Author Topic: Another free WiFi location in your area?  (Read 1604 times)

Offline Xairbusdriver

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Another free WiFi location in your area?
« on: March 19, 2009, 03:46:00 PM »
A couple of weekends ago we spent the night at a not very exspnsive chain. As exspected, they had WiFi. You first had to agree to their terms of service, whatever those were. snowglobe.gif No problem.

Arriving at our destination, I discovered the children's home had secured their WiFi. No problem, I thought. We were on 'official' business, they knew us from several earlier visits, my wife is on their board of directors. First, no one in their office knew what I was talking about when I asked if they could give the password, they had know idea that their network had even been "secured." smile.gif I finally found out that one of the 'children' (they range up to 18 years old) had discovered his ability to access their old server and 'investigate' various computers. wink.gif The solution was WEP, apparently enough for very, very rural SC. Bottom line, they wouldn't let me have a ps.

Only real use was to update our church web site, but I didn't press the issue. Really! However, I took the laptop the next time we drove the 20+ miles back to 'civilization!v,' just in case we came across a free access point. smile.gif As luck would have it, we drove by one of the motels in the chain we'd just used. Aha! Sure enough, same access method, uploaded the edited page in less than two minutes, including agreeing to those terms of service. Problem solved! wink.gif

Right now I'm sitting in the recently vacated room of our best friend, making sure no 'squawters' try to move in. I need to stay longer in hospitals, I guess, I didn't realize most of them now provide WiFi to their 'guests!' So, next time you're 'out n about' and you need a quick web fix, just check into a nearby facility!! laughhard.gif

BTW, I'm betting the ToS I agreed to said something about not using the motel's access point unless you were a registers customer...so if I don't show up for a couple of months, it's probably because they tracked me down! :eel:
THERE ARE TWO TYPES OF COUNTRIES
Those that use metric = #1 Measurement system
And the United States = The Banana system
CAUTION! Childhood vaccinations cause adults! :yes:

Offline jwboyd

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Another free WiFi location in your area?
« Reply #1 on: March 19, 2009, 04:15:35 PM »
Wife and I recently spent three weeks in Colorado Springs, staying with relatives who don't have internet. There were two motels about two miles away, so every couple of days I would go to one or the other of those to use their WiFi. I've done this before in other locations. I always ask permission, and have never been denied. I've also used the WiFi at McDonalds on occasion. The only time I tried a Starbucks they would not give me a password unless I paid for it. Same at Flying J truck stops.
I'm not a complete idiot -- a few parts are missing!

Offline kimmer

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Another free WiFi location in your area?
« Reply #2 on: March 19, 2009, 05:07:18 PM »
Not all hospitals allow wifi access. Discovered that when Mac was in this past year and neither hospital would grant us access. The big hospital said I could use the wifi in the cafeteria, but again ... no one would give me the PW. Personally for the cost of the visits, we should have had satellite radio, decent cable TV, and wifi Internet. biggrin.gif

On our vacation we found net access all over the place, but without one of those plans, I wouldn't do much with it. Not that I'm paranoid.  tease.gif wacko.gif

Offline kbeartx

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Another free WiFi location in your area?
« Reply #3 on: March 19, 2009, 05:49:25 PM »
QUOTE(kimmer @ Mar 19 2009, 05:07 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
...On our vacation we found net access all over the place, but without one of those plans, I wouldn't do much with it. Not that I'm paranoid.


one of what plans? dntknw.gif



KB coolio.gif

Offline kimmer

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Another free WiFi location in your area?
« Reply #4 on: March 19, 2009, 06:19:33 PM »
QUOTE(kbeartx @ Mar 19 2009, 02:49 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
QUOTE(kimmer @ Mar 19 2009, 05:07 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
...On our vacation we found net access all over the place, but without one of those plans, I wouldn't do much with it. Not that I'm paranoid.


one of what plans? dntknw.gif

Ummm ... you would ask me. It's the one that Mayo (and others) suggests. You pay for it. I'd have to go through all my notes to find the info. Hold on and I'll see if I can find the info here.

Okay, it's a personalVPN.

I was comfortable using our online email while we traveled; but we didn't have a personalVPN, so we didn't do any banking, etc. Next time we travel, I'll get a personalVPN so we can take care of more things.
« Last Edit: March 19, 2009, 06:25:40 PM by kimmer »

Offline Xairbusdriver

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Another free WiFi location in your area?
« Reply #5 on: March 20, 2009, 10:03:45 AM »
We don't even use interweb banking! blush-anim-cl.gif Not even to check balances. smile.gif But I'm not sure that email reading is completely safe from prying eyes, even though there should never, ever be any personal or financial info sent or recieved that way. All I needed was FTP access and that's not yet available on the iPhone, nor is BBEdit. smile.gif

Casual surfing on these networks, especially on the a Mac, should pose no real danger, for now. wink.gif
« Last Edit: March 20, 2009, 10:08:20 AM by Xairbusdriver »
THERE ARE TWO TYPES OF COUNTRIES
Those that use metric = #1 Measurement system
And the United States = The Banana system
CAUTION! Childhood vaccinations cause adults! :yes: