The tocwireless.net's AP's offer open and unencrypted (no WEP) connections to the Internet. As long as your data is not encrypted, someone can sniff or view the data being sent between your device and the access point (a closed wireless network - i.e. using WEP, is not exactly secure, as there are known methods to reliably crack the WEP security).

Users are advised to use SSL to connect to web pages and mail hosts, SSH instead of telnet whenever possible, and VPNs (virtual private networks) for all other data to ensure privacy and security from end-to-end.

Finally, all IP settings are automatically assigned by DHCP server.

Current Wireless Spaces: Please visit the Locate Wireless Access Spaces link to the left for a GIS created network map of public wireless Internet access spaces. Quickly spot access spaces and patterns of coverage from a birds-eye view.

1. Carrboro Town Hall
   Location: 1st or Main Floor - Offers 802.11b WiFi access to all 1st floor meeting rooms, Board Room and basement meeting rooms.
   SSID: tocwireless.net
   Encryption: NONE
   Channel: 11
   WiFi: yes
   Ethernet Encapsulation Transformation Method: RFC1042
   Long/Short Radio Preambles: Short
   Public Secure Packet Forwarding: Disabled
   
2. Carrboro Century Center
   Location: 1st Floor, Greensboro Street Level - Offers 802.11b WiFi access to all meeting rooms located on first floor of Century Center. Currently, limited access to Century Hall of Century Center (2nd floor) due to thick concrete flooring.
   SSID: tocwireless.net
   Encryption: NONE
   Channel: 6
   WiFi: yes
   Ethernet Encapsulation Transformation Method: RFC1042
   Long/Short Radio Preambles: Short
   Public Secure Packet Forwarding: Disabled
   
3. Carrboro Fire Department
   Location: 1st Floor - Offers 802.11b WiFi access to entire Fire Department. MOST areas of the Fire Deartment are NOT public spaces. Not the truck bay.
   SSID: tocwireless.net
   Encryption: NONE
   Channel: 6
   WiFi: yes
   Ethernet Encapsulation Transformation Method: RFC1042
   Long/Short Radio Preambles: Short
   Public Secure Packet Forwarding: Disabled
4. Others have been located on private properties.

1. Using Microsoft Windows (9x,2000,XP)
   
2. Using Mac OS 9.x
   
3. Using Mac OS 10.x (Mac OS X)

1. How to connect to the tocwireless.net network using Microsoft Windows (9x,2000,XP)

Hardware requirements - Any device that has a WiFi compliant 802.11b wireless Ethernet capability. Laptop w/PCMCIA card, PDA, tablet, etc.

Software Requirements - Any web browser. Make sure that your web browser is not set to use a proxy server.

Connecting to the Network - Set your wireless network adapter's Network Name (or SSID) to "tocwireless.net" w/o quotes. The operating system should pull this information from the AP. Check that your network settings are configured to obtain an IP address automatically (use DHCP to obtain IP address information). Launch your web browser and start surfing!

2. How to connect to the tocwireless.net network using Mac OS 9.x

At the "Apple Menu" select "Airport." Expand "Settings." It should read "AirPort: On." If it is "Off" click on "Turn AirPort On."

Under "Choose network" select "Other." For the "network name" type in - "tocwireless.net" w/o quotes - leave the password field blank, and click on "OK."

At the Apple Menu select "Control Panels" and select "TCP/IP." Select "Connect Via" and choose "AirPort" from the drop down menu. In the "Configure" menu, select "Using DHCP Server." Close the window and when prompted, save the changes. Launch Your Web Browser and start surfing!

3. How to connect to the tocwireless.net network using Mac OS 10.x (Mac OS X)

At the "Apple menu", select "System Preferences" (appears in the upper left of the screen display). Select "Network." Verify that "Show": is set to "AirPort".

Select the "TCP/IP" tab. The settings should appear as follows:
Configure: Using DHCP
The Domain Name Servers (Optional) should be left blank.
The DHCP Client ID: should be left blank.
The Search Domains (Optional) should be left blank.

Select the "Airport" tab. Preferred Network should be set to - "tocwireless.net" w/o quotes. The Network password should be left blank. Click "Save".

Under "System Preferences", select "Quit System Preferences." Launch Your Web Browser and start surfing!

• freeNetworks - A global organization of wireless communities.
  
• PersonalTelco - To promote and build public wireless networks through community support and education.
  
• NYCwireless - Provide Free Public Wireless Internet Service to mobile users in public spaces throughout the New York City metro area.
  
• SeattleWireless - Seattle Wireless is a not-for-profit effort to develop a wireless broadband community network in Seattle, Washington.
  
• No Cat - Community supported 802.11b wireless network in Sonoma County, CA. Also actively developing NoCatAuth, the centralized authentication code that make shared Internet services possible.
• Richmond Free Wireless - Richmond Free Wireless is Richmond, Virginia's first public wireless Internet access network and community.

The most up-to-date listings of wireless community networks can be found at http://www.personaltelco.net/index.cgi/WirelessCommunities.