP
SP2. I ordered the VZAccess card (aprox $149) and the
monthly services (aprox $59.99) from Verizon . The VZAccess
card installs in the PCMCIA slot and the laptop already has
an integrated 10/100/1000 Ethernet controller. This
effectively gives me two Ethernet cards. All routing
devices, in this case my laptop, must have at least two
Ethernet cards to route between networks, in this case, my
home office network and the Internet.

The internal network card, the real Ethernet port integrated
into my laptop, was assigned an address such as
192.168.0.254/24 (to be my default gateway for all my
internal computers) and the VZAccess card is dynamically
assigned an IP address from the carrier.

The real trick is what needs to be done to make WinXP Prof
act as a router. In order to do this, you must make a
registry change. For those of you with little experience in
making registry changes, I must tell you that if you make a
serious mistake, you run the chance of really messing your
system up. There are Proxy packages that can take care of
this for you, and do not require this routing change.

Configuring Windows XP Professional To Route IP
—————————–
In order to make Windows XP Prof performing IP routing
between network segments, you need to perform some changes
to the Windows Registry.

At the Start -> Run command, type regedit and press enter.
“HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESYSTEMCurrentControlSetServicesTcpip
Then navigate to the following Parameters”. Selected the
“IPEnableRouter” entry, which by default will have the value
0, and change it to 1. Close the registry editor, and reboot
your system.

When the system reboots, it will be able to route traffic
between your internal network and the Internet (Your
Wireless card). Of course, you need to adjust your DNS
information to point to an appropriate Domain Name Server on
the Internet. All of your internal workstations / systems
must point to the internal network card / IP on the laptop
as the default gateway.

Conclusion
—————————–
This seems like a pretty easy setup, and it can be if you
have a good understanding of routing and network address
translation. The goal of this article was to demonstrate
that you can configure a pretty inexpensive solution that
can keep you connected in the event of a communications /
power failure. Of course, there are other things to
consider, for instance, we were without power for 7 days,
however, we had a gas generator that kept us going. The
bottom line is, where there is a will, there is a way. And
the way for me was the Poor Mans Wireless Internet!

You may reprint or publish this article free of charge as
long as the bylines are included.

Original URL (The Web version of the article)
————
http://www.defendingthenet.com/newsletters/WinXPRouting-Sta
yingOnlineDuringHurricaneWilma.htm

About The Author
—————-
Darren Miller is an Information Security Consultant with
over sixteen years experience. He has written many
technology & security articles, some of which have been
published in nationally circulated magazines & periodicals.
If you would like to contact Darren you can e-mail him at
Darren.Miller@ParaLogic.Net. If you would like to know
more about computer security please
visit us at http://www.defendingthenet.com.