Finding a Wi-Fi Hot Spot
The easiest and most obvious way to find a Wi-Fi network is to turn on your computer and run its Wi-Fi control program. The network adapter will scan for nearby signals and display a list like the one in Figure 11-3, which shows the unsecured signals available in the lobby of a hotel next to Seattle's Lake Union. When you're in an unfamiliar neighborhood (or even just a few blocks away from your usual haunts), you might not know which networks would welcome your connection and which ones are private. Just because the owner of a network hasn't bothered to turn on encryption doesn't mean it's an open invitation for you to use that network.
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