Finding Free Public Wi-Fi Where You Least Expect It
For me, Wi-Fi is such an essential service that I think of it like water or electricity; I just expect it at work and at home. But in between those locations, connectivity is somewhat spotty. Yes, I've got access at Starbucks, the library, and most hotels I use when traveling. But there are a lot of other places to get connected as well.
Recently, Unplgged rounded up a list of unexpected places around town which offer free Wi-Fi. They're great resources to visit in a pinch -- if you need to connect to the Internet and don't have another option nearby -- or if you're there anyway and usually wouldn't have realized you could pull out your laptop, tablet, or phone.
- Best Buy. I can't speak for all big box retailers, but Best Buy has a free Wi-Fi network up and running, which, if nothing else, you can use to make sure the in-store prices match the online advertised specials.
- McDonald's. Again, I don't know how many fast food franchises offer Wi-Fi, but Ronald does, in a staggering 11,500 locations.
- The park. Your mileage may vary, but Internet access is springing up in public parks, most notably as a result of the Public Internet Project. To get some idea of the scope of this project, check out a map of free Wi-Fi access points in New York City.[ http://publicinternetproject.org/research/research_sum.html]
- Whole Foods. Round these parts, Whole Foods is known as "Whole Paycheck" -- you'll pay dearly for the selection of healthy and organic foods they sell. But they also offer free Wi-Fi, which is handy if you stop in and eat your healthy lunch at one of the store's tables.
- Bookstores. Everyone has it. Whether you stop in at Borders, Barnes and Noble, or some other less notable location, you're almost certain to be able to connect to the Net.
