Well ain't you two special?

I've got kids, family and no desire to run a drunken muck around Miami. Just barely out of your teenage years, you probably don't realize how big of a deal it is to vacation without your spouse and children.

 

Actually, No. The WLAN button just turns on and off the wireless adapter. It can be turned on and off on most laptops. This does not gain you access to secure wireless networks, only those that allow an open FREE connection with no authentication. Otherwise, you may be asked for some sort of password, account info, or a combination of the two. Without the appropriate authentication, you are not granted access.
What Tomas is referring to is a combination of bluetooth and cellular communication. His laptop and cell phone can communicate via bluetooth, which allows the laptop to use the phone's cellular signal as broadband. It is very slow and does cost money if you do not already have it activated on your cellular account.
There are ways to get AROUND authentication on wireless networks rather than pay an exhorbitant amount of money for a limited amount of time/bandwidth.

 

UV7... I was at a holiday party a few days ago and was trying to understand what this guy was doing with his phone. He was searching for blue tooth, wifi or something. He told me he could probably get into my computer too? I thought I was safe with my cellular broadband card thing (official name, I don't know). If he is right, I want to know how to keep my computer safe. I also want to know how to get AROUND authentication for wireless with other computers too, lol.

I should Google and see if I can't figure out how to make myself safe before Miami. Get me some computer condoms or something, lol.

 

UV7, actually, my laptop is smarter than my phone on communication - it has the usual USB, firewire (1374), ethernet (802.3), RJ-11, WiFi (802.11b+g) and bluetooth, but my phone doesn't have bluetooth. They talk to each other via a USB connection and the phone's data connection runs at 304Kbs, so it's not horribly slow - lot better than dialup.

I suspect Miami Beach is a rich environment for WiFi, but I doubt anything in Miami Beach is free, and I also suspect their blocking of unauthorized connections is likely better than usual.

I'll probably just pay for access at the Loews.

Tomas

 

Most smart phones have more than just the ability to be on the 'net. Since they can communicate with other machines on broadband, they can access other machines that would not normally be available via bluetooth or cellular. More than likely, he was searching for someone using a bluetooth device. Most Smart phones do not use wifi. They stick with cellular broadband, since that is the avenue they use most often for communication. Wifi would require another type of adapter and protocols, causing the device to be more complicated, and thus, more expensive. Today's more popular PDAs, on the other hand, can and usually do use both, making them far more effective than a simple bluetooth-ready smartphone.
More than likely, the guy was talking out his @$$. He was probably just trying to show off for you. Your cellular broadband card, and the computer that is using it are both secure from his bluetooth phone.
Don't get me started on internet/communication security. I could write a novel that would make War and Peace look like a TV Guide! Look me up while in Miami. I can give you a little info that will help you stay more secure while you surf.
Ah, the old USB2.0 cable-to-cell phone trick...
304Kbps isn't too bad when you compare it to dialup, or even no connection at all, but compared to Wifi accessing at least a T-1's 1.5M up AND down... I think I'll take the T-1!
At the airports, I would suspect you are correct about the blocking of unauthorized connections. More than likely, they limit the usage by MAC address, which is a little more difficult to spoof. At the hotel... it's probably just a rotating WPA-PSK. If there is enough traffic on it, I can break that in a minute or so.