New pocket-size gadgets can make it easier to spot Wi-Fi "hot spots." But they can't tell you if the network is open for business—or is locked down to strangers. Add-on software for your laptop might answer that question and more.
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Windows XP has a feature that will help find networks, but it doesn't tell you when the Wi-Fi is locked. You seem to connect, but Web browsers and E-mail can't do their thing. Many makers of Wi-Fi cards include software that's better than the Windows feature, but not much.
NetStumbler (stumbler.net) is popular among techies for identifying potentially unlocked networks. It's also free to download, but—as it's "beggarware"—donations are welcome. NetStumbler offers a wealth of information on networks, including graphic views of signal strength. But its data can be a bit dense for casual users who probably don't, for example, need to know the level of noise in a wireless signal. It's also designed more for mapping hot spots—part of a hobby called "war driving"—than for using them to access the Web. NetStumbler also doesn't work on all wireless Internet hardware.
Several commercial programs not only identify Wi-Fi hot spots that might be open but also help manage accounts with locked networks—storing the encryption keys needed to connect. Among them, PCTel's Segue Roaming Client (pctel.com) and Cirond's Winc (cirond.com) display useful data about hot spots, including signal strength and which Wi-Fi channel is being offered. (There are 11 possibilities, after all.) I preferred Winc's look and feel, but both are available for a free 30-day trial. Then pay $20 for the one you want to keep.
By the way, NetStumbler's author, Marius Milner, warns that it's illegal in many places in the United States to connect to a private network. But there are many communities, businesses, and homes that offer their networks for free piggybacking. The trick is knowing which is where—and finding them in the first place.
