Section 1 - Network Info - Email Access:

On rare occasion, some users of public Wi-Fi Hot Spots throughout the U.S. have experienced difficulty sending emails. The explanation for this is that AT&T as well as some other ISP’s (Internet Service Providers) block what is called Port 25 traffic. Port 25 traffic is the "channel" for (digitally encoded pathway for transmitting data) the initial email systems used when the internet was beginning to grow rapidly. At that time, there were frequent problems associated with spamming of email - often from public access points. To combat this, AT&T and other ISP’s (like Gmail, Comcast, etc.) began to block all port 25 traffic without exception. Anyone who uses this (which is often still the default / standard) will find little compatibility with most all public access points in the U.S. This is NOT a Community Network Wi-Fi issue – it happens at many locations and is blocked at the ISP – not from our (Community Network Wi-FI’s) equipment or wireless services.

The simplest way to solve this is to contact your email provider / host (in this case each person's email account provider) and to find out what other Ports can be used for your email account – in most cases there are other Ports available already. The customer can then simply change the Port number under [This is for Microsoft Outlook – other email software is similar]: (1) Tools (2) Email accounts (3) View or change existing e-mail accounts (4) Change (after selecting their email account associated with gmail or Port 25 blocked email account) (5) More settings (6) The Advanced tab under the window that is open called "Internet email settings" (7) Then enter the new port number in the box for "outgoing server SMTP" (8) click on all "OK’s, Next's" and then "Finish" to update the email info into the computer. The new Port number will circumvent the blocked Port 25 and email should work as normal at all locations.  Again, this is an ISP issue - it is not from us!

I believe, for example, that Port 465 is the alternative Port for Gmail users, (but one should check this out directly with Google themselves). This Port change should allow email access to work anywhere once again.  Please contact us if you have any more questions, or click the Port 25 link to learn more – I do hope this helps.

Section 2 - Network Info - Wi-Fi Technology:

One wireless router can allow multiple devices to connect to the Internet.

What Is WiFi?

A wireless network uses radio waves, just like cell phones, televisions and radios do. In fact, communication across a wireless network is a lot like two-way radio communication. Here's what happens:

1.A computer's wireless adapter translates data into a radio signal and transmits it using an antenna.

2.A wireless router receives the signal and decodes it. It sends the information to the Internet using a physical, wired Ethernet connection.

The process also works in reverse, with the router receiving information from the Internet, translating it into a radio signal and sending it to the computer's wireless adapter.

The radios used for WiFi communication are very similar to the radios used for walkie-talkies, cell phones and other devices. They can transmit and receive radio waves, and they can convert 1s and 0s into radio waves and convert the radio waves back into 1s and 0s. But WiFi radios have a few notable differences from other radios:

·   They transmit at frequencies of 2.4 GHz or 5GHz. This frequency is considerably higher than the frequencies used for cell phones, walkie-talkies and televisions. The higher frequency allows the signal to carry more data.

·   They use 802.11 networking standards, which come in several flavors:

·         802.11a transmits at 5GHz and can move up to 54 megabits of data per second. It also uses orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM), a more efficient coding technique that splits that radio signal into several sub-signals before they reach a receiver. This greatly reduces interference.

·         802.11b is the slowest and least expensive standard. For a while, its cost made it popular, but now it's becoming less common as faster standards become less expensive. 802.11b transmits in the 2.4 GHz frequency band of the radio spectrum. It can handle up to 11 megabits of data per second, and it uses complimentary code keying (CCK) coding.

·         802.11g transmits at 2.4 GHz like 802.11b, but it's a lot faster -- it can handle up to 54 megabits of data per second. 802.11g is faster because it uses the same OFDM coding as 802.11a.

·   WiFi radios can transmit on any of three frequency bands. Or, they can "frequency hop" rapidly between the different bands. Frequency hopping helps reduce interference and lets multiple devices use the same wireless connection simultaneously.

As long as they all have wireless adapters, several devices can use one router to connect to the Internet. This connection is convenient and virtually invisible, and it's fairly reliable. If the router fails or if too many people try to use high-bandwidth applications at the same time, however, users can experience interference, delays in uploads and downloads, and even lose their connections.  Please be courteous when sharing public internet and don't hog the bandwidth with huge file downloads like videos and graphics - thanks!

Next, we'll look at how to connect to the Internet from a WiFi hotspot.

WiFi Hotspots

If you want to take advantage of public WiFi hotspots or start a wireless network in your home, the first thing you'll need to do is make sure your computer has the right wireless gear. Most new laptops and many new desktop computers come with built-in wireless transmitters. If your laptop doesn't, you can buy a wireless adapter that plugs into the PC card slot or USB port. Desktop computers can use USB adapters, or you can buy an adapter that plugs into the PCI slot inside the computer's case. Many of these adapters can use more than one 802.11 standard.

Once you've installed your wireless adapter and the drivers that allow it to operate, your computer should be able to automatically discover existing networks. This means that when you turn your computer on in a WiFi hotspot, such as a local Community Wi-Fi Hot Spot, the computer will inform you that the network exists and ask whether you want to connect to it. If you have an older computer, you may need to use a software program to detect and connect to a wireless network.

Being able to connect to the Internet in public hotspots is extremely convenient. They allow you to easily connect multiple computers and to move them from place to place without disconnecting and reconnecting wires.  Enjoy Community Wi-Fi courtesy of your featured sponsoring local businesses!