Can't connect to certain unsecured networks

[Colonel Travis]

Went to the city library today - laptop wouldn't connect to any unsecured network. The library does not offer wifi, but you can detect 4-5 several unsecured networks nearby. I wasn't able to connect to any of them. One of them said "Public" - not sure who it belonged to - but the icon beside it was not the typical signal bars. Couldn't tell what it was - looked like maybe a LAN connection, three entities connected to each other. Haven't seen that in the network list before. I could connect to that one, but after a minute or so the connection was dropped.

I've never had a problem connecting to unsecured networks. In fact, I packed up from the dud library and went up the road to a neighboring town library and connected to their unsecured network just fine.

Any ideas why this happens?

 

[zigzag3143]

Went to the city library today - laptop wouldn't connect to any unsecured network. The library does not offer wifi, but you can detect 4-5 several unsecured networks nearby. I wasn't able to connect to any of them. One of them said "Public" - not sure who it belonged to - but the icon beside it was not the typical signal bars. Couldn't tell what it was - looked like maybe a LAN connection, three entities connected to each other. Haven't seen that in the network list before. I could connect to that one, but after a minute or so the connection was dropped.

I've never had a problem connecting to unsecured networks. In fact, I packed up from the dud library and went up the road to a neighboring town library and connected to their unsecured network just fine.

Any ideas why this happens?

Ho colonol

Yep configuration. Many things determine if you are going to be able to connect. Not just encrypted/not encrypted. Broadcasting ssid, or not, mac address enabled or not IPv6 or not. If you are frequently looking to log on to unknown networks htere are third party apps that will "sniif" out the protocols for you.

Used legally these can make it easier to connect in public networks. Be really careful. There is a ral risk of being caught if used illegally. DONT

Hope that hellped a bit

Ken J+

 

[Colonel Travis]

Hah - yeah, zig I know of the *ahem* stuff out there, only wondering about this particular situation. OK, so this just happens to be a string of unsecured networks that I could connect to if I had additional info. from their end. First time I ran into that many with none working. Since there are plenty of other free wifi spots nearby, I don't care to track down that additional crap.

The other icon I saw and could connect to was an ad-hoc network. Like I said, the connection was brief and then it kicked me off. Why does it let me connect in the first place, unlike the others?