Free WiFi - Where Available

Nomad

Found this list of free WiFi places...
http://lifehacker.com/all-the-national-chains-that-offer-free-wi-fi-1646148637

jkjenn

If you are a Verizon customer there are free WiFi spots around the country. https://www.verizon.com/foryourhome/myaccount/ngen/upr/splash/hotspots.aspx

Nomad

If you're a VFW vet, every VF I've stopped in has had good, high-speed WiFi.
Haven't had good luck at McDonalds - slow, slow, slow.

RZRBUG

POI Factory has a file that can be downloaded to a Garmin device that has 67,713 businesses in the US and Canada that have free Wi-Fi.  I have the file in Excel format (CSV), but it probably wouldn't do you much good in just a list form, and it is about 2.5 MB, so don't know if it should be posted on this forum.

I've had decent luck at McDonald's IF you can find a time when it is not too crowded.  Lots of people know about it and use it, including those that park nearby just for the free Wi-Fi.

Cyclonic

jkjenn said:

If you are a Verizon customer there are free WiFi spots around the country. https://www.verizon.com/foryourhome/myaccount/ngen/upr/splash/hotspots.aspx

The same with Comcast:

http://wifi.xfinity.com/

Cyclonic

RZRBUG said:

I've had decent luck at McDonald's IF you can find a time when it is not too crowded.  Lots of people know about it and use it, including those that park nearby just for the free Wi-Fi.

Been there, done that

A file like the one you speak of could be placed on Google drive and be made a public file, then you only have to post a link.

RZRBUG

AT&T:   https://www.att.com/maps/wifi.html

jkjenn

Cyclonic said:

RZRBUG said:

I've had decent luck at McDonald's IF you can find a time when it is not too crowded.  Lots of people know about it and use it, including those that park nearby just for the free Wi-Fi.

Been there, done that

A file like the one you speak of could be placed on Google drive and be made a public file, then you only have to post a link.

I noticed that a lot more non-chains had WiFi on my last trip. That made it nice for uploading photos to the cloud.

Nomad

There's also tons of apps (and wesites) for finding spots - Prefer apps over POI as they're constantly updated.

jkjenn

All I have to do is ask Cortana to find WiFi near me. But I do like planning.

Nomad

Cortana or any other source is only as good as the database it ties into.
I actually don't rely on WiFi except to download app updates, podcasts, etc. When I need that I hit whatever's close - Safeway/Starbucks, Library, etc. My main connection is a healthy LTE data plan. I've found I have a fairly good LTE signal 90+% of the time. Data is much more reliable than a voice connection. Many times have good LTE but can't make a reliable call (even with the cell booster).

TerryV6

So... to get wifi at a campground, are you all using some kind of wifi antenna?  I saw some nice external ones for sale...

Nomad

lunafemme - Yep, libraries are great and most are on 24/7 and require no password. There are some (looking at you Page, AZ) where that's not true though. More and more laundromats have pretty good wifi also.

jkjenn

TerryV6 said:

So... to get wifi at a campground, are you all using some kind of wifi antenna?  I saw some nice external ones for sale...

It depends, but more often than not, yes. Campground wifi is often weak ir too far away from the campsite. An antenna won't speed up slow bandwidth, but it will help pull in a weak signal. I have used this when overnighting in Walmart to get nearby restaurant signals as well as State Park campgrounds to pull in signals from the campground office. I even grabbed the antenna and took it with me in my Jeep up to catch a free wifi signal so I could catch my nephew's football game on ESPN3 last fall from a hotel, where Verizon offered service to their customers.

Here is a write up I did on on my set-up:
http://jenngrover.com/2015/11/staying-connected-when-you-cant-get-away-from-it-all/

Cyclonic

PXLated said:

lunafemme - Yep, libraries are great and most are on 24/7 and require no password. There are some (looking at you Page, AZ) where that's not true though. More and more laundromats have pretty good wifi also.

Never thought about laundromats, it would make sense.

Libraries, I have found, can be unreliable.  I have run into a number where you have to have a library card to log in and use it.

Nomad

I've found libraries can be slow/overloaded during open hours but after they're closed things aren't too bad - depends on city though.
Most laudromats I've been at have been real good.
Most VFWs, Legions, Elks Clubs have wifi from my experience. Some require passwords, others don't. Often times you do need to park close to the entrance/building to get it though.

Michigan_Mike

Campgrounds advertise Wifi but it is normally non-existant unless you are sitting on the porch at the campground of host office.  It was frustrating traveling up to Alaska and even with an AT&T international phone plan Internet was for the most part never there and the Rogers phone system in Canada didn't allow Internet for my US iPhone.  It would appear that texts went out and only until we found a Wifi commercially based signal it was then that a link was established and I started receiving multiple texts from family and friends, creating some ire from people trying to communicate with me along the road.  It was very similar to camping in a mountainous terrain, not having any signal and receiving data once you hit a line of sight area.

I also received a warning message from AT&T that my data had exceeded my plan and I was being charged Canadian calling rates! Only until I contacted AT&T and spoke with one of the reps did I find out that the prior AT&T rep had not completed work on their end and failed to place me on the international calling rate ($1 per minute) and data rate I had thought I paid for earlier.

we found some of her best Wi-Fi was available at places like Wendy's or occasionally at a Tim Hortons while in Canada.  It was noticeably better on my AT&T 3G when we entered into Alaska and I gave up using campground Wi-Fi because it was just never there, even though we paid higher camping fees in campgrounds that advertised that they did have Wi-Fi available.

It's like anything else, when you are in an area with multiple campers everybody else is using either a laptop or a smart phone and the connectivity is just not there, unless you want to stay up until 3 AM in the morning and chisel out a message on a rock tablet! LOL

USWildflowers

Tennessee State Park campgrounds seem to be getting pretty good wifi installed. They are installing repeaters around the campgrounds, providing good coverage. I think this is being done as they rehab campgrounds; both of those with the multi-repeater setup had been recently resurfaced. I know Roan Mountain SP and Rock Island SP have the upgraded wifi after recent rehabs.

jkjenn

Cyclonic said:

  Libraries, I have found, can be unreliable.  I have run into a number where you have to have a library card to log in and use it.

My local library requires a card.

Michigan_Mike said:

Campgrounds advertise Wifi but it is normally non-existant unless you are sitting on the porch at the campground of host office.  

It's like anything else, when you are in an area with multiple campers everybody else is using either a laptop or a smart phone and the connectivity is just not there, unless you want to stay up until 3 AM in the morning and chisel out a message on a rock tablet! LOL

I have had mixed results with campgrounds and found some to have very good Wifi. The Ohio state park I was at this winter was excellent although the park was fairly empty. Moab Valley RV was surprisingly good, even with a packed house, although it did slow at times but the KOA in Ouray was almost unusable from my site. I think with a booster the latter would have dramatically improved.

I do think that RV park Wifi will start to improve. I think that the proper equipment to provide decent access has had a price barrier but that seems to be decreasing.

I have had very good luck at Applebees. Their speeds have been excellent. I had had mixed results at McDonalds. Sometimes the speeds are great, sometimes not. In the east, Dunkin Donuts is fairly reliable. I have noticed a growing number of rest areas have it. I have found it along the Ohio turnpike, I-80 in Iowa, and Colorado rest areas along I-76.

When I was at Ridgway State Park in Colorado (Pa Co Chu Puk Loop) the cell service was unusable without a booster but I was able to get good enough data with the booster (Verizon) to do Skype video calls. A number of Colorado state parks have free Wifi. Ridgway is not among them. I did, eventually, discover that there were a couple of restaurants with free Wifi in Ridgway and the speeds at both were very good.

I always appreciate it when people leave details about their WiFi and or data service in their campground reviews. Since I am working on being able to work from my T@b, it is a critical piece for me.

Nomad

And of course, there's always Starbucks, they're everywhere.
Actually, I've found coffee shops even in smaller towns usually have better wifi than other establishments.

ChanW

Mike, doesn't iPhone texting depend on Data when sending to another iPhone with iMessaging enabled? If you turn off iMessaging in the Settings, then an iPhone behaves 'normally' using the cellular network to send and receive SMS messages. In rural areas, often there's cell signal, but no Data signal.

Might that have saved you from the "ire" due to undelivered messages?

Michigan_Mike said:

Campgrounds advertise Wifi but it is normally non-existant unless you are sitting on the porch at the campground of host office.  It was frustrating traveling up to Alaska and even with an AT&T international phone plan Internet was for the most part never there and the Rogers phone system in Canada didn't allow Internet for my US iPhone.  It would appear that texts went out and only until we found a Wifi commercially based signal it was then that a link was established and I started receiving multiple texts from family and friends, creating some ire from people trying to communicate with me along the road.  It was very similar to 

ChanW

Great "Connected" write-up Jenn. Thanks for that info.

For your full-timing plans, have you looked into satellite for continuous 'broadband' internet access? We had it at our home for a year or two, and I can't recommend it for home (terrible latency), but 'on the road' it seems to me that it's really the only system with full coverage in rural areas. It would be slower than 3G or 4G, but I think it's available everywhere.

Also, regarding speed with your Wi-Fi repeater, isn't it the nature of the beast to be slower than your normal direct Wi-Fi connection is, because it's repeating? I would think that a repeater would cut the Wi-Fi data rate in half. I wonder if that might be why you notice it's slower than normal in your driveway.

jkjenn said:

Here is a write up I did on on my set-up:
http://jenngrover.com/2015/11/staying-connected-when-you-cant-get-away-from-it-all/

Nomad

ChanW - I had repeaters in my house and I use a repeater when parked in my brother's driveway. If there's degregation, it's so slight I can't really tell.

Mercator

Michigan_Mike said:

<snip> ... even with an AT&T international phone plan Internet was for the most part never there and the Rogers phone system in Canada didn't allow Internet for my US iPhone.  

Mike, I am surprised that the Rogers didn't work for you.  I have Rogers and when I travel with my iPhone in the USA I can use the AT&T network automatically for $5 (CDN) per day.

mickietucs

jkjenn said:

 A number of Colorado state parks have free Wifi. Ridgway is not among them. I did, eventually, discover that there were a couple of restaurants with free Wifi in Ridgway and the speeds at both were very good.

Jenn - would you mind sharing the names of those Ridgway restaurants with free Wifi? I'll be there in June and now I know from your post I'll have to be in town for connecting via phone or Wifi. Thanks!

jkjenn

PXLated said:

And of course, there's always Starbucks, they're everywhere.
Actually, I've found coffee shops even in smaller towns usually have better wifi than other establishments.

Sure! the True Grit Café and 520 Burgers on Sherman. If you get the Pizza a the 520 Burger place, you won't regret it! I love Ridgway!

mickietucs

Thanks! And although he probably doesn't have Wifi, I'm definitely eating at my nephew's '66 Airstream restaurant (Eatery 66)!  Appreciate those tips on places for Wifi.

Verna

Organ Pipe National Monument has Wi-Fi in the visitor's center, but not in the parking lot. 

jkjenn

Verna said:

Organ Pipe National Monument has Wi-Fi in the visitor's center, but not in the parking lot. 

At one time (2010), RMNP had it in the Beaver Meadows visitors center. Not sure if it is still here.

Michigan_Mike

ChanW said:

Mike, doesn't iPhone texting depend on Data when sending to another iPhone with iMessaging enabled? If you turn off iMessaging in the Settings, then an iPhone behaves 'normally' using the cellular network to send and receive SMS messages. In rural areas, often there's cell signal, but no Data signal.

Might that have saved you from the "ire" due to undelivered messages?

I'm sure I had the iMessaging setting off.  I don't know why I had such difficulty and am curious if anyone else has traveled up to Alaska via Canada from the US and what your experience was?   I can't tell you just how frustrating this was as things were intermittent at best and when we did find good WiFi reception in Canada it was like arriving at an oasis.  I can live without a phone, but when others are looking forward to communicating with you it creates anxiety and anger on the other end too. 

Verna

Mike, I don't know how you were using the iMessaging feature when I was at the LTVA north of Yuma, but with absolutely no cell service, but paying for Wi-Fi from a private provider, your texts were the only texts/iMessages I received for those two weeks.