How do I connect to a HOTSPLOT?

Connecting your computer to a hotspot using Microsoft Windows works the following way:

Short version for computer experts. The IP addresses are assigned via DHCP. The SSID should start with "hotsplots" or newer "HOTSPLOTS", but this is not always the case. The Wireless LAN card may not run in adhoc mode but must run in infrastructure mode. Neither WEP nor WPA is being used. If you want to encrypt all of your Wireless LAN traffic you can download and install openVPN from the internet or from our website.

Detailed version. Take note of the following settings: the following descriptions and pictures are based on Windows XP SP2 Home. Except for a few graphical variations the steps are the same for all Windows versions, however. Your network card has to be configured in a way that the IP address can be automatically selected via DHCP. In case you have a fixed IP address, you can change it in the following way: under "Control Panel", open "Network Connections" and then "Wireless Connections". There you open the context menu with a right-click and select "Properties". Your current IP address is also displayed on the lower left under details. These steps are displayed in the picture below.

In the window that opens, go on "Internet Protocol (TCP/IP)" and click on properties. For added security you can also consider unchecking the box "File and Printer Sharing for Microsoft Networks". This reduces the risk of unauthorised users spying out or changing files on your computer. Under the "Properties" window of the internet protocol (TCP/IP), activate "Obtain an IP address automatically" and "Obtain DNS server address automatically".

Connecting to the Wireless LAN works the following way: under control panel, hit network connections. There you open the context menu with a right-click and select "View available wireless networks". You will then see a list of the network designations (SSID or ESSID) of all available Wireless LANs within reach. Our Wireless LANs have the designation "hotsplots" in the SSID. Choose the desired Wireless LAN and hit "Connect".

You may receive a warning message saying that the Wireless LAN is not secure. You can ignore this warning. The Wireless LAN specific encryptions WEP and WPA are useless for public hotspots. Just one reason is because they have special hardware requirements and therefore count out users with older hardware. We offer the use of openVPN instead. openVPN is free software that can be installed on virtually any operating system at no cost. Find out more in our openVPN documentation.

When you open a webpage now, you will be redirected to our homepage where you can register and log in. This connection is encrypted and therefore secure.