Fast Fixes for Wireless Internet Connection Problems

If you’re experiencing wireless Internet connection problems, there are some quick fixes you can try to get you back online in a hurry. Here’s a quick guide to some of the more frequent connection problems.

PROVIDER	PACKAGE DETAILS	DATA ALLOWANCE	MONTHLY PRICE	SETUP	MIN TOTAL COST	CONTRACT LENGTH	MORE INFO
TPG Mobile Broadband Go 500MB	Mobile broadband 500MB $5.00 per month. Enjoy web browsing, download files and access email when you’re out and about. No contract.	Unlimited	$5.00		$5.00
Dodo Mobile Broadband 1GB 24 Month + Pendo Pad	Mobile internet data (1GB) and Pendo Pad bundle over 24 months. 7” in size, weighing 360 grams, equipped with Wi-Fi and built-in 2GB memory storage. The Pendo runs on an android operating system which makes an ideal device for high quality mobile internet surfing. $9.90 monthly over 24 months	Unlimited	$9.90		$237.60	24 Mths
Vodafone New iPad with Wi-Fi + 4G 16GB Black 24 Month	Why buy this? The new iPad. With the stunning Retina display. 5MP iSight Camera. And Ultrafast 4G LTE. With over 3.1 million pixels, the breakthrough Retina display changes your view on everything and makes the new iPad more immersive than ever before.	Unlimited	$47		$1,128	24 Mths
Amaysim Mobile Broadband Data Pack 4GB	4GB mobile broadband plan for 30 days (1MB data rounding). Suitable for moderate internet users of websurfing, email and online multimedia content (music and videos). No contract.	Unlimited			$29.90	1 Mths

Can’t Connect to the Router

There are multiple reasons why you may not be able to connect to your router, but there are some things that might fix your problem. First, try to check if your router is properly configured for DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol). If you do have the configuration right, disable it and then immediately re-enable it. This should get you connected again.

If this doesn’t work, check for any kind of electrical interference you might be receiving from other nearby electronic items you have. This could include cordless telephones, microwave ovens or even baby monitors.

How Can I Set Up Automatic Wireless Internet Connection?

Sometimes wireless Internet connection problems can be as simple as not manually connecting to the network. However, you can bypass the need to manually connect just to get online by setting up an automatic wireless Internet connection.

Go into your computer’s Control Panel and select Network Connections. If you right-click on the network, you’ll see an option for Properties. Select this and then find the tab for Wireless Networks.  From there, go to the Advanced tab and click the button alongside where it says “any available network”. Below this you should see another box labelled “Automatically connect to non-preferred networks”. Check this box, then press Okay and you should automatically be able to connect to the nearest available wireless Internet connection every time.

Setting Up Wireless Internet Security

It’s important to secure your wireless internet connection from hackers or unauthorised users. Go to your router’s admin area in your browser. You should have been given a default address that leads directly to your admin area. It’s easy enough to get your security activated from here.

You need to look for WPA encryption. This is your Wi-Fi Protected Access and it offers a little more security than WEP. In order to set up your WPA, you will need to enter a security phrase or even a security key.

If you want even more security, you might also think about disabling the Service Set Identifier from broadcasting. This makes it much harder for hackers to see your network at all.

So if you have wireless Internet connection problems, hopefully these quick fixes can help you get back online faster.

Review and Compare

When you want to find the best wireless Internet plans, you must review and compare the various companies you come across. Only then can you hope to make an educated decision as to which company is best for you.

PROVIDER	PACKAGE DETAILS	DATA ALLOWANCE	MONTHLY PRICE	SETUP	MIN TOTAL COST	CONTRACT LENGTH	MORE INFO
TPG Mobile Broadband Go 500MB	Mobile broadband 500MB $5.00 per month. Enjoy web browsing, download files and access email when you’re out and about. No contract.	Unlimited	$5.00		$5.00
Dodo Mobile Broadband 1GB 24 Month + Pendo Pad	Mobile internet data (1GB) and Pendo Pad bundle over 24 months. 7” in size, weighing 360 grams, equipped with Wi-Fi and built-in 2GB memory storage. The Pendo runs on an android operating system which makes an ideal device for high quality mobile internet surfing. $9.90 monthly over 24 months	Unlimited	$9.90		$237.60	24 Mths
Vodafone New iPad with Wi-Fi + 4G 16GB Black 24 Month	Why buy this? The new iPad. With the stunning Retina display. 5MP iSight Camera. And Ultrafast 4G LTE. With over 3.1 million pixels, the breakthrough Retina display changes your view on everything and makes the new iPad more immersive than ever before.	Unlimited	$47		$1,128	24 Mths
Amaysim Mobile Broadband Data Pack 4GB	4GB mobile broadband plan for 30 days (1MB data rounding). Suitable for moderate internet users of websurfing, email and online multimedia content (music and videos). No contract.	Unlimited			$29.90	1 Mths

Laptops

Vodafone

Ever since 2005, Vodafone has strived to offer the best wireless Internet plans. The wireless plans that Vodafone offers includes a $29.95 plan that offers 100MB of data, and then there is a $99.95 plan that offers unlimited data usage. That’s a great deal.

Why Go Wireless for Internet Access

You can have your workday at the beach once you cut the cords. It wasn’t that long ago that the idea of working on the beach seemed like a pipe dream to anyone who depended on Internet access to do their jobs. That has changed in recent years. The proliferation of options when it comes to broadband wireless Internet access is making this a possibility for more and more people each and every day as well. Who knew you really could do business with no strings attached in this day and age?

Available Options for Broadband Wireless Internet Access

You even have options about the amount of broadband access you buy month after month. There are many different plans available that are based on the amount of data you plan to use on a regular basis.

Some plans offer unlimited data usage for a rather high rate. If you plan to use this as your exclusive means of accessing the Internet and plan to do some heavy surfing, downloading, and streaming in a normal month then this is, without a doubt, the best option for you.

If you plan to use your broadband wireless Internet access only when away from your home or the office and then only on a limited basis, you may find that a smaller plan is the better choice for you. These smaller plans provide less bandwidth allowances each month but also offer a substantially lower monthly fee. But, be careful that you do not go over your allotment of bandwidth of you run the risk of serious sticker shock on your next bill.

Prepaid plans also offer a clever compromise. With these plans you purchase a certain amount of bandwidth usage over the period of a month. When it’s gone, it’s gone until you purchase more. If you’re on a tight budget or only need wireless access in rare instances, this is definitely worth considering.

It won’t take long to realize just how liberating it is to have excellent broadband wireless Internet access at your disposal. Check out your options today.

Hacking Wireless Internet: Before You Start

Hacking wireless Internet is, of course, illegal, and should not be done unless you own the hardware on the network in question. However, there are times when this is necessary, usually when you don’t have physical access to your router. All you need to get started is any type of laptop; the faster the better. You’ll first need to locate your wireless network and view its properties to determine the type of router in use, unless you already know this information.

Hacking Wireless Internet

If you know the brand of router in use, you can look up its default login info on the Internet. Most manufacturers have a webpage containing this info. For those that don’t, it’s easy to find a forum where these details are discussed. You can then try logging into the router using the default credentials by pointing your browser to the IP address of the network. You’ll need a separate, functioning wireless connection in order to try this. If it doesn’t work, you’ll need to get a bit more creative.

Hacking Wireless Internet Using Packet-Sniffing Software

Here’s where the term “hacking” comes in. If the network in question is not your own, going further will put you in violation of the law in your country.

The first thing to do is to find yourself a copy of Aircracks. This is a hacker’s dream; it contains everything you’ll need to hack into your network.

You’ll then need to employ Airodump to start sniffing for packets. By “sniffing,” the program is listening on the common wireless frequency for any data packets sent by your router or any system on the network. AirCrack will analyze these packets until it finds the initialization vector of the network.

Once that’s found, Aircrack will continue searching for a packet containing Address Resolution Protocol data. Any system connected to the network will send out one of these packets to determine if the network is still up and running. This packet will contain the encryption key of the network, but it itself is encrypted. You’ll then need to use Airdecap to decrypt this packet and recover the encryption key.

Congratulations! You now have access to the wireless network. Bet you didn’t think hacking wireless Internet was that easy.

Contractual Obligations

Some companies require a contract of one to two years in exchange for offering wireless Internet for laptops at a “group” or discounted rate. Those are the most common plans but there are companies that offer prepaid access as well as pay as you go access with no contracts.

The drawback of the no contract plan is the fact that they cost more for the amount of data used than the monthly plan. The benefit is that you must only pay for the months and/or data you use. The other benefit is that you aren’t locked into a data plan that may be more than you need and you can adjust for the months that you need more data without facing sticker shock for going over your allotted data usage.

Plans Available

There is sure to be a plan for everyone but not always a great price when it comes to data access for wireless plans. The long and short of it is that you need to find a plan that will closely match what your needs are in Internet access away from the home or office.

You don’t want to pay a hefty fee every month for minutes that you aren’t using but you also don’t want to get hit with a serious round of sticker shock every time you get your bill because you keep going over your allotment. Find out what plans are available and see if there is a penalty for upgrading if you see you’re going to need more data access in the future.

Speed

Everyone loves more power. The same is true when it comes to Internet access. There’s no point in paying the price tag for broadband wireless Internet if you’re moving at the snail’s pace of dialup. Make sure you’re getting the proper amount of speed from the access for your hard earned dollar.

Wireless Internet for laptops can be your best friend if you take the time to carefully discover just how much Internet you need from month to month.

Connecting PS3 to Wireless Internet: Before You Start

So you want to connect your PS3 to your wireless network and play with your friend in the next room or the next country? It’s an easy process provided your network doesn’t throw it too many curve balls.

Before you start, make sure your wireless network is up and running at full strength. If you can test this with a laptop or other WiFi device, all the better. You also need to unplug the Ethernet cable from your PS3 if it’s currently connected.

Connecting PS3 to Wireless Internet

First, turn on the PS3 console and open the Settings menu from the main menu. Select the Network Settings option and then the Internet Connection settings tab. The PS3 will tell you you’re about to be disconnected from the Internet; select Yes to continue.

You’ll then be prompted as to your preferred type of installation; select Easy. Next, tell it you have a wireless Internet connection and select Scan to bring up a list of local wireless networks. You should now see the name of your network in the list. Select it, then choose the security setting that corresponds to your home network. If you don’t remember, you’ll need to check your router. Now enter the passphrase or key of your network, if applicable, and save the settings.

If everything went according to plan, you’ve just finished connecting PS3 to wireless Internet. Use the Test Connection feature to make sure everything’s working.  If it is, you’ll see the particulars of your network appear on the screen. If you don’t, something’s amiss somewhere, usually related to your security settings. If the connection times out or you get an error regarding the security key, you’ll need to go back and re-enter that info. If you have 128-bit encryption, the key can be quite long, so you’ll need to double check it upon entry.

Connecting PS3 to wireless Internet usually takes just a couple minutes, but if anything goes wrong, you’ll need to repeat the process and double check your network information by viewing the configuration of your wireless router.

Comparing Services and Plans

To begin, start researching the various services out there. Look up Optus and see what kind of service it provides, where the coverage area lies, what types of plans Optus offers, and more. Then, look at Telstra, 3, and all the other services you can find. Make a chart and compare the services against each other. Then, once you have the services all laid out, with everything right there in front of you, it will be easy to see which service is best for you.

Pre-Paid vs. Contract

When you are wondering how to get wireless Internet in Australia, you first need to decide is whether or not you want to sign a contract. This is going to affect the plan and the price you pay. The contract plans are secure, as you pay a certain fee each month. You get the service you want and you don’t have to worry much about it. As long as your payments are on time, you’ll be able to get online whenever you want to.

If you’re wondering how to get wireless Internet pre-paid, you will have to purchase a dongle and then top the service up for whatever rate the company charges. This will allow you to only pay for the data you use. Pre-paid service is great for people who don’t want to become tied down with a contract and who don’t use that much data.

Now that you know the various types of plans, you can better choose the right company for you. Then, all you have to do is contact the company you’ve chosen and sign up for their service.

When you are wondering how to get wireless Internet, you will have to provide the service company with your personal information and you will typically have to buy a modem of some sort. Check with the company for all the details and make the decision that will allow you to get online whenever you need to.

About the Free Wireless Internet Access at McDonald’s Program

McDonald’s has been busy for the past several months converting over 700 of their Australia restaurants from the Telstra BigPond paid service to free WiFi. Now, whether you’re waking up at the crack of dawn in Queensland or pulling an all-nighter in Tasmania, you won’t be far from a McDonald’s with a free wireless Internet connection. With its roll out of free wireless Internet to a grand total of 709 restaurants, McDonald’s has become the largest provider of free WiFi in all of Australia.

Upon entering a restaurant equipped with free WiFi, you’ll see plenty of fliers explaining exactly how to connect to the network. In short, all you need to do is search for the McDonald’s Free WiFi network using your wireless device and connect normally. Upon connection, your web browser will be redirected to a page with the terms and conditions of service. Once you agree to them, you will be able to log in and browse the web, send and/receive email and send/receive instant messages from the major services such as AOL and Skype.

Restrictions on The Free Wireless Internet at McDonald’s

As you can imagine, the free wireless Internet at McDonald’s is not without its limits. The first and most obvious one is that you’re limited to downloading 50 megabytes of data per session. The amount of data you have downloaded will always be displayed to allow you to keep track. Once this limit is reached, you’ll need to log out and then back in again. If all you’re doing is browsing the web and not watching lots of YouTube, you likely won’t even notice this limit. Watching high-quality video, however, will cause you to bump up against this limit rather quickly.

There are a number of services that are blocked by McDonald’s, such as voice chat programs and peer-to-peer clients like BitTorrent. In addition, McDonald’s performs sophisticated content filtering on their end of the connection. This means you should only try to view web pages you would show your kid sister, if you have one. Otherwise, you’re likely to be redirected to Disneyworld.

Cheap Wireless Deals

Getting online wirelessly doesn’t have to be expensive. There are, in fact, a lot of cheap wireless Internet deals. All you have to do is contact the various providers out there and examine the plans they have to offer. The good news is that, because there is so much competition out there, you get to take advantage of the competition vying for your business. That means prices will drop, and that’s very good news for you.

We’re going to examine some of the cheap wireless Internet deals so that you can make the best decision for your needs.

Vodafone

One of the providers that offers great cheap wireless Internet deals is Vodafone. Vodafone started in 2005 and is capable of connecting PCs and Macs to the Internet wirelessly. The coverage area is most metropolitan areas, and a few outside areas.

Vodafone has great rates. For only $30 you can get 100MB of data, or you can pay up to $100 for unlimited data. That’s not a bad deal.

3 Net Connect

With 3, there are two options that you can use to connect to the Internet. You can either choose to connect with a laptop card or you can use 3 mobile to connect your laptop to the Internet. 3’s coverage area covers most major cities in Australia, and they, too, have great rates.

3 offers a $30 plan for 100MB of data or you can pay $99 for 600MB of data. These rates aren’t as good as Vodafone, but 3 has a very reliable signal so the money is well worth it.

Optus

Then there is Optus, which also started in 2005. There are several plans that are within the cheap wireless Internet deals category. You can, for instance, pay $30 for 75MB or you can pay $80 for 500MB.

The cheap wireless Internet deals depend on your needs and what you can afford. Hopefully, this guide will help you make a good decision as to which plan is right for you. Then you’ll be able to get online no matter where you are at a price you can easily afford.