Wherever you see this logo, you're in a Vermont WiFi Hotspot. Happy surfing!

Vermont offers a growing number of Wi-Fi "hotspots" for your use. Wi-Fi is gives you the power to connect to the Internet and your corporate network while you are out of your office or away from your network. Some locations in Vermont may be serviced by a commercial wireless Internet service provider. These providers use an intelligent access point that enables you to easily log in regardless of your network settings or type of card. In this case you will connect to a special log-in screen where you identify yourself and sign on. If you are at a pay-for-access site, you will have to provide your membership information or use your credit card to pay on the spot. Other locations may provide free access once you have signed on.

To find the nearest Wi-Fi network to which you can connect in Vermont follow this link.

Depending on the HotSpot location and network setup, connecting to a Wi-Fi network can be very easy and automatic, or it can be a manual process that requires you to change your network name, password and security code.

If you know a wireless network is operating where you are hooking in, first ask the appropriate person at that location if there are special instructions for signing on to the network.

If you are running Windows XP on your laptop, it should automatically scan and recognize the local Wi-Fi network and prompt you to log onto it. If you are using any other operating system, you may have to perform a manual scan to find an available network. Depending on your card and the card's manufacturer, you may need to run your Wi-Fi management utility to create a new network location. (Most Wi-Fi systems allow users to create and retain the network names, security settings and passwords for different network locations in their computer.) You simply select the correct network location and your computer will be able to connect. See your manufacturer's manual for specific instructions for your system.

In many open networks such as airports and other public areas, there is no security implemented at all. WPA™ and authorization are deliberately set to "off" to make it simpler to access the network. In a public HotSpot you should turn off file sharing to prevent anyone in the vicinity accessing data on your computer. Once you are on the network, your wireless transmissions can be encrypted as they travel between the access point and your office via your VPN or through the Internet by SSL.

When you are working in a public HotSpot, you cannot be confident of truly secure access. So unless you are just cruising the Internet for fun, you should use a Virtual Private Network (VPN) if possible to create a secure virtual tunnel from your computer, through the access point to the Internet, and back to your office and corporate servers.