If you are a Mac user, there is a great utility available that makes connecting to wi-fi networks easier when you are on the road. It is called WiFind. When you install WiFind, it updates the Airport pull-down menu which shows available networks so that in addition to showing the names of the available networks, it also show the signal strength and if the network is open or locked. This is a huge time saver when you are on the road and looking for the best open network around... no more having to try each of them out.