As of July 1 2010, you can enjoy free unlimited Wi-Fi access in any Starbucks shop nationwide, no
username or password required.
The company also has plans to launch the Starbucks Digital Network in partnership with Yahoo this fall. It would give store customers access to premium pay websites such as the Wall Street Journal’s.
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Tags: Free Wi-Fi, Free WIFI, Free Wireless Network
McDonald Free Wi-FI
In this year, McDonald is began offering free Wi-Fi to its customers, doing away with the $2.95 fee it had been charging for two hours of wireless Internet access.
It’s the result of a new partnership between the restaurant chain and AT&T. The company’s decision to make the switch to free Wi-Fi comes as the chain tries to transform itself into a social hangout and not just a greasy burger joint. In addition to its wireless plans, McDonald’s will also begin selling frappes and smoothies in most of its stores by mid-2010.
Tags: Free Wi-Fi, McDonald, McDonald Free WiFI, McDonald's
Any Wi-Fi discovery tool can find a hot spot, but some network operators also provide connection managers for their Wi-Fi services, mainly to integrate account information easily on both ends of the link.
A good example is Wi-Fi aggregator Boingo Wireless. We installed its GoBoingo client on our Windows XP machine. Operating this application is a bit counter intuitive, it wakes up when near a Boingo hot spot, but otherwise remains invisible. So, while GoBoingo is frequently listed as a discovery tool, it is’nt really. It’s just a way to connect to Boingo, and only Boingo, and subsequently manage your Boingo account.
We also tested T-Mobile’s HotSpot Connection Manager 1.8, a fundamentally consumer oriented tool that unsurprisingly allows the selection of a skin during installation. Upon start-up, it rapidly produced a list of potentially conflicting applications, disabled them and subsequently fired itself up.
Selecting the “networks” button brought up the usual information such as Service Set Identifier, icons for ad-hoc and infrastructure-mode availability, Basic SSID, radio , details on encryption, and a bar graph depicting signal strength. While slower than our Intel manager, T-Mobile’s tool is very usable and suitable even for those who do not regularly use T-Mobile’s not spot service.
We should point out that neither the Boingo nor the T-Mobile services require a connection manager, but the whole point of these, apart from discovery, is to make network access simple, especially for the less than technically literate.
Interestingly, some wireless WAN operators also provide discovery and connection-management tools that are occasionally configured to support WI-FL For example, Smith Micro Software, whose QuickLink Mobile application is used by a number of carriers, is sometimes made available with basic WLAN connectivity.
The product, however, is sold only on an OEM basis, and the version we frequently use at Farpoint Group Verizon Wireless’ VZ Access Manager 6.7.3 has no WLAN capability. In WWAN mode, however, it functions in much the same way as a WLAN connection manager, discovering networks, letting users choose their connection, setting up links and gathering statistics. Similarly, T-Mobile’s manager is configured to enable the setup of T-Mobile GPRS and EDGE connections.
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Tags: HotSpot
Continue from Where’s the Wi-Fi?
Although it’s unlikely you can have your pick of airports, a little planning can help you make the most of the Wi-Fi friendly ones. Have a layover in Atlanta? Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport tops the Forbes Top 30 Most-Wired Airports report, with airport-wide Wi-Fi access via five providers.
Heading to Las Vegas, Denver, or Phoenix? Forbes’ No. 1, No. 2, and No. 3 most Wi-Fi friendly airports, respectively, all offer free hotspot access. If you have a layover in an airport that lacks Wi-Fi, you may
be able to get it through your airline. Delta’s Crown Room Clubs and American Airline’s Admirals Clubs, for instance, offer free T-Mobile Wi-Fi; many locations offer day passes for purchase for nonmembers.
If you want to surf wirelessly in the most locations, make sure your hotel offers Wi-Fi. According to JiWire, hotels top the list of hotspot locations, with over 48,000 worldwide. A few years ago, luxury and upscale convention hotels such as the Adam’s Mark Dallas and the Emirates Palace Abu Dhabi led the charge to wireless access, but today you’ll find Wi-Fi in more humble abodes, as well.
According to Wi-Fi Free Spot, nearly 50 hotel chains or groups offer Wi-Fi, although not all locations have it. Those that offer free Wi-Fi access in most locations range from the budget-priced (AmeriSuites, Staybridge Suites, La Quinta Inns, Homewood Suites, and others) to higher-end hotels. Some offer lobby and public-area access only; others offer guest room access only; a few offer both.
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If you prefer to head out with no plan for Wi-Fi access, a Wi-Fi locator tool will let you find a network without the hassle of setting up your notebook. The Canary Wireless digital hotspotter is one of the more expensive sniffers, and it is one of our favorites. It provides a useful, scroll-through information display including network ID, security (encrypted or open, locked or unlocked), encryption type, type (802.11b/g/n), and number of access points for all the networks within range.
Iogear’s Wi-Fi HotSpot Finder is more basic, with a lightup indicator that shows signal strength if it finds a network (802.11b/g only). Nevertheless, its one-button simplicity will appeal to on-the-go sniffers who don’t want to evaluate a lot of data. Kensington’s key fob-style Wi-Fi Finder Plus parallels Iogear’s in functionality but can also sniff out Bluetooth devices and includes a tiny flashlight.
One other product like, ZyXEL’s AG225H Wi-Fi Finder and USB Adapter, performs double duty. Away from your notebook, it sniffs out Wi-Fi signals (802.11 a/b/g/n) and provides a display similar to that of the Canary product. Plug it into your notebook, and it turns the PC into a Wi-Fi access point that can connect to 802.11 a/b/g (but not 802 .11n) networks.
Wi-Fi On The Go
Now that you know where and how to find Wi-Fi on the road, you should be set to go. However, although Wi-Fi security wasn’t the focus of this article, it is something to consider. Most free Wi-Fi is unsecured, and even networks that require login are not always encrypted. For that reason, a good firewall and with file sharing turned off is a must if you surf unsecured.
One last thing: If you see ads on a free Wi-Fi connection, don’t be concerned you’re being spammed or attacked. Ad-supported Wi-Fi, led by JiWire and its Ads For Access program, is catching on. It may soon enable companies to bring free, secure Wi-Fi to more locations than we ever dreamed possible.
Tags: Free Wi-Fi, Where's the Wi-Fi, Wifi Hotspots
Since 2006, when Wi-Fi information and services firm JiWire proclaimed Wi-Fi hotspots had topped the 100,000 mark globally, the list of hotspot locations has continued heading skyward. As of March, JiWire reports there were nearly 250,000 free and for-pay hotspot locations in 136 countries. (That number isn’t 100% all inclusive, but JiWire’s registry is likely the most comprehensive available.)
The good news for U.S. travelers is that more than a quarter of those hotspot locations are located stateside. Nevertheless, coverage is far from ubiquitous, even in densely populated urban areas where hotspots are most common. For example, Portland, Ore., the No. 1 hotspot city per capita, according to the Forbes 2008 America’s Most Wired Cities report, boasts only six hotspots per square mile, on average.
Factor in the realities that many hotspots have a range of 300 feet or less and that hotspots cluster where people congregate, and the picture turns into a surrealist landscape. Without advanced planning or the right tools, you can easily find yourself stranded in a Wi-Fi desert. The nearest Wi-Fi oasis might be only 1,000 feet away, but you’ll never know it’s there.
How can you prevent the grim scenario depicted above? One possibility is JiWire’s Wi-Fi Hotspot Helper for Windows XP. The device locates nearby Wi-Fi access points by cross-referencing your location against a database, stored offline on your PC, of more than 200,000 verified hotspots. Bonus features are a Wi-Fi mailer, which moves email through blocked hotspots, and enterprise-grade encryption and firewall security. The trial is free, but Vista users are out of luck. If you are a Skype or iPhone user, JiWire also offers a free finder utility without the security and email perks.
Tags: Free Hotspots, WI-FI
Another CES has come and gone, giving us more new-product announcements than an army of tech journalists could give their proper due. As usual, the big players grabbed the lion’s share of the pub, while smaller companies garnered less, including Canary Wireless and its second-gen Digital Hotspotter HS-20, a Wi-Fi detector/analyzer with a scrollable, backlit LCD (96 x 64) displaying network ID, encryption status, signal strength, and other details of 802.11b/g/n networks.
The 2-ounce HS-20 runs on two AAAs, doesn’t need additional software, and measures just 2 x 3 x 0.5 inches. Canary also says the use of a true 802.11 engine means there are no false Bluetooth readings. The HS-20 is expected to start singing in Q1 2008.
To set up your wireless router, follow the manufacturer instructions that are included with the product. Some vendors might have written guides, and some might want you to use a CD that will help with the wireless router setup. The installation instructions will most likely have you configure some initial settings, but you will need to keep in mind several things, as discussed in the following list. Do not worry if you are not prompted during the setup to configure all these items, because you will have a chance to change all the settings later.
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