At 03 May 2008 07:51:58 -0500 Ron wrote:
> On Fri, 2 May 2008 16:19:37 -0600, "Todd Allcock"

> >Widely available?
> >
>
> Absolutely, unless you're using 5 year old information.
>
> Those of us that travel and try to use WiFi are really impressed that
> WiFi is MORE than widely available. McDonalds, Burger King, all manner
> of restaurants have free and open WiFi, many Coffee shops. Hotels
> that may not have open WiFi, do have open WiFi in their
> Lobby/restaurants downstairs. Librarys, Hospitals, Govt Buildings,
> Universities, Shopping Malls. You literally are never more than a few
> blocks away from WiFi anywhere in any top 50 Metroplitan area, not
> just "downtown". Just pull into the parking lot of a McDonalds, and
> you're good to go. Even in airports, just sit down outside the
> Continental Air Lounge for free open WiFi.
>
> And its so widely available now that even if you thought it
> wasn't available, go search for SSIDs and Bingo, you may find it is
> from some establishment, business or residence a block away.


Sure, there are plenty of places I can GO to find free WiFi, but places I
can GO doesn't necessarily equal places that I AM.

Cellular data is ubiquitous , WiFi isn't.

> Not sure its legal, but go park in a suburb, and use the SSID "DLink"
> or "Linksys", and there's often someone that set up their WiFi with
> defaults, and no password.

Often,perhaps, but not always.

> Last year while in South Beach, FL the pay WiFi in my hotel was down
> while they were changing providers, but I had no trouble getting to
> the internet in my hotel room via the Free, Open WiFi of a hotel 1
> block away!


Lucky you. Alternatively, I've beeninhotels where the free WiFi only
worked in certain parts of the suite, because my room was at the edge of
the AP's range.

> There are locations where the WiFi is not open, and there if you
> have ATT dsl or an iPhone, you also have access to log into ATT wifi.


If it's an AT&T Hotspot, yes- not if it's, say, Boingo.

> At a Holiday Inn, just go to the front desk, and say "my spouse lost
> the WiFi password", and they'll hand you a sheet with instructions.


Very convenient...