topic Re: Using free wifi at a cafe in Community Spirit

Using free wifi at a cafe

bright.ton42 — Thu, 23 Mar 2017 09:47:29 GMT

A lovely cafe/bar I often go to gave me their wifi pass word so I can take my laptop there.

This is probably an obvious question but I'd have to rely on my battery wouldn't I, which doesn't last long, or can you recharge

there. I've never done this before As I usually sit in the courtyard I doubt they would have power outlets.

If I got a dongle thing would that work for me?

Re: Using free wifi at a cafe

kopenhagen5 — Thu, 23 Mar 2017 10:32:25 GMT

Yes to charge the battery you need to connect to a powerpoint.

Some cafes allow it.

A dongle is used to connect to the internet and like having your own account on it if you don't have wifi.

But does your laptop have wifi capabilities (wifi receiver built in) ?

In other words if you use wifi at home, you don't connect anything to the laptop which will mean you do have built in wifi in the laptop.

Re: Using free wifi at a cafe

bright.ton42 — Thu, 23 Mar 2017 23:54:36 GMT

Yes Kopes it does have wifi. So to go to the cafe I'd just take the lappy and the power cord as they said I can hook into their free wifi. I amaze myself with my dumbness 🙂

Re: Using free wifi at a cafe

kopenhagen5 — Fri, 24 Mar 2017 02:25:47 GMT

Too harsh on yourself, no such thing as a dumb question.

(Unless of course I have already told you 3 times):smileylol:

And yes, just the lappy n powerchord.

Re: Using free wifi at a cafe

lyndal1838 — Fri, 24 Mar 2017 02:57:59 GMT

Ah, but think of the service you have provided for all those readers who were too scared to ask that question, dumb or not.

Re: Using free wifi at a cafe

bright.ton42 — Fri, 24 Mar 2017 06:48:25 GMT

Haha thanks Lyndal

Re: Using free wifi at a cafe

bright.ton42 — Fri, 24 Mar 2017 06:57:32 GMT

Well now........ major fail.

i'm not due to the go to the cafe until prob tomorrow but today I took my car into majpr service at Toyota who have free wifi so I thought i'd give that a go as i knew i'd have to wait for ages ......so with the help of the receptionist we plug the lappy into the power, bring up their wifi details ....... and bogger all, I'm tiold there is a fault and can't be connected.

We try and try, but zilch.

Then I;m told to go online and get help from microsoft. Kidding, right?

There are all these othr ppl tapping away on their connected wifi except ..... me. So after talking myself out of the victim mentality I end up doing a lot of housekeeping with photos....... but just another To Do on mhy already long To Do list.

Re: Using free wifi at a cafe

not_for_sale — Fri, 24 Mar 2017 08:00:31 GMT

@bright.ton42 wrote:
Well now........ major fail.

i'm not due to the go to the cafe until prob tomorrow but today I took my car into majpr service at Toyota who have free wifi so I thought i'd give that a go as i knew i'd have to wait for ages ......so with the help of the receptionist we plug the lappy into the power, bring up their wifi details ....... and bogger all, I'm tiold there is a fault and can't be connected.
We try and try, but zilch.
Then I;m told to go online and get help from microsoft. Kidding, right?
There are all these othr ppl tapping away on their connected wifi except ..... me. So after talking myself out of the victim mentality I end up doing a lot of housekeeping with photos....... but just another To Do on mhy already long To Do list.

It's possible there was a glitch at Toyota's end or the wifi settings weren't being entered correctly. Whichever, I'd blame the receptionist and approach the cafe tommorrow with a clear conscience.

Re: Using free wifi at a cafe

youcandoityoucandoityoucandoit — Fri, 24 Mar 2017 10:39:22 GMT

Hey bright- sounds like a nice cafe..

Charge your laptop tonight, and then take your lappy in to the cafe, you may as well take your electrical cord with you- just in case. A dongle is nothing to do with your battery- its just to get internet access where theres none. But this cafe has wifi, so you don't need it.

Have you ever used McDonalds free wifi? Its like that- you will be able to have access by logging in- from memeory, McDs allow you access by answering yes on your screen- theres usually not even a password.

They will have an account where you use their password to log in- you'll probably open up your lappy and their wifi will come up on screen, and then you will use their password. It will be easy- and Im pretty sure they will help you if you need it.

I would recommend, though, to not use your internet banking, or anything needing a password- and make sure you totally log out.

Enjoy your coffee!

PS- Dont worry about Toyota- they ought to have tried to help you..as someone already said, it most probably was their problem.

Re: Using free wifi at a cafe

amalan11 — Fri, 24 Mar 2017 12:24:43 GMT

If you need more battery consider a powerbank they are about $25 up but you just charge at home and it will give you a couple of extra hours power . You just use a usb port to conect it . Ebay,target and kmart all have them at resonable cost

Re: Using free wifi at a cafe

bright.ton42 — Sat, 25 Mar 2017 09:49:39 GMT

Thanks Youcan, I will give it a go when next I'm there. In Toyota's favour I will say they were busy beyond belief yesterday and queues at the reception desk so I was kinda appreciative that she spent some time with me. But to satisfy myself that it's not me or the laptop I might go to McDonald's tomorrow now you menton it..... they wouldn't provide power though would they.

Never mind, just another of life's little challenges to add to my ever increasing list.

Re: Using free wifi at a cafe

bright.ton42 — Sat, 25 Mar 2017 09:51:12 GMT

Well there you go, a powerbank. Never heard of it but I don't have any 4-yr old around me haha. Thanks heaps, that sounds the way to go.

Re: Using free wifi at a cafe

bright.ton42 — Sun, 26 Mar 2017 23:06:12 GMT

I've just tested my lappy battery without power and it only lasts half an hour. That's using the internet, though offline would be the same wouldn't it. . So that prob means I need a new battery, or a new computer?

Whch means getting Win 10

which means another 'challenge' while I've got enough with selling my house

Re: Using free wifi at a cafe

imastawka — Mon, 27 Mar 2017 01:14:35 GMT

I'd go for a new battery first - only cost about $30 or so

Maybe just get that powerbank thingie

Please don't be scared of Win10. I like it

Re: Using free wifi at a cafe

kopenhagen5 — Mon, 27 Mar 2017 01:23:38 GMT

Good powerbanks are a little exy.

If you buy a new battery you then have the time of the two.

So half hour with this one and around 2-3 with the new.

If you are happy with current lappy, just go for a new battery, but not from China !

Re: Using free wifi at a cafe

imastawka — Mon, 27 Mar 2017 01:25:16 GMT

Good call Kopes. Don't buy anything electrical from China

Re: Using free wifi at a cafe

kopenhagen5 — Mon, 27 Mar 2017 01:34:03 GMT

Stawks, I would go as far to say don't buy anything from China until they fix their polluting the world problem, get out of Tibet and leave things alone in the South China sea, just for starters.

Re: Using free wifi at a cafe

bright.ton42 — Mon, 27 Mar 2017 01:50:09 GMT

Another stupid question ........ where do I get a new battery from and who do I get to install it... duhhh

Re: Using free wifi at a cafe

imastawka — Mon, 27 Mar 2017 02:13:16 GMT

Depends what your lappy is.

You can buy one on ebay - just not from China

Search for 'your brand of lappy - battery'

Or checkout one of your local computer stores to compare prices.

Installation is not hard. Here's some You tube tutorials to show you

https://www.google.com.au/search?q=changing+laptop+batter&ie=&oe=#q=changing+laptop+battery&tbm=vid&*&spf=400

Re: Using free wifi at a cafe

bushies.girl — Mon, 27 Mar 2017 03:38:13 GMT

Thats a great theory, doesnt work so well is practice unless you have squillions of $$$$ to spend on non Chinese made items .... I try to buy Au made if/when I can but some things arent simply out of my price range.

Some people like windows 10, some dont .... personal choice ..... Hubs has it n hates it 'n he's no dubbo