10 Ways to Get Free Wi-Fi…ANYWHERE
1. Go after Mr. Big!
As in the big companies — not that strange man from Sex and the City. Your classic business behemoths will nearly always offer up some free Wi-Fi if you care to accept. McDonalds offer free Wi-Fi across nearly all stores. As do Starbucks and Costa. Naturally you will be expected to purchase something whilst hanging around in store. Just remember that you don’t NEED to order a burger. Stay healthy and grab a salad. And if it’s after 12, maybe skip the cappuccino and grab an antioxidant explosion in the form of a fragrant green tea.
2. Get Smart and use a Hotspot Database
For some, even approaching these branded stores is enough to bring out the acne. For those with similar aversions to big business there might be an easier way. Simply download a hotspot database — WeFi for example — and scroll through until you find something that offers less of a corporate solution. There you can find independent coffee shops, venues and public buildings that all offer free Wi-Fi.
3. Go Dark…find the Hidden Networks
Some hotspots just weren’t meant to be public. But that doesn’t mean that you can’t sneak your way in with a little clandestine ingenuity. The first place is to look in the right place. Think lounges in airports and transport stations. Think hotel lobbies. And even electronics stores often have unsecured Wi-Fi beaming around their shops. The trick is not to make too much of a big deal, otherwise it won’t be hidden for long, and you’ll be back in the queue for a cheeseburger.
4. Free access on Paid For Networks
Not all, but the occasional paid for network can often offer some free access to certain sites without having to sign up and pay for the privilege. Obviously this is limiting your browsing experience. Usually you’ll be limited to whatever commercial agreements that particular site has in place. Think Amazon or a specific news network. But if it’s just a bit of browsing to pass the time then it might just do.
5. Be Loyal, Be Rewarded
Many companies just want you to be involved, sign up to their programmes and flood you with messages you don’t want. Some will often give you free Wi-Fi or Wi-Fi passes as a tidy reward. So if you can bare to go through the sign-up forms and don’t mind clicking a few unsubscribe buttons, this can be a decent way to get some access without paying…at least in terms of money.
6. Collect Those Coupons
It’s by no means a traditional source of marketing activity. When you think of coupons you’re thinking washing powder or milk, not Wi-Fi access. But even though it might seem like something from 1960’s Midwest America, the coupon is still king. Scan online and there are still multiple sites pushing the mighty coupon and plenty of those are offering money off or free trials on hotspot access.
7. Beat the Time Limits
Sometimes you find free Wi-Fi, but you’re only limited to a few hours. If you don’t want to get up and find a new hotspot, you can do some simple MAC address spoofing to extend your time. Either spoof a new MAC address to get another few hours, or if you’re really sneaky, spoof someone else’s MAC address that has unlimited access to the paid service, and get unlimited Wi-Fi that way.
8. Check your Internet Provider Package
In many places your home-based Internet provider has access to Wi-Fi hotspots. In some cases it is actually the provider, as with BT in the UK. If you’re a subscriber to home-based Internet packages it’s quite possible that you have everything you need to access their hotspots without paying more.
9. Make the Most of your Phone
In olden days, for far off past, this was known as ‘tethering’. Nowadays we just mean creating a personal hotspot. And we all know how invaluable this can become. At the end of the day you are using your 3G/4G data, so it might not free at all. It is the last possible outcome to the need to being online, but it’s one that we all fall back on when times are hard. Of course you need the right smart phone…and to be in an area that has 3G/4G signal…and to have an allowance on your contract. But if all the boxes are ticked then you’re good to go. There is one final solution though, albeit not one we recommend.
10. Become a Hacker
This is not a real suggestion, but it’s something that is almost a real possibility, even for those of us that use the term ‘hacking’ to describe an attack on an unruly buddleia. The truth is that with the right app you can usually break through even moderately secure networks with little trouble. It’s a scary thought, and not actually something we condone. So if you want to go down this route we’ll have to let you get on with it yourself. But it can be done. Whether it should be done comes down to your intentions, but lets hope it’s only for emergencies.
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