3G wireless Internet is wonderful, but sometimes a free Wi-Fi connection is a necessity:- You are a Wi-Fi only device such as a laptop, iPod Touch, or Non-3G iPad.
- Your 3G plan has a bandwidth quota, but you want to download the high-volume material, such as music, without using up your quota.
- The 3G connection in your area is too slow for streaming video. (Wi-Fi is usually a lot faster.)
- You're someplace where your carrier does not offer 3G, or maybe any, service.
Tips for getting free Wi-Fi service away from home:
Wi-Fi is everywhere, but much of it is locked down. Nearly every time I enabled the network location capability on my devices, I had seen a short list of nearby networks. Some were open to anyone who tried to connect, but most displayed a little padlock icon, indicating that they were secured. When I tried to access one of those, I was prompted for a password.
Accessing someone else's network may often be illegal. Using a network at Barnes & Noble or Starbucks, which is promoted as freely available, is legal. What's not as clear is the legality of accessing a network at, say, a local restaurant or hair salon. That's because laws on network piggybacking vary from state to state, and terms of service vary from one Internet provider to another. Even if a store owner offers to share their bandwidth with you, their doing so may violate the terms of their broadband contact.
Wi-Fi is everywhere, but much of it is locked down. Nearly every time I enabled the network location capability on my devices, I had seen a short list of nearby networks. Some were open to anyone who tried to connect, but most displayed a little padlock icon, indicating that they were secured. When I tried to access one of those, I was prompted for a password.
Accessing someone else's network may often be illegal. Using a network at Barnes & Noble or Starbucks, which is promoted as freely available, is legal. What's not as clear is the legality of accessing a network at, say, a local restaurant or hair salon. That's because laws on network piggybacking vary from state to state, and terms of service vary from one Internet provider to another. Even if a store owner offers to share their bandwidth with you, their doing so may violate the terms of their broadband contact.
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