WiFi hotspots
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Speed and cost. Some people are not going to fork over the $40+/month for a data plan if they can get by on the faster and free Wi-Fi. If you don't have a data plan and fire up Safari to browse, AT&T will charge by the kb which can add up quick. (I'd imagine Apple will provide settings which allow you to prevent access to EDGE if there's no wi-fi available.)
If you find yourself needing to access the Internet where there isn't a hotspot available, you always add a data plan on later.
Wi-Fi can be in other places: libraries, neighbors' homes, etc.
If you find yourself needing to access the Internet where there isn't a hotspot available, you always add a data plan on later.
Wi-Fi can be in other places: libraries, neighbors' homes, etc.
In my area, a lot of coffee shops and fast food places have free wifi. Starbucks' T-Mobile Hot Spot is not free.
Yeah, if you have a wireless labtop, just get some software like NetStumbler(for windows) or iStumbler(for mac) and drive around and find wifi spots. You will be amazed at a)how many their are, and b)how many of those are open and unsecured
.This is called Wardriving. The iPhone should make this a lot easier...Yeah, if you have a wireless labtop, just get some software like NetStumbler(for windows) or iStumbler(for mac) and drive around and find wifi spots. You will be amazed at a)how many their are, and b)how many of those are open and unsecured
I believe there's an istumbler (or similar) widget as well that does this. (Of course this will have to be recompiled for the iPhone but we all know some interprising hacker will do it...)
The main places to find WiFi are homes, businessses, coffee shops, fast food spots, cafes, and airports. For the most part they are free and unsecured, but there are also plenty of hotspots that are secured or cost money, or both.
Really...
I didn't know about this, but I might have to go check it out when I get the iPhone.
And just a question. I can't seem to recall this, so if anybody could remind me, will the iPhone automatically switch between EDGE and WiFi?
I don't remember for some reason
Yep! I just watched The Keynote™ and he mentioned it will automatically switch.Really...
I didn't know about this, but I might have to go check it out when I get the iPhone.
And just a question. I can't seem to recall this, so if anybody could remind me, will the iPhone automatically switch between EDGE and WiFi?
I don't remember for some reason
So I just did some wardriving today with some interesting results... out of the 209 access points I came across, about 1/3 of those were non-encrypted. Only a handful were WPA encrypted, the rest were the old WEP. Your neighborhoods will vary...
I'm in Inlet Beach Florida on vacation right now and there are two unprotected wireless networks available here. The one I'm using though is my mom's WEP encrypted network.
In a place like Inlet, Rosemary or Seaside on 30-A in South Walton County, there are WIFI hotspots galore.
data plans are not cheap... would be nice to have an alternative even part of the time.. I pay $44.99 for unlimited with Verizon on my Treo currently... Would love a better phone with a lower price data plan.
I don't think you're supposed to use this one...hehe, but we all do. Mine is set up as James' free wireless...don't tell AT&T
The wifi will obviously be much faster than EDGE and it should be pretty easy to use Apples interface to jump on anywhere you want.
Starbucks is not free because they signed a deal with sprint a long time ago so you have to pay there. Most local coffee shops will give you access for free if you buy something and in any major metropolitan area you can find a free and legitimate signal on just about every corner. Obviously if you live in the 'burbs you're gonna have to rely on the slower EDGE. I'm not gonna get on any sort of soap box here, but move back to the city...
Some cities provide a wireless cloud service that customers pay for with their municipal taxes. I think most major universities offer the same; the students just pay for it with their technology fees when they pay tuition.
