City's Wi-Fi more powerful than yours

Q How is the city able to rely on the citywide wireless network for its wireless devices when I had to get a US Internet wireless modem in order to connect from my house?

NICHOLAS DEACON, MINNEAPOLIS

A City police and fire vehicles are getting more powerful Wi-Fi modems that will receive the city wireless signal more effectively than the modem supplied for your house. Given the critical nature of city emergency services, this is not surprising.

Q Our AT&T dial-up service is extremely slow. Where can I get high-speed service, and, in the meantime, can I download new software at a library computer and move it to my home PC?

SUSANNE WOLTER, MINNEAPOLIS

A You have three choices for high-speed Internet: Qwest DSL, Comcast cable modem and US Internet city Wi-Fi service.

Due to bandwidth considerations, Hennepin County Library customers cannot download audio books, music, or videos from its subscription resources within a library. However, customers may download software and other files to be copied onto a floppy, CD, or a USB flash drive.

MARY BENDER, BIG LAKE

A Because Windows ME is an eight-year-old operating system, there isn't much software available for it. I suggest you check out the free "Pasaio Privacy And Security All In One 3," which can be found at www.startribune.com/a4483.

Q Using Internet Explorer 6.0, I can't open any of the StarTribune.com websites that end with numbers. What's the problem?

JOHN PLAHN, MOUND

A Thanks for responding to my request to hear about unexplained problems with our Web links. I used the same version of Internet Explorer with mixed results.

When I pasted the address into the browser address field and deleted the extra space between the slash and the letter "a" it went to the correct website.

Two links in my May 28 column, www.startribune.com/a4422 and www.startribune.com/a4417 worked properly.

Try those addresses; if you're still having trouble, let me know.