Being 'easy to find' is one thing that hotspots are usually not, with all too many public wireless networks listed as somewhere in a train station or airport but with no real clue as to exactly where. Fortunately a new pocket-sized wireless network finder from Linksys looks set to change that for the better.

The Linksys WUSBF54G has a small LCD screen on one side, displaying all 802.11b/g networks which it finds, and after a short time scanning it'll display the SSID name, signal strength, channel number and details about the security encryption in use.

Unlike a lot of wireless network finders which rely completely on a set of LED's which light up showing the strength of wireless networks and are often fooled in to picking up spurious signals, the WUSBF54G gives a definite indication of a real WiFi network connection - saving the hassle of having to start up your laptop just to find it's not a real 2.4Ghz wireless signal such as a microwave or cordless phone.

Once you have found your network of choice, the WUSBF54G doubles as a USB wireless network adapter and can simply be plugged straight in to any spare USB port on your laptop, which also re-charges the battery inside the device meaning it's ready to use next time you want to find a hotspot.

American pricing for the Linksys WUSBF54G is around $80, making it slightly more expensive than the more basic network finders on the market, but being so much more useful it's a price well worth paying. We're hoping it'll get a release here in the UK before too long.