Software that helps you connect with Wi-Fi

The Baltimore Sun

I am often astounded at the erratic state of wireless Internet connectivity in the hospitality industry. Some places provide it free, some charge a fee and some offer nothing but a "data port" on the phone, as if you would even consider using dialup. Let's please move into the 21st century, OK?

A Mac user traveling under these problematic conditions can almost always use a little help locating free wireless Internet, and that's where a free utility called iStumbler comes in.

It's true that any Mac laptop of recent vintage can automatically detect compatible wireless networks, but the built-in Internet Connect utility provides limited information, particularly the critical bit about whether it's an open or closed network. You can't access a closed network without a password - and you shouldn't try, since the network owner obviously doesn't want outsiders pirating his Internet connection.

The iStumbler software shows you any open networks within range along with a percentage of their signal strength, which is far more accurate than the Airport icon in the Menu Bar or the meter in the Internet Connect utility.

Better still, iStumbler shows the signal noise (interference) for each network, as well as its channel and MAC address (Internet Connect gives you the MAC address as well, though it's called Base Station ID.)

The creators of iStumbler invented it to help Mac users find open public networks, which are the kind you can use with a clear conscience. That said, the software does an equally good job finding open, nonpublic networks, such as those set up in private residences.

Whether you decide to piggyback on someone else's network without their permission is a personal decision - you'll almost certainly get away with it - but you'll have to live with the guilt.

I consider iStumbler's primary function of locating Airport-compatible wireless networks enough to make it an indispensable application on my MacBook. And yes, it is universal binary, which means it can run natively on both PowerPC Macs and the current Intel-based models.

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