Why Is The Wi-fi Category So Difficult To Log?

[+Mary&Dave]

I stopped at my favorite coffee shop today to use the Internet, and I decided I'd waymark their wi-fi hotspot. Or I thought I would. Then I noticed that the category had half a dozen required variables for which I had no idea how to answer.

 

I can figure out some of the variables. SSID, WEP on/off, free/pay network, okay. That's easy enough.

 

But the rest of them? I work in the tech industry, and I don't have a clue how to figure out the answer to many of these. Granted, I'm not a wireless networking expert, but should I really have to be to log a waymark? Why is it so difficult? This seems like a category that would be very useful, but I for one am discouraged because I don't have a clue how to log it. Perhaps if there was a link to a script that I could run to determine these values? Or at least some more information on what they mean?

[+Milbank]

Same here.

 

My son as a Nintendo DS that has wi-fi and we have been to a number of places that say wi-fi on the door. We go inside and he connects (me too sometimes) and play games online.

 

The first time I went to waymark one of these wi-fi places I had no idea how to answer all the required variables.

 

I seen in radioshack they have a little key chain type thing that lights up when there is wi-fi around.

It is used to detect unknown wi-fi hot spots. Thought that would be preaty cool to use if you wanted to search for them and waymark them.

 

Anyway we keep finding more hot spots every other time we go out of town for a weekend.

 

Guess I could read up some more on wi-fi, but with just the DS game I don't know how to get the info that the Waymarking sit asked for.

Edited May 23, 2006 by Milbank

[+ChapterhouseInc]

yes, i wanted to post the starbucks in town (Tmobile hotspot), but once i saw the variables, i went no further....

is all that info needed?

[+Milbank]

Anyone have some answers?

[+JDandDD]

I'm an IT manager and have to say that many of the items are simply too technical for the equipment that's being carried by a lot of people. If you walk in with a Palm or Pocket PC with wi-fi capability you will connect and can answer some of the simple ones, but things like signal to noise ratios etc., not even shown on the device. So, I gave up on the category before I got started because I'm 100 times more likely to be using my palm than my laptop and have no way of answering.

 

Many items are optional (put in a ?) but many of the highly technical items are not and are impossible to answer without a laptop.

 

JDandDD

[+Milbank]

I hope it changes soon.

[+image415]

Yow. I absolutely agree with everyone here. That form scared me off. Maybe i could have figured out all the info...but why bother. I wanna open the laptop and connect....maybe notate if the signal if flakey. If I have any other specific needs...like i'm on a mac, i think that's my issue and not really necessary for Waymarking.

 

Now...as a subset...and hopefully with an easier form...I'm currently interested in hotels/motels with free wifi. anyone want to start a new group?

[Jeremy]

I worked with a few waymarkers and simplified the category. To be honest it was initially designed to see how the site would do with many variables.

[+Mary&Dave]

I worked with a few waymarkers and simplified the category. To be honest it was initially designed to see how the site would do with many variables.

 

Woohoo! Now I don't have to be a wireless networking genius to record one. Thanks.

[+Milbank]

thanks,

["Paws"itraction]

Thanks! I just logged a new one yesterday, and I really appreciated that not only did you simplify it, but you also explained the rest of them to make it easier to understand!