Free Public WiFi

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August 31, 2010 at 8:35 pm #596187

toast
Member

I live on Genesee Hill. Last night I started my laptop which automatically displays all WiFi connections. On the list was a new peer to peer “Free Public WiFi” menu link. I can connect to the 11M access okay, but when I attempt to browse through IE, I get a webpage can not be accessed error message.

Does anyone know anything about this new connect? Google didn’t turn anything up on it. It is only showing two bars for me, so perhaps the signal is weak, but I have to think there is another reason I can’t access through. I have had no problems accessing other free WiFi services at the Junction or library.

Anything? thanks

toast

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August 31, 2010 at 9:01 pm #702537

Sue
Participant

Call me paranoid (I am a New Yorker after all :) – but it sounds like someone could be trying to hack into others’ computers by putting up a network that *looks* like free public wi-fi but isn’t.

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August 31, 2010 at 9:29 pm #702538

toast
Member

I’m not totally without suspicion Sue, that’s why the question to the community.

There are enterprises that have delved into establishing free peer to peer WiFi… most notably Meraki in San Francisco.

http://wifinetnews.com/archives/2008/01/san_francisco_gets_free_wi-fi_courtesy_of_meraki.html

http://sf.meraki.com/faq

I just haven’t heard of anything similar here in Seattle outside of Columbia City and the U District… especially NOT in West Seattle.

toast

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August 31, 2010 at 11:37 pm #702539

Ken
Participant

free public wifi will NEVER be peer to peer or ad hoc. It only is usable for internet access with multiple clients as an access point.

In theory it is possible to bridge ad hoc networks and aggregate route to the internet, but it is usually a pointless complexity for free network access.

free wifi is available to qwest dsl customers at every mcdonalds. city wifi at seattle public libraries and king county public libraries also have their own.

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September 1, 2010 at 1:43 am #702540

JayDee
Participant

I get the same message downtown occasionally and sometimes it works, but more often it is a non-functional free Wi-Fi.

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September 1, 2010 at 6:10 pm #702541

toast
Member

Thanks JayDee… I’ll try to get a stronger signal… or try late night perhaps.

Ken,

perhaps it’s just semantics, but the type of network that I’m referring to is the kind described by this wiki page:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mesh_networking

Yes, I’m aware of free wifi offered by governmental and commercial conerns… they all work fine on my laptop. This, however, appears to be a different animal. I’ve grabbed a screenshot of it:

http://www.knoph.com/pics/wifigraphic.gif

anyone with actual info? Perhaps the next time you drive up Genesee Hill, bring your laptop and park around 53rd and help me investigate this. Would be nice if it were legit… and worked!

toast

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