RefQ: Are there web-enabled cell phones that can use local wireless?

Hello,

I've been asked whether people with web-enabled cell phones
might be
able to sign onto our library wireless network. My off the
cuff response
was no because many web-enabled phones are tied to a single
service
provider. Has anyone here heard differently? 

Thanks,

=================================

Daniel Cornwall
Head of Information Services 
Alaska State Library 
PO Box 110571
Juneau, AK 99811-0571
(907) 465-1315 ph
(907) 465-2665 fax
E-Mail: dan.cornwallalaska.gov

Learn what the Alaska State Library can do for you by
visiting
http://library.state.ak.u
s.
 
Learn about the Alaska State Publications Program, a system
that works
to make state information available to Alaskans now and in
the 22nd
Century. See our web page at <http://l
ibrary.state.ak.us/asp/asp.html>.
 
Any opinions expressed in this e-mail are mine alone and not
those of my
employer unless explicitly stated.
_______________________________________________
Web4lib mailing list
Web4libwebjunction.org
http://lists.we
bjunction.org/web4lib/

My husband's iPhone can connect to any unsecured wireless
network. He 
actually prefers to do so when possible because it is faster
than the AT&T 
network that the phone normally runs on. So yes, if he was
sitting in your 
library with his iPhone, and your wireless network doesn't
require a 
password, he would access it. 

----
Lara B. Little
Reference/Periodicals Librarian & Library Coordinator
G.A. Pfeiffer Library/Pfeiffer University
Misenheimer, NC 28109
_______________________________________________
Web4lib mailing list
Web4libwebjunction.org
http://lists.we
bjunction.org/web4lib/

My husband's iPhone can connect to any unsecured wireless
network. He 
actually prefers to do so when possible because it is faster
than the AT&T 
network that the phone normally runs on. So yes, if he was
sitting in your 
library with his iPhone, and your wireless network doesn't
require a 
password, he would access it. 

----
Lara B. Little
Reference/Periodicals Librarian & Library Coordinator
G.A. Pfeiffer Library/Pfeiffer University
Misenheimer, NC 28109
_______________________________________________
Web4lib mailing list
Web4libwebjunction.org
http://lists.we
bjunction.org/web4lib/

And phones with better software (the iPhone is pretty, but
the
software really isn't cutting edge) can almost certainly use
secured
networks, depending on the security protocol involved.  I'm
99% sure
my old Treo could.  The distinction is how you define
web-enabled.
Some phones do have wi-fi capabilities, which would make
connecting to
your library wireless a possibility.  If they rely on the
cell tower
signals, then they can't.

Mark Sandford

On Wed, Feb 27, 2008 at 6:25 PM, Lara Little
<Lara.Littlepfeiffer.edu> wrote:
> My husband's iPhone can connect to any unsecured
wireless network. He
>  actually prefers to do so when possible because it is
faster than the AT&T
>  network that the phone normally runs on. So yes, if he
was sitting in your
>  library with his iPhone, and your wireless network
doesn't require a
>  password, he would access it. 
>
_______________________________________________
Web4lib mailing list
Web4libwebjunction.org
http://lists.we
bjunction.org/web4lib/

And phones with better software (the iPhone is pretty, but
the
software really isn't cutting edge) can almost certainly use
secured
networks, depending on the security protocol involved.  I'm
99% sure
my old Treo could.  The distinction is how you define
web-enabled.
Some phones do have wi-fi capabilities, which would make
connecting to
your library wireless a possibility.  If they rely on the
cell tower
signals, then they can't.

Mark Sandford

On Wed, Feb 27, 2008 at 6:25 PM, Lara Little
<Lara.Littlepfeiffer.edu> wrote:
> My husband's iPhone can connect to any unsecured
wireless network. He
>  actually prefers to do so when possible because it is
faster than the AT&T
>  network that the phone normally runs on. So yes, if he
was sitting in your
>  library with his iPhone, and your wireless network
doesn't require a
>  password, he would access it. 
>
_______________________________________________
Web4lib mailing list
Web4libwebjunction.org
http://lists.we
bjunction.org/web4lib/

>>> On Thu, Feb 28, 2008 at 12:10 PM, "Mark
Sandford" <sandfordm1wpunj.edu> wrote:
> And phones with better software (the iPhone is pretty,
but the
> software really isn't cutting edge) can almost
certainly use secured
> networks, depending on the security protocol involved.


The iPhone can join open, WEP, WAP & WAP2 networks. It
can do L2TP or PPTP based VPN's over both Edge and WiFi.

HTH,
David


____________________________________________________________
_________
David Jones                                    
mailto:djonesscu.edu
Library Systems Manager                  http://www.scu.edu/librar
y/
University Library                               fax:  
408-551-1805
Santa Clara University                            phone:
408-551-7167
500 El Camino Real
Santa Clara CA 95053-0500
____________________________________________________________
_________
Reality is that which, when you stop believing in it,
doesn't go away.
-- Philip K. Dick


_______________________________________________
Web4lib mailing list
Web4libwebjunction.org
http://lists.we
bjunction.org/web4lib/

>>> On Thu, Feb 28, 2008 at 12:10 PM, "Mark
Sandford" <sandfordm1wpunj.edu> wrote:
> And phones with better software (the iPhone is pretty,
but the
> software really isn't cutting edge) can almost
certainly use secured
> networks, depending on the security protocol involved.


The iPhone can join open, WEP, WAP & WAP2 networks. It
can do L2TP or PPTP based VPN's over both Edge and WiFi.

HTH,
David


____________________________________________________________
_________
David Jones                                    
mailto:djonesscu.edu
Library Systems Manager                  http://www.scu.edu/librar
y/
University Library                               fax:  
408-551-1805
Santa Clara University                            phone:
408-551-7167
500 El Camino Real
Santa Clara CA 95053-0500
____________________________________________________________
_________
Reality is that which, when you stop believing in it,
doesn't go away.
-- Philip K. Dick


_______________________________________________
Web4lib mailing list
Web4libwebjunction.org
http://lists.we
bjunction.org/web4lib/

It depends if the phone is wifi enabled. Most phones just
access the
web through their traditional service and not wireless
though.

On Wed, Feb 27, 2008 at 5:37 PM, Cornwall, Daniel D (EED)
<dan.cornwallalaska.gov> wrote:
>  I've been asked whether people with web-enabled cell
phones might be
>  able to sign onto our library wireless network. My off
the cuff response
>  was no because many web-enabled phones are tied to a
single service
>  provider. Has anyone here heard differently?
_______________________________________________
Web4lib mailing list
Web4libwebjunction.org
http://lists.we
bjunction.org/web4lib/

It depends if the phone is wifi enabled. Most phones just
access the
web through their traditional service and not wireless
though.

On Wed, Feb 27, 2008 at 5:37 PM, Cornwall, Daniel D (EED)
<dan.cornwallalaska.gov> wrote:
>  I've been asked whether people with web-enabled cell
phones might be
>  able to sign onto our library wireless network. My off
the cuff response
>  was no because many web-enabled phones are tied to a
single service
>  provider. Has anyone here heard differently?
_______________________________________________
Web4lib mailing list
Web4libwebjunction.org
http://lists.we
bjunction.org/web4lib/

-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
Hash: SHA1

On Feb 27, 2008, at 5:37 PM, Cornwall, Daniel D (EED)
wrote:
> I've been asked whether people with web-enabled cell
phones might be
> able to sign onto our library wireless network. My off
the cuff  
> response
> was no because many web-enabled phones are tied to a
single service
> provider. Has anyone here heard differently?


As others have indicated, it depends on whether the phone
has wi-fi  
capabilities.  The iPhone is one that does.  The HTC Mogul
from Sprint  
and Verizon is another.


Peterr
- --
Peter Murray                            http://www.pandc.org
/peter/work/
Assistant Director, New Service Development 
tel:+1-614-728-3600;ext=338
OhioLINK: the Ohio Library and Information Network       
Columbus, Ohio
The Disruptive Library Technology Jester                http://dltj.org/
Attrib-Noncomm-Share   htt
p://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.5/


-----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE-----
Version: GnuPG v1.4.5 (Darwin)

iD8DBQFHywdz4+t4qSfPIHIRAqL9AJ9/JT0CRBf4EF97TWWw/yPmxrBzfwCf
aheg
fDiinikJWwGdiC+8O4xDX0Y=
=Eu5R
-----END PGP SIGNATURE-----

_______________________________________________
Web4lib mailing list
Web4libwebjunction.org
http://lists.we
bjunction.org/web4lib/