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AT&T's Free iPhone Wi-Fi Requires a Cell Connection
Rafe Needleman of our sister site WebWare reports on his experience with AT&T's newly offered free WiFi for iPhone users:
"[...] the images I had of just sauntering in to a Starbucks, selecting the local Wi-Fi network and jumping on the Internet were busted when I read these ridiculous instructions for getting access:
- Activate Wi-Fi from the settings icon on your iPhone.
- Select "attwifi" from the list of available networks.
- Enter your 10-digit mobile number and check the box to agree to the Acceptable Use Policy. Tap 'continue.'
- You will receive a text message from AT&T with a secure link to the AT&T Wi-Fi hot spot. You will not be charged for the text message.
- The SMS link will only be valid for 24 hours at the location it was requested. Another request must be submitted when using another hot spot location.
- Open the text message and tap on the link for 24-hour access to the AT&T Wi-Fi hot spot.
"To get on Wi-Fi, I need to tell you my phone number and then authorize over SMS? That's just goofy. I get that the method that I think should work to authorize an iPhone on the network--a check of the phone's MAC address by the AT&T Wi-Fi authorization system--might be more hackable than this closed-loop authorization system that checks to see if you're an AT&T iPhone subscriber in good standing via your phone number. But so what? It's not like the value of the network connection that someone would be appropriating if they hacked this system is that high to begin with."
For more, visit WebWare.
Frankly, I have no problem with authentication like this.....its still far and away better than the lousy previous service offered at Starbucks...
AND there are plenty of other FREE wi-fi locations. Check it out.... McDonalds. But, then, someone who hangs out at Starbucks wouldn't be caught dead in McDonalds.
I find it ludicrous that someone who pays $5 for a cup of coffee complains about a very minor inconvenience to get online at his favorite yuppie coffee bar.
One get's the distinct impression this scheme will be changed at least one more time before the dust settles.
Your last observation is a bit off. Whether the value of Wifi access is significant enough to warrant obviating the security isn't the point, because people can and will do it, just as they did it when all that was necessary was modifying a user agent string. In aggregate, the amount of traffic generated by those freeloaders is worth something to AT&T.
- by man290663 November 2, 2008 9:10 AM PST
- what's the big Issue?
- Like this Reply to this comment
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(6 Comments)in the UK to get free wiFi we either have to buy a product to qualify (Starbucks, or McDonalds) or on the 'Public' networks enter a registration code to prove we have paid for our free access.
in the UK the BT OpenZone or 'The Cloud' public Wifi networks only require an qualifying O2 (the network to which the iPhone is exclusive) number to be entered and then you are online.
There is nothing as Free Free - its all earned or paid for and systems to ensure only the worthy get their free offering is a part of modern life....
I use a BT openzone for non-iPhone traffic and have to buy credits for that which requires the login and password to continue..
if you are paying for the privilege of getting a 'free' service, it is expected that you will get annoyed if freeloaders have stolen the bandwidth and you as the approved subscriber cannot get online.. its about protecting the availability for those who pay for the ability to use this for free...