Untitled Document
Upgrade a regular Linksys router
into a fully automated FREE Wireless Internet Service finder.
Highlights: (BLACK = IN BOTH VERSIONS - GREEN = IN FULL VERSION ONLY)
- Use it in your car, your home, your office or your hotel.
I work on the road frequently. I just stick bluebox on the dash and glance at the LEDs or at the laptop status screen. Frequently I don't even have to move the car and have had access in the spot I chose to park when setting up. At the car rental place. In the Wal*Mart parking lot. Or at one of the "more than you could imagine" places that provide free Internet access. I also use it in hotels and at hotspots. At home, with mutual agreement with my neighbor, we both use blueboxes to provide each other with redundant Internet connections. I even use one to get an Internet feed to a PC normally out of range from my wireless access point. The applications are endless.
*AS WITH ALL WIFI ENABLED DEVICES, IT IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY TO USE COMMON SENSE AND NOT TO USE ACCESS POINTS WHICH WERE NOT INTENDED FOR YOUR USE.*
- Connects using a standard network port on your computer - you don't need a wireless card.
You can connect bluebox to anything with an Ethernet port. Connect it to a single PC, or any other device, or even to an entire network. You can even connect bluebox to a standard wireless access point to repeat the Internet access wirelessly.
- Free Internet is available just about anywhere there are people.
In densely populated areas you can get free Internet access just about everywhere. Local municipalities, businesses and just plain people are intentionally blanketing areas with open wireless mesh and non-mesh networks for the use of anyone within range. Wireless networks, big and small, are growing at an astounding rate and beginning to converge from the edge of the network cloud and are quickly becoming part of the Internet infrastructure. Even Voice Over IP (via WiFi) is being integrated into wireless phones to take advantage of this very phenomenon. In less densely populated areas you may need to move around a bit to find the best signal.
- Automatically scans for networks providing Internet for all connected computers.
Connect up to five wired devices simultaneously and share the Internet connection among them. Bluebox constantly monitors the Internet connection and resumes scanning if you lose connectivity or if an access point is not configured to allow Internet access. Doing this it can even allow your laptop to pick up and send emails passively while you're stuck in slow traffic and driving past open access points!
- Built-in NAT Firewalling.
Bluebox keeps unauthorized users on from getting into your connected computers, and you can't get into theirs!
- Completely plug-n-play - just plug it in and go!
Plug it in and it starts going. Do nothing, or launch the monitor and "tweak" program to see and tweak what bluebox is doing.
- Automobile adapters easy to find
Radio Shack, Wal*Mart and a billion places online. You just need a straight-through unregulated 12VDC adapter for your car if you use the Linksys WRT54GL.
- Two to five times the range of a standard laptop wireless card.
This unit with the stock antennas will pick up signals MUCH further than your laptop card will. If you need to pick up even more distant signals there are inexpensive antenna upgrades available (but try it with the stock antennas first!)
Features: (BLACK = IN BOTH VERSIONS - GREEN = IN FULL VERSION ONLY)
- Automatic Open-Path Setting
When you want to connect to all open paths available to the Internet - this is the most popular setting. Fully tweakable settings so when you're mobile you can rescan immediately on the first hint of a network drop, or for stationary and/or fixed access point applications you can have the unit retry for as long as you specify.
- Hot Spot & Hotel Walled Garden Setting
When you want to connect through access points that require a web-based login you can set the unit to lock onto open access points and also connect to access points that respond to Internet requests with their own login page.
- WEP Setting
You can connect based on WEP key. Useful if you're connecting to your own access point, or a known WISP.
- SSID & MAC Setting
You can connect based on SSID or MAC. Useful if you' wish to connect to a specifc known access point.
- SSID Blacklist
You can create a blacklist of SSIDs that you know you don't want to connect through.
- Antenna Settings
You can tweak the antenna settings to use one, two, or different antennas...and more!
- Tx Power Level Setting
People literally buy other firmware JUST for this ability. But do yourself a favor and stay within legal limits for your jurisdiction and also stop by the forums for a quick read before you jack the unit up to 255mw!
