Having access to WiFi is very important, especially when you’re away from home. There will be many occasions where you will want to access your email accounts or view important documents stored in the cloud with your portable devices such as tablets, laptops, or smartphones. Many people also like to take the opportunity to relax while catching up on the latest news or social media happenings while on the go. This is why finding places that offer free WiFi is important.
Free WiFi Hot Spots
When using a free WiFi hot spot, it is generally quite easy to connect. Best of all, free hot spots let you avoid wasting valuable data and prevent users from going over their data limits and later paying the price for it. Sometimes it can be difficult to find free WiFi locations, but it is worth the effort to look to avoid the extra charges you might pay for Internet access on the go.
[Read more: Find a Cost-effective and Dynamic Way to Have an Access to the Internet]
Safety Tips When Using Free WiFi Locations
Just a word of caution about using free WiFi hot spots, make sure to turn off the file sharing feature before using, and be safe when performing tasks such as online banking or making purchases online.
[Read more: How to Protect Your Data When Using Free WiFi]
Look For Lesser Known Businesses That Offer Free WiFi
Popular food and coffee chains such as Starbucks and McDonalds are well know for offering their customers free WiFi. The keyword here is customers, obviously, you’ll be spending money in these establishments in order to gain access to the free WiFi. Lesser thought of places that commonly offer free WiFi include truck stops and automotive businesses where you can hook up for free while waiting on your car to be serviced.
Aside from these locations in which you’ll be spending money in the process of getting free Internet access, there are also many public buildings that offer free WiFi, such as public libraries, city halls, and even some public parks. Sometimes free WiFi hot spots can be found in places such as shopping malls or individual department stores. Even grocery stores that contain a small cafe or coffee establishment within them will offer users free WiFi. WiFi technology has a big impact on different sectors, so use your best judgement to determine what types of businesses may offer this free service.
Yelp Can Help When You’re Away From Home
When you are traveling and find yourself in an unfamiliar location, use the Yelp app on your smartphone or tablet to assist you in locating nearby businesses that may offer free WiFi. Many times reviews on certain establishments by other customers will mention if the location offers free WiFi access in their reviews.
Put Loyalty Programs To Work
It used to be that hotels were a great place to enjoy free WiFi, but as with so many other things, that is no longer the case in most places these days. Many hotels have begun to charge paying guests a separate per day charge for Internet access and Kevin Richberg, a travel writer and videographer for HuffintonPost, is certainly not impressed . However, you may be able to avoid these WiFi fees by joining or belonging to the hotel chain’s Loyalty program. Another way to obtain free WiFi services during a hotel stay is to use coupons which can be found online at RetailMeNot.
Check Databases To Find Free WiFi
Before you travel, make sure to check out the WiFi FreeSpot Directory which offers a list of free locations in a specific state. Check to see which businesses, campgrounds, airports, hotels, and RV parks offer free WiFi. You may also wish to use the JiWire website, which can also be downloaded as a app to use on a mobile device while traveling. JiWire works by entering information such as city, state, and zip code to track down free WiFi hot spots, and can even tap into a smartphone GPS to help you locate the nearest hot spot.
Cable Companies Many Times Offer Free WiFi
If your home Internet access is through a cable company, your provider may actually offer WiFi spots for their customers in third party business establishments. Simply check the provider’s website and run a search for free WiFi locations, or download the provider’s app that provides this information, if an app is offered.
Use The Tethering Feature On A Tablet Or Smartphone
Yes you can use tethering to obtain a WiFi connection without any extra cost. However, this method is slower and will consume both data and battery life from your phone, so it is advisable to save this option for when you simply need a connection for a few minutes.
Get The Best WiFi Signal Possible
The problem with free WiFi, or even paid access, is that sometimes the connection is poor. This could be due to the fact that you are out of range of the signal, or that too many people are connected at once. Some tips to stay within WiFi range include staying as close to the signal as possible. This may require physically getting up and moving around the location to find the best signal. Also, try to avoid getting on at peak times when everyone else has the same idea.
Free WiFi gives us the ability to stay connected while on the go, without running up our phone or Internet bills. Take the time to seek out free hot spots ahead of time so that you always know where you can get the Internet access you need.
How do you hunt for free WiFi when you are on the go? Let us know in the comments.
I enjoy using free wi-fi when I go different places, but never realized I need to turn off the file sharing feature for privacy purposes. Glad I know now! There has been times when I’ve pulled up certain accounts that I definitely don’t want to be viewed by the public, not happening anymore!
It’s also better not to perform any banking transactions and online purchases when using free WiFi.
The amount telecommunication companies charge for overseas data plan is ridiculous. I was once billed in the hundreds for downloading merely a few hundred MB of data overseas, as I simply assumed using my 3G a couple of times won’t hurt much. It pays to do your homework, than to let such imbeciles ripoff on our ignorance.
Telcos in this country are not only charging customers ridiculously expensive for overseas data plan but locally as well. I was a “victim” of such ripoff once. That’s why we always look for free WiFi whenever and wherever possible.
Having this free WiFi directory is very useful. Thanks for taking the time to put this out there. It is very easy to go over your data limit and end up with a whopper of a bill later on.
Free wifi hot spots are popping up all over. I live in a major city and am surrounded by several large colleges and universities so I am usually never without wifi. I still have a mobile setup that I can use but if I don’t have to, why would I? I am normally running 4G or wifi always for all of my devices so I can work anywhere, even out on the lake!
4G is indeed a powerful tool, sometimes it works even faster than Wi-fi’s! But still, wi-fi’s are a great backup as your service operators do need to perform maintenance every now and then.