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Thread: Wireless Hotspots in Maine

  1. #11
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    That's a good list of libraries - What bad web design, though, when you are trying to promote a library, and many of them give no adresses, or they are buried 3 pages deep.

    I'm not impressed with the little information an Easy-GPS created GPX file can create, so I am looking into other options.

  2. #12
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    We picked up a small HP notebook for the car to use while geocaching. It has no personal info on it but does of course have up to date Norton with firewall on it. Today while out at Giant Stair Cache on Bailey Island, up pops a usable wireless network!!! Obviously someone in a house nearby had a wireless network set up. Didn't use it but could have since it wasn't protected. Is it actually illegal to use such a site or just not polite? Does it being open mean the person did not have a firewall? How do you know when someone tries to access your wireless network? Got to figure out how to temporarily disable the new notebook from logging onto wireless while out driving around. Help is not very helpful.

    Great info on the library locations. I do use the public computers and wireless at Freeport Public Library often.

    Anne
    TwoMaineiacs / Anne and Joe

  3. #13
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    Hey Brdad, I'm sure GSAK could create a really good GPX file for those wireless hotspots.
    Just smile it won't crack your face

    The statistics on sanity are that one out of every four persons is
    suffering from some sort of mental illness. Think of your three best
    friends -- if they're okay, then it's you.

  4. #14
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    Quote Originally Posted by Haffy6
    Hey Brdad, I'm sure GSAK could create a really good GPX file for those wireless hotspots.
    Ohhhh, don't make me attempt to use GSAK again! OW, my head!

    As I stated earlier, I'd have to check again with the TOS of GPX files. I don't beleive it's legal to use a GPX files with the groundspeak extensions for anything but caches.

    But, I will add it to my list of stuff to look into.

  5. #15
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    Quote Originally Posted by TwoMaineiacs
    Is it actually illegal to use such a site or just not polite? Does it being open mean the person did not have a firewall? How do you know when someone tries to access your wireless network? Got to figure out how to temporarily disable the new notebook from logging onto wireless while out driving around. Help is not very helpful.

    Anne
    Well, the answer is yes. And no. Maybe.

    Here's a good discussion on the subject fron C/Net:

    http://news.com.com/FAQ+Wi-Fi+moochi...ml?tag=nl.caro

    Have I pulld over to the side of the road and used unprotected WiFi hotspots? Yup.

    Will I do so again? Yup.

    (Oh - and if you're concerned about driving down the road and unintentionally connecting to someone's WiFi network, set your network so that you DO NOT automatically connect. Windows XP can do this - not sure about older/other operating systems.)

    Oh - and you can consider being your OWN WiFi hotspot:

    http://www.popsci.com/popsci/how2/ar...076525,00.html

    Last edited by WhereRWe?; 07-18-2005 at 03:31 PM.

  6. #16
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    Quote Originally Posted by brdad
    Ohhhh, don't make me attempt to use GSAK again! OW, my head!

    As I stated earlier, I'd have to check again with the TOS of GPX files. I don't beleive it's legal to use a GPX files with the groundspeak extensions for anything but caches.

    But, I will add it to my list of stuff to look into.

    Yeah I think they call that scraping according to Groundspeak and yes it is illegal.
    Just smile it won't crack your face

    The statistics on sanity are that one out of every four persons is
    suffering from some sort of mental illness. Think of your three best
    friends -- if they're okay, then it's you.

  7. #17
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    I shudder to think of owning my own WI-FI site. Been struggling for two days with a desktop that continues to crash. I'm just about ready to reformat the @#$@! thing. Don't need to clean up after others

    Anne
    TwoMaineiacs / Anne and Joe

  8. #18
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    OK, it seems I might be able to create GPX files with the grounspeak extension, but if I do, the data in them will fall under the groundspeak TOS. We have enough problems with legalities with the geocoin, so I want to steer clear of that. Going back to the EasyGPS created GPX file, it will be very basic. A one location exaple is here. From what I can see the name will include the town first, then the name of the location, and the address on a second line. The town needs to be first to make it easy to find in a list (One would assume you know what town you are in or near). The Type I have changed to WIFI Hot Spot, and the icon a building, so that they can be easily differentiated from geocaches. Of course, coordinate data is included as well. Maybe someone with GSAK can see if the file loads there ok. It works ok in cachemate, the address will not show unless you are in overview mode.

    So, the question is, is this enough data? Anyone have any other ideas?

  9. #19

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    I tested it and the file loads fine into GSAK, and from there exports nicely into USAPhotoMaps and CacheMate. You should also be able to quickly filter all the WIFI spots in GSAK using the Code Search field. The only thing I didn't try was sending the waypoint to my GPS. I did notice that when I exported the GPX file out of GSAK and opened it in EasyGPS, the icon changed to geocache (not suprisingly). This could easily be fixed in EasyGPS. I think for those people that will use it, this should work rather nicely.

    It's too bad there wasn't a national database of public WIFI spots (or is there one?)... I could see a link on each cache page for "nearby hotspots".

  10. #20
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    Quote Originally Posted by Cache'n Jacksons
    It's too bad there wasn't a national database of public WIFI spots (or is there one?)... I could see a link on each cache page for "nearby hotspots".
    That's what started this in the first place, there are no complete lists - and probably never will be. With technology changing the way it does, I'm sure hot spots come and go faster than it could be updated. Hopefully this list will have more dependable locations like the libraries and buisnesses. I'd rather have a database with one or two dependable connections in a given town than thirty "might work" locations. We do have caches to get after all, can't spend all day looking for internet locations.

    Oooh, maybe that's a new cache type - WIFI virtual. Drive to the coords, confirm the WIFI connection, log it as a find. I think I may have a winner for the lamest cache category!
    Last edited by brdad; 07-19-2005 at 06:25 AM.

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