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Free WiFi in your area!?!

crdean1

crdean1

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Feb 14, 2005
674
4
Texas
I thought this would be a good place to discuss (under "discussion") free Wireless internet in your area.

As much as I love Starbucks (and I do love it), the HotSpot service from T-Mobile is like $30/mo. for unlimited internet. That's expensive if you already pay for internet service at home.

I live in the Dallas/Fort Worth area, and a couple of months ago discovered that Panera Bread Co. (excellent coffee/sandwich/bread shop) has free WiFi in my area, and it happens to be right by my school....and the internet is superfast. You can go here to see if they have one in your area.

http://www.panera.com/locations.aspx?WiFi=1

So if you have found free WiFi in your area or mine, please post! I think it is important to support those who give this free service so they will continue to do it.

RD
 
all the panera and starbucks locations around livonia, plymouth, northville, farmington hills MI all have free wireless internet...however they do have some sort of firewalls if anyone cares :confused:
 
Panera has free wireless here in the Charlotte area.

Downtown Davidson has free wireless provided by the town -- it reaches to the library and the local independent coffee shop (check out their web site at summitcoffee.com).

There are several wifi hotspot locators online.

The first one I found with a google search was this one.
 
Starbucks in Montreal has free wifi.

Some Second Cup's all over the country (Canada btw) (but mostly in Toronto) has free wifi.

A number of cell phone stores in Montreal have free wifi.

Random coffee shops in Montreal and Toronto have free wifi (seems to change a lot though)
 
Free internet for some, miniature American flags for others!

Portland has a group that's on a huge kick to get all the grants they can so that they can cover the whole city in free Wi-fi. It's in a few parts of town and they are expanding. The dream will come true when you don't have to pay $50+ for Comcast! I'm moving to an area that will be getting it in a few months. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that it will reach my house.
The best part about those things is that it's basically unprotected wi-fi so the Windows users are at such a risk! :eek:
 
There's a Panera Bread about 30 minutes from my house with free wi-fi. Although their sandwiches are rediculously good, the place is always crowded and noisy and it's hard to get work done. On top of that, there are only two power outlets in the entire customer sitting area. TWO. That gives a total of four actual outlets to plug into. What the hell were they thinking? Are they trying to discourage people from coming in and sitting there for 8 hours without buying anything and just taking advantage of the free wi-fi? When your battery dies, are you supposed to leave? I always go there and order a sandwich and maybe some coffee so I'm not just sitting there pimping off the broadband.
 
Most US Locations

I noticed this to be a good site, I am amazed at how many places there are that I didn't know about. You can check your state and search by city.

http://metrofreefi.com/

Click on your state.
 
Stampyhead said:
My favorite place to go for free internet is the Apple store.
Click to expand...

I'm all for the apple store, but to my knowledge they don't serve coffee and sandwiches. :)
 
Easton Town Center in Columbus, Ohio.

Free wifi while you wait for your wife/girlfriend to spend the yearly salary at clothing stores :p

(Some guys go clothes crazy there too..)

Mike
 
I live near Dartmouth College and they have a super-fast wireless network. It's a protected network but I work there so it's free for me to use. I sometimes go there on the weekends to get some work done and buy music off of the iTMS. I can download a whole album in about 15-20 seconds. If I'm in the area, I can just park my car and take my PowerBook out and I'm on the network. Don't even have to go to my office.
 
If you have a college near you you can find a ton of free wifi connections. Not necessarily the university itself (usually secured), but any restaurants or coffee shops nearby will usually offer it. Here at Va Tech I can just about go anywhere in Blacksburg and be able to find a signal. At the coffee shop I frequent, I pick up about 7 different signals from nearby shops.
 
download the jiwire hotspot locator....has so many locations...type in zip code and how far you are willing to go to get to a hot spot...showed me 10 just 2 miles from my house!
 
30 day free wireless for .Mac members

Apple has a promotion for .Mac members for free wireless from T-Mobile for 30 days. There's a Borders about 25 minutes from my house with T-Mobile so I think I'll go and try it out. It costs $6 for an hour or $10 for 24 hours. There are other places that have T-Mobile wi-fi.
 
buryyourbrideau said:
download the jiwire hotspot locator....has so many locations...type in zip code and how far you are willing to go to get to a hot spot...showed me 10 just 2 miles from my house!
Click to expand...

Oh wicked thanks for tellin us bout that jiwire thing - found that in Birmingham we have one free wifi hot spot in Beatties Department store - and only Apple users can use the wifi!
 
john_satc said:
Oh wicked thanks for tellin us bout that jiwire thing - found that in Birmingham we have one free wifi hot spot in Beatties Department store - and only Apple users can use the wifi!
Click to expand...

Cheers for that John, will have to make sure I take advantage of the free wifi in Beatties next time I am in Birmingham!
:)
 
crdean1 said:
I'm all for the apple store, but to my knowledge they don't serve coffee and sandwiches. :)
Click to expand...
Better call Steve and tell him about all the lost coffee and snack sales... ;)
 
shortyman said:
Cheers for that John, will have to make sure I take advantage of the free wifi in Beatties next time I am in Birmingham!
:)
Click to expand...

Its on the bottom floor in the cafe apparantly, i think i am gonn have to find an excuse to go soon :)
 
The city where I work, Cuyahoga Falls Ohio has rolled out Wifi in what they consider the "downtown" area, about a 4 mile radius covering the vast majority of the city. Completely free, I have been able to jog non stop streaming music to my pocketpc in my pocket, and walk through the park, etc. They are using rather powerful towers they put up on each block, I have never seen anything similair. I have voip, and have no need for a cell phone while in town, with my pocket pc.

Bill
 
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