Cherries Frozen Custard Bistro
Country Club Plaza, 428 Ward Parkway, Kansas City
802.11g
SSID: Cherries
If your heart is really set on trying this one out, especially if you plan on using a widescreen laptop, here's a hint-come alone. The few tables here are barely big enough to accomodate your big rig and a sandwich wrap at the same time. Bring a partner with you and he or she will be either eating or surfing off his or her lap.
That said, it has to be remembered that this is intended to be an "eat it and beat it" establishment, similar to the suburban McDonald's locations I profiled earlier. Therefore, don't expect amenities like power outlets, or to stay for an extended period. Also, beware of some rogue SSIDs such as I saw on my visit. Make sure you connect to the right one.
Saturday, December 10, 2005
Santa came early...
...and left something that any of you pursuing a hobby like this ought to seriously consider asking him for.
I'd been intrigued by the new miniature USB Wi-Fi combination signal detector/adapter units that came out earlier this fall, and therefore couldn't resist when I saw the ZyXEL AG-225H at CompUSA for about $80. When it comes to finding, analyzing, and connecting to hotspots, this baby has everything but the kitchen sink. Its LCD display shows SSID, protocol (it supports 802.11a as well as both the Wi-Fi standards "b" and "g"), channel, and presence and type of encryption. Plug it into a USB 2.0 port and not only can it connect your computer to any network, but it can even act as an access point and turn your rig into an impromptu hotspot if you want, although I haven't tried this yet.
So far with my new toy I've been able to confirm that the Plaza Library's access points are indeed all 802.11b despite someone having reported otherwise (by the way, they have five of them broadcasting on three different channels), and the rogue network at the Waldo Community Branch library I warned you about a while back is really 802.11g and not "b" as I originally described it (and although it's still there as of this afternoon, and thus apparently is deliberately being left open by whoever it belongs to, I'm continuing to recommend you stay off it). This thing is no slouch in the adapter department, either. Using it with my old backup laptop at the Plaza Library provided a marked improvement over its poorly performing built-in card. It's also nice to know that the next time I'm using the backup machine at an 802.11g location, I can connect at full speed. And I have the peace of mind that comes from being prepared should an opportunity to connect either of my machines to an 802.11a access point ever present itself for some reason.
If this has piqued your interest, I believe all the major manufacturers are making versions of this kind of device now. I've seen Linksys' WUSBF54G for less than $70 online and Trend Micro's model for even less than that. Any of them would make a nice stocking stuffer, as well as a useful item to stuff into your pocket for a long time after that.
I'd been intrigued by the new miniature USB Wi-Fi combination signal detector/adapter units that came out earlier this fall, and therefore couldn't resist when I saw the ZyXEL AG-225H at CompUSA for about $80. When it comes to finding, analyzing, and connecting to hotspots, this baby has everything but the kitchen sink. Its LCD display shows SSID, protocol (it supports 802.11a as well as both the Wi-Fi standards "b" and "g"), channel, and presence and type of encryption. Plug it into a USB 2.0 port and not only can it connect your computer to any network, but it can even act as an access point and turn your rig into an impromptu hotspot if you want, although I haven't tried this yet.
So far with my new toy I've been able to confirm that the Plaza Library's access points are indeed all 802.11b despite someone having reported otherwise (by the way, they have five of them broadcasting on three different channels), and the rogue network at the Waldo Community Branch library I warned you about a while back is really 802.11g and not "b" as I originally described it (and although it's still there as of this afternoon, and thus apparently is deliberately being left open by whoever it belongs to, I'm continuing to recommend you stay off it). This thing is no slouch in the adapter department, either. Using it with my old backup laptop at the Plaza Library provided a marked improvement over its poorly performing built-in card. It's also nice to know that the next time I'm using the backup machine at an 802.11g location, I can connect at full speed. And I have the peace of mind that comes from being prepared should an opportunity to connect either of my machines to an 802.11a access point ever present itself for some reason.
If this has piqued your interest, I believe all the major manufacturers are making versions of this kind of device now. I've seen Linksys' WUSBF54G for less than $70 online and Trend Micro's model for even less than that. Any of them would make a nice stocking stuffer, as well as a useful item to stuff into your pocket for a long time after that.
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