Internet access wi-fi · Wi-Fi in Internet access
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Wi-Fi in Internet access
Wi-Fi in Internet access
Virtually all laptops and PDAs manufactured in the mid-2000s, as well as most smart phones launched in the late 2000s have Wi-Fi provisions. The downside of Wi-Fi is that even if it is wireless in nature, the coverage of a Wi-Fi access point or hotspot is limited compared to that of 3G or GPRS. Once you leave the building, you also lose the Wi-Fi signal provided to you. Wi-Fi Wireless access come in different types:
Free and open public access points, permit any device to access the Internet via Wi-Fi. These are sometimes provided by hotels, airports, restaurants, malls, libraries, transportation networks, or even sometimes across entire city centres such as Bristol, Cadiz, and Marseille. Often these require you to start up a browser to accept some terms and conditions before you can access the Internet. They may impose limits on the amount of hours you can connect or the amount you can download in a day. They may restrict access to browsing and email. They may also require registration. Ironically, budget accommodations, including many hostels are more likely to provide this service to guests than their 4- or 5-star luxury counterparts.
Free but secured public access points also work in the same way as free and open access points but will require a password (like a WEP or WPA-PSK key) to connect to the network. The passwords are in place to discourage non-patrons of the establishment from using it. These are more likely to be found in restaurants and many budget accommodations.
Commercial public access points. They usually charge per hour or day — and fees can vary widely even within the same locale and often can occur right alongside completely free service. In fact a provider may provide free and fee-based Wi-fi access at the same access point at the same time with the latter's advantage being that they can provide faster speeds. Such commercial access points are growing increasingly common, especially in areas where travellers are 'trapped' (airports for example). Payment can be by credit card at the time of use, or by prepaid card/voucher, or through an arrangement with your mobile/cell phone carrier.
Community access points. You become a member of a Wi-Fi community (usually by donating your own access point) and use the community's access points for free.
Private open access points left open by their owners sometimes inadvertently and other times as a friendly gesture to the community. Theoretically though permission needs to be obtained from your internet service provider as the terms and conditions state that only users in your property can enjoy internet access provided to you.
Roaming gives you guest access to private or commercial access points on the basis of some contract or relationship that you have with an institution or company at home. An example is eduroam , a service that gives members of universities access to the wireless networks of other universities.
The Most Frequently Asked Travel Questions about Internet access
Where To Stay & Best Hotels in Internet access - updated May 2024
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Internet access Travel Guide from Wikitravel. Many thanks to all Wikitravel contributors. Text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0, images are available under various licenses, see each image for details.