What if there are multiple available Wi-Fi networks and you don't know which would be best to use? You might bring up the Macintosh application iStumbler but there is a simpler method. If you hold down the Option key when dropping the Mac's AirPort status menu, it lists available networks in order of signal strength, rather than the usual (and useless) alphabetical sort.
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JACKSON, Miss. -- Welcome centers in DeSoto, Hancock and Lauderdale counties now offer wireless Internet access for tourists and other motorists. Plans are to install Wi-Fi Internet access soon at nine other welcome centers around the state. Wi-Fi stands for wireless fidelity. It is a technology that gives users the ability to receive and transmit data over the Internet at high speeds from anywhere within the broadcast signal range.

Remember, for a malicious user to connect to your user's laptop in any of these scenarios, your user would not have made a conscious decision to go in to a cafe and connect to the Internet. As long as Wi-Fi is left on - which it generally is - then all these probe requests and potential network connections would have been going on automatically behind the user's back. Or, more accurately, right under their nose.

And once a malicious hacker has connected to the laptop, who knows what they may find there? Perhaps of more concern is what they may deposit on the laptop, to infect your network once the user returns to the office and connects up.

The good news is that there is a solution to these problems in the form of a patch supplied by Microsoft. You can download the Wireless Client Update onto wireless machines from Microsoft.
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MCLEAN, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Spacenet Inc. today announced the introduction of a newly expanded Channel Marketing Partner Program to reach new vertical markets and offer more flexible ways for partners to work with Spacenet. The revised Channel Program focuses on recruiting high quality value-added Resellers, Agents, and Dealers looking to expand their portfolios with advanced communication solutions. Spacenet's high-performance satellite communication services and its revised Channel Program are well suited for a variety of organizations including ISPs, telecom providers, system integrators and complementary IT solutions providers – regardless of their level of expertise with satellite technology.

Spacenet offers three partner programs for qualified organizations, each tailored to specific market needs:

* Spacenet's Reseller program offers a wholesale model for its high performance Connexstar services for business and government customers as well as its value oriented StarBand service for residential and small office customers. Spacenet Resellers own the end customer relationship, and can leverage Spacenet's in-house deployment capabilities or provide their own installation and maintenance services.
* Spacenet's Agent program offers competitive commissions for the sale of Connexstar services, and is designed for companies that have opportunities to market satellite communications, but may not want to take on all the responsibilities of a Reseller.
* Spacenet's Dealer program provides access to the affordable StarBand service line and offers higher compensation than competing residential satellite broadband services, including Dealer determined installation fees, as well as compensation on equipment and services.

Spacenet's revised Channel Program offers excellent economics and service offerings as well as enhanced support processes for partners. Spacenet's latest generation Connexstar services are tuned to specific application environments to provide commercial grade converged voice, video, and data satellite communications for markets such as disaster recovery, oilfield, energy distribution, business continuity, retail chains, financial institutions, and healthcare organizations. The expanded Channel Marketing Program also includes new sales and marketing resources for partners, updated product and technical sales training, improved online fulfillment capabilities, as well as flexible commitment and discount levels.

Spacenet Senior Vice President of Marketing & Corporate Development, David Myers said, “Over the past several years, Spacenet has had success incorporating channel partners into its overall marketing strategy. As we continue expanding our product lines into new vertical markets we are actively seeking new channel partners who can bring a unique knowledge or competitive advantage. These new programs offer better economics, more flexibility, and more options to fit the requirements of channel partners in today's market. Spacenet's newly enhanced Channel Partner Program provides an attractive option for a variety of organizations that may not have previously considered selling satellite services.”

More information about the new Channel Marketing Partner Program is available at www.spacenet.com/partners

I found this article discussing how easy it is to crack passwords it's well worth reading even if some of it is meant for the more tech savvy.

If you invited me to try and crack your password, you know the one that you use over and over for like every web page you visit, how many guesses would it take before I got it?

Let's see… here is my top 10 list. I can obtain most of this information much easier than you think, then I might just be able to get into your e-mail, computer, or online banking. After all, if I get into one I'll probably get into all of them.

1. Your partner, child, or pet's name, possibly followed by a 0 or 1 (because they're always making you use a number, aren't they?)
2. The last 4 digits of your social security number.
3. 123 or 1234 or 123456.
4. "password"
5. Your city, or college, football team name.
6. Date of birth - yours, your partner's or your child's.
7. "god"
8. "letmein"
9. "money"
10. "love"

Statistically speaking that should probably cover about 20% of you. But don't worry. If I didn't get it yet it will probably only take a few more minutes before I do...
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As of today, residents and visitors in the 147 square miles of Corpus Christi where the network serves can get wireless Internet free for 30 days. EarthLink Municipal Networks Inc. will sell subscriptions to residents for about $20 a month after the 30-day period.

The Internet service provider will pay the city about $5.5 million for the sale and an additional $340,000 during the first year of services in franchise fees and other revenues.

EarthLink would be responsible for upgrading the network to industry standard equipment compared with other cities it serves.
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The Internet's version of the phone book is called DNS (Domain Name Service). It converts your typed in address of "google.com" to the real address of "64.233.167.99" and then tells your computer to go to that address.

Your ISP (Internet Service Provider) keeps a trusted copy of that "phone book."

Many computers have become infected simply by browsing less-reputable web pages.

This is called a "drive-by" download. Improperly protected computers and browsers can be opened up to advertising pop-up windows, have keyloggers installed (recording all keystrokes) or be controlled remotely by someone else to attack other computers, or to send spam email.

Setting appropriate security settings on your browser can limit or deny access to such programs, but it can affect how sites operate.
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Just five years ago, the world didn't have such technology. High-speed surfing typically was confined to a desk at home or the office, or coffeehouses few and far between with "We have Wi-Fi" signs in their windows.
But today we have wireless cellular modems, like the USB 720 from Verizon Wireless. This palm-sized gadget plugs into a laptop computer to let users access the Web anywhere in the nation they can get a cell-phone signal.
That means no more searching for Wi-Fi hot spots.
"Why even be tied to a coffee shop when you can have it anywhere you want to go?"
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Brian Tanner was sitting in his Acura Integra recently outside the Palmer, Alaska Library playing online games when a Palmer police pulled up behind him.

The officer asked him what he was doing.

Tanner, 21, was using the library's wireless Internet connection. He was told that his activity constituted theft of services and was told to leave. The next day, Sunday, police spotted him there again.

"It was kind of like, 'Well gee whiz, come on,' " police Lt. Tom Remaley said.

The police officer confiscated Tanner's laptop in order to inspect what he may have been downloading, Remaley said. Remaley on Friday said he hasn't looked inside the computer yet; he's putting together a search warrant application.

Alaska state troopers had chased Tanner off a few times at other locations, Remaley said.

Tanner said that was true. He has a device on his keychain that sniffs out wireless networks. When he found one, he would park in his neighborhood and use his $800 Dell laptop to hop on the Web. But worried neighbors summoned the troopers, who told him to park in a public place.

"I went to the public library because I go there during the day," Tanner said.
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