How to Get Free WiFi Internet Access

  WiFi is good, but

  Free WiFi is better

  You may be asking “Can WiFi be truly

  free?” Well… this depends on what “free” means to you. You may end

  up having to drive to a place that offers free WiFi or you may need

  to purchase a long range WiFi Antenna

  like this one. This article explains how

  to get WiFi internet without paying an internet provider for it, but

  does not take into account your time spent, equipment cost, gas

  mileage, etc.

  Things you

  can do at a Free WiFi Hotspot

  This internet will function much like

  your regular internet with the exception that it may be “locked

  down” for your protection. Some free WiFi hotspots will disable your

  ability to use email or view offensive or secure web sites. These

  restrictions are determined at the discretion of the owner of the

  site. Restrictions aside, you should be able to listen to internet

  radio, browse or surf the web, download files, and chat with

  friends.

  Top

  Fee WiFi

  Hotspot Locations

  The best places to check for free WiFi are locations where the

  general public is welcome. Plazas, convention centers, sports

  centers, bookstores, supermarkets, cafes, coffee shops, libraries,

  colleges, universities & surrounding areas, hotels, motels resorts,

  RV parks, town hall, vacation rentals, and restaurants are some good

  places to check for free WiFi internet.

  Local Library – Unlike most other WiFi hotspots,

  libraries exist to further your education and communications

  abilities, whereas most businesses are trying to lure you into

  buying something by offering free WiFi. Remember, it is not

  truly free if you have to buy something first.

  City

  Parks and Plazas – In an effort to attract more people to

  parks, many cities are offering free wifi in the park. Parks

  host many events such as concerts, carnivals, other special

  events where Wifi internet access is becoming a necessity. Easy

  to access and open to all, the park a great place to get

  connected.

  Starbuck Coffee Stores (company-owned) – There are no

  sign-up agreements to accept or time usage limitations to worry

  about. With cozy couches and chairs, along with plug-in outlets

  for your laptop, Starbucks Coffee is one of our top choices for

  free Wifi..

  McDonalds – offers free WiFi to their

  customers at more than 11,500 participating restaurants. To get

  connected, you must use the network called “McDonalds WiFi” from

  the available networks list on your device. After opening your

  internet browser you must agree to McDonalds terms before

  connecting. Devices that do not have an Internet browser, like a

  WiFi Internet Radio, will not be able to connect for this

  reason. Find a participating McDonalda?s Wi-Fi Hotspot near you

  by clicking

  here.

  Other Notable locations are:

  Ben & Jerry’s Homemade Ice Cream

  FedEx Shipping Offices (more

  info)

  Barnes-and-Noble

  Almost any nearby hotel or RV park

  Programs to

  find free WiFi hotspots

  The Internet provides a rich field of

  useful free programs and sites that help you locate your nearest

  free WiFi hotspot. You can try entering the key words “free + local

  + wifi + hotspots” into Google for the best results. Adding the key

  word “software” to the search will give you results on programs that

  you can use without an Internet connection.

  - Listed below are some helpful tools from

  the internet for finding free Wifi.

  Kim Komando recommends Wifimapper App (Android and iOS)

  Easy WiFi Radar

  WiFi FreeSpot

  WiFi Finder for Android and iOS

  Free hotspot guidelines

  and tips

  Choose sites that are using

  ”Infrastructure” mode. Beware of sites that use “Ad hoc” or

  ”person to person” mode, as they might be a trap setup by

  someone nearby with a laptop. This person may be attempting to

  access your private files such as pictures and credit card

  information.

  If you are using the free hotspot to

  do banking or private credit card transactions, then we

  recommend that you setup a VPN network. This will give you a

  layer of protection. There is also special hotspot software on

  the internet that you can use for added protection. Basically a

  good rule of thumb is to not do anything on the internet that

  you would not mind doing with a stranger looking over your

  shoulder. It is possible, with enough effort, for the owner of

  the hotspot to view all information that is sent and received

  over their network.

  Some free WiFi hotspots will block

  email and various web sites. The owner of the hotspot will

  determine its parameters. Most every hotspot will be setup a

  little different.

  Unfortunately, most free WiFi

  hotspots do not offer tech support if you have trouble

  connecting. This is why it is free. Free WiFi is usually just

  another way to attract people and is not a real priority to most

  businesses that offer it. If you need help, it is unlikely that

  common workers will know how to answer your question. Consider

  the free WiFi “As-Is” and nothing more. It is hard to get your

  money back when the service is free.

  Be courteous. If you are taking up

  limited table space and not purchasing anything then it is best

  to limit your usage. It is best to buy a coffee or fulfill the

  minimum requirements for being customer. Some business will give

  you the “boot” for repeat loitering while using their free WiFi.

  Come prepared. Charge your laptop

  fully before venturing to a public free WiFi hotspot. Most

  hotspots don’t have wall outlets for plugging into power. This

  helps businesses avoid customers that loiter too long.

  Sharing WiFi

  with a friend or neighbor

  If you have a friend or a neighbor who has broadband internet

  within line of sight from your home, then you may be able to get

  free WiFi Internet access. You will need to ask permission to use

  their internet before proceeding. If all is ok, then your task will

  be to make a WiFi connection to their router.

  The easiest way might be to simply sit

  outside your house with your laptop and see if you can pick-up their

  WiFi. I recommend using your laptop outside because your reception

  will be much stronger if you don’t have to receive it through your

  home walls. You will need to be positioned with line of sight to

  their house. WiFi is not like AM and FM whereas it doesn’t pass

  through objects well.

  If you

  still aren’t able to receive the WiFi signal, have your neighbor

  position their router in a window that faces the direction of your

  house. This will eliminate one or more walls on their end and

  increase your WiFi signal several fold. Be sure that the routers

  antennas are facing straight up. If this still does not work for you

  then you will need to consider upgrading your WiFi signal with a

  more powerful antenna. You can add a more powerful antenna to their

  router or to your computer for better reception, or to both for best

  reception. I suggest using a

  USB antenna at first to see if you can boost your laptop

  reception. If this does not work then you may need to go for a

  Extended Long Range WiFi Bridge System.

  

  Super USB WiFi Antenna-3

  Long Range Booster for Windows PC

  Connecting to a free WiFi hotspot from your home

  

  Point-To-Point WiFi Antenna

  If there is a free WiFi hotspot down the

  street from your home then it may be possible that you can get

  connected; depending on far “down the street” really is. You will

  need a high power WiFi antenna that should be placed in the window

  or outside facing the hotspot. Obstructions, traffic, and weather

  conditions will affect your signal strength and thus affect your

  internet browsing speed.

  Be aware that some free WiFi hotspot

  owners will reduce their WiFi signal strength so that it only covers

  the inside of their business. It will be very difficult to connect

  to these hotspots and you may need a very big outdoor antenna to

  acquire even a faint signal.

  Also be aware that the owner of the

  hotspot will be able to see stats on how many people are connecting

  to their hotspot. They will be able to see your hardware address

  (MAC address) and computer name and determine how long you’ve been

  connected. It is possible that the owner can block someone from

  connecting in the future if they determine that the person is using

  too much bandwidth (or for any reason).

  Connecting to someone’s unencrypted home WiFi network without

  permission

  If you are connecting to someone’s home

  WiFi connection without asking (otherwise called “piggybacking” or

  ”mooching”), then it may be considered illegal in some states. Even

  though unencrypted home WiFi networks have the same “look and feel”

  of a real WiFi hotspot network, they usually are not intended for

  public access. Always ask for permission before connecting to

  these types of networks.

  Some may say that if the owner of the

  unencrypted home WiFi network does not encrypt their network, then

  they probably don’t care who uses it. This is not always the case.

  When a new WiFi router or access point is purchased from the store,

  it comes unencrypted by factory settings and usually carries a

  network name like “Linksys” or “Netgear”. Because the owner of

  the newly purchased router is able to access the internet before

  setting up the router, they may not realize their unconfigured WiFi

  networks vulnerability. Basically, it is still trespassing to go

  into someone’s yard, even if they forgot to shut the gate.

  Municipal WiFi

  Some cities like Mt. View, CA (the home

  of Google) offers free WiFi to all their residents. Other cities

  have setup free WiFi in densely populated commercial zones only. For

  a list of cities that offer free municipal WiFi click

  here.

  Free

  broadband Internet for your home

  Umm, this may happen in the future, but

  for now check out what Google is working on

  here.

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