FIU has set up the dishes -- "hot spots" -- at locations such as the business building, the food court and the computer lab and plans more locations. Students and staff who want to access the network need a special wireless card -- available for $65 to $80 at the FIU bookstore and at retailers such as Office Depot and CompUSA -- that must be installed in their computers and personal digital assistants.
Along with the card, which conforms to a LAN standard known as 802.11b, students must register their computers in order to access the system.
Like other wireless internet access, Wi-Fi lets users check e-mail and download stock quotes or any other information from just about anywhere. But while web access on a cellphone comes slowly via narrow band, Wi-Fi offers broadband transmissions at up to 11 megabits per second (mbps) -- faster than a T-1 line. "It's as fast, if not faster, than my at-home DSL connection," Kruger says.
So far, Wi-Fi usage is confined mostly to universities and spots where business people gather, such as hotel business centers, airport executive lounges and some restaurants. There are some public-access locations, however. At Jacksonville Landing, for example, the city and several private companies set up a free hot spot in 2001. "We've gotten a fair amount of interest in it from the merchants," says Sandy Bateh, Jacksonville's chief information officer.
Many see Wi-Fi as the Next Big Thing in the tech world because it offers fast broadband access on the go. Business executives can stop into a local Starbucks, for example, and download a spreadsheet or report they need to prepare for their next on-the-road meeting.
Toshiba recently released the Pocket PC e740, the first PDA with built-in Wi-Fi. Meanwhile, service providers are lining up to cater to the expected demand: Boingo (which has 700 locations nationwide), T-Mobile (formerly VoiceStream, with 1,300 locations, many in Starbucks outlets), Wayport and Sip and Surf.
Boingo charges $74.95 per month for unlimited use, $24.95 for 10 connect days or $7.95 for unlimited access for a 24-hour period. T-Mobile charges $49.99 per month for unlimited access nationwide or $2.99 for 15 minutes.
In south Florida, Boca Raton-based Broadband Oasis expects to open 100 hot spots in the next 12 months. It will charge $19.95 a month or $9.95 a day for access. The first phase of that plan was a deal with Big Time Restaurant Group -- owner of Big City Taverns in Boca Raton, Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach and Tampa, the City Oyster in Delray Beach and the John Bull English Pub, City Cellar Wine Bar & Grill and Piccolo Grill, all in West Palm Beach -- to put in Wi-Fi hot spots.
Broadband Oasis is picking up the tab for the hot spot equipment, focusing more on getting its foot in the door at the right locations. "We look at this business as a land grab," says Logan Pierson, managing partner of Broadband Oasis. "We want to be where you and I go every day."
Partly in response to Wi-Fi, providers of wireless access via cellphone are beefing up their own service: Verizon and Sprint PCS are rolling out 3G, or third generation wireless, which offers internet access at 50 to 70 kilobits per second (kbps), speeds comparable to a dial-up modem.
Warchalking
The biggest issue with Wi-Fi appears to be security. Some tech-savvy Wi-Fi users piggyback for free on service that private companies, restaurants and others are paying for. Hackers can tap into a business's Wi-Fi network from out on the street -- anywhere within 300 feet of the hot spot. They are also reading passwords and proprietary information. And the FBI is cracking down on an activity known as "warchalking," in which hackers use a standardized set of symbols to make marks on the sidewalk indicating a wireless network that can be tapped by anyone.
"People don't seem to realize how much information travels over that wireless network," says Chris Day, founder and CTO of the Asgard Group, a Fort Lauderdale computer security company.
In response, businesses often use virtual private networks, or VPNs. For individuals, personal firewalls and anti-virus software are a must. Broadband Oasis' Pierson asserts, "Everyday they are coming out with new security measures."
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A Guide to Wi-Fi
YourWireless.net
Want to know where Wi-Fi is available? Check out YourWireless.net, a comprehensive site put together by a Wi-Fi user. You'll find a rundown of frequently asked questions and lists of Wi-Fi public community networks, Wi-Fi service providers and Wi-Fi hot spots at airports, Starbucks, hotels and business centers.