With the growing popularity of Wi-Fi for accessing the Internet, this convenience is becoming expected. What often frustrates users now is not the availability of Wi-Fi, but the often spotty coverage and never really being sure where you'll find access to a good signal.

Sure, the hotel, coffee shop, or airport advertises Wi-Fi availability, but that doesn't mean every square foot of the building will have equal (or even acceptable) signal strength.

Enter a new breed of tech tool, Wi-Fi locators, and my personal favorite, the Hawking Technologies HWL1.

While there's a whole breed of these devices now for sale (some as small as a key-chain fob) the Hawking has one big advantage; it's clam-shell design allows you to flip up the antenna, giving you a directional indication of not just how strong nearby Wi-Fi signal are, but also the general direction of the source.

When you're in a building or area with Wi-Fi, and looking for a good spot to get down to work, this extra piece of information is critical.

It doesn't hurt that the Hawking unit is a highly stylized product and looks much like a hand-held "communicator" from the Star Trek legacy either.

For roughly $40, (available in stores or online) the HWL1 will sniff out both "B" and "G" signals from up to 300 feet indoors, and is a bargain in time-savings whether you're a real estate road warrior, or just an occasional coffee-shop surfer.

Published: April 18, 2005

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