wifi access while away

[gavuk]

I'm attending a course soon and will be in a hotel for a week .....company is picking up the tab but hotel is charging £5 for an hour or £10 for 24hr internet access,Company (my boss)won't be happy picking up the tab ,i read lots of McDonalds now offer free wifi ,will i need wep or wap codes to access anybody used this facillity before ?.I use wifi at home and am not a complete noob but have never gone mobile before,can't believe the hotel is charging so much when McDonalds are free......I will be travelling alone ,and am not a big drinker (anymore) so will miss my tinternet fix without some help!...thanks Gav

 

[Luke]

McDonalds is free and easy to get online with.

When you first connect, the first time you try and open a page a disclaimer comes up instead. you need to click something, or keep the window open, or both - can't remember exactly. in the meantime, you can browse as you wish.

I've used McD's wireless in this country and France with minimal hassle

 

[gavuk]

Thanks for the rapid reply Luke,can't say i'm looking forward to it ,i can't smoke or use internet in hotel ....what joy ....its ok ,the norm in fact ,if i want to go out and drink all night ,just not surf or smoke Gav

 

[Hitch]

Not sure if all have it, but a few wetherspoons have free wifi also. From memory, yoy just need to enter a passcode on their page, just ask for it at the bar. Don't think its a network code as such. Might be a touch more suitable for a cheap and cheerful meal aswell.

 

[gavuk]

Cheers Hitch,meals are no problem ,company will pay ,when asked what i was allowed to spend, i got the answer evening meal and a couple of pints ,not a figure ,,,,,i'd rather skip the beer and have internet.....just checked and the local wetherspoons has got free wifi ,i wonder if the curry house has as well?

 

[zardoz]

How do you do this. Is it just open your broswer as normal then ?

 

[gavuk]

I assume the wifi will show up in view wireless networks.assuming laptop is wifi enabled,then you can select connect,Wetherspoons give you a user name and password not sure if McDonalds do...onxw connected should be able to surf as normal......i've used the laptop at other friends address's just not in town using a hotspot....Gav

 

[MrFluffy]

The ones Ive used usually let you associate with the accesspoint with no credentials, then when you go to access the web (port 80) they have a (transparent) redirect which takes you to a internal web page where you put in the username and password given to you and it logs you on and lets you go to your original site.
You leave this page open in the background until your done as it keeps your session open.
BT openzone operate a fair amount of public wifi hotspot's in addition to the usual McD's etc. They have a page up for finding one :-
http://btopenzone.hotspot-directory.com/

 

[Pete.]

McDonalds in London have free wifi for 12 hrs using 'The Cloud'. You click on the Macdonalds logo and it asks you for your email address and something else. I just put in mickey-mouse info and it worked just great.