Free Wi-Fi Connection?

[brainiac]

After clicking on the 'connect to' button on my Start menu, I noticed under the wi-fi connections available one that said 'BT Wi-fi-with-FON'. This is not my supplier (I'm not with BT), but out of interest, I clicked on it and it connected! What could this connection be - a neighbour? I live in a village, so it can't be anything else, can it? Buenchico, please explain!

[grasscarp]

usually when you try and look at a page of the internet it will ask if you are a BT customer. If you are you put in your password. If you are not it lets you buy an hour or day etc. Are you saying that you are in and using it free of charge?

[brainiac]

I didn't have to put in any password, it just connected. I quickly de-connected in case it somehow got hold of my phone number and started charging me!

[grasscarp]

It allows anyone to click on it, but then to go further than connect it asks for either password or payment. I was just curious if you were actually able to do anything other than connect.

[chelle7272]

Yes but did you go any further than the first page - as said above BT have hotspots you canaccess but you need to pay the get an access code. I expect you would not be able to get any further than the initial page. It can't charge you without you submitting details.

[Buenchico]

Every BT customer's router (a.k.a 'HomeHub') effectively broadcasts TWO signals (unless the customer has changed the default settings, and turned the second one off).

The first one is for the customer's use but the second one is available for anyone using the 'FON' system to connect to. That means that any other BT user (plus people who pay BT to have access to the FON system, such as me, and anyone from abroad who uses an ISP linked to FON) can make use of that signal.

So, because there are millions of BT HomeHubs out there, BT customers (and the others I've mentioned) can connect to the internet almost everywhere in the country via other BT customers HomeHubs. (It's completely secure; the customers own internet traffic is kept completely separate from that of the fellow BT user sitting in a car outside his house).

When connecting to that signal though, the 'visitor' will initially appear to get straight in but then, when he tries to go to any website, he'll find that he's diverted to the BT/Fon log-in screen, where he has to enter his credentials. (It's occasionally possible to get directly to a website but any attempt to proceed further will go to that log-in page).

[brainiac]

Thanks for that, Buenchico, I knew you would know! Thought it was a bit too easy, and didn't try to actually access any websites. Do you/have you worked in IT, or have you taught yourself all the things you know about computing? I've noticed you give brilliant info (and great links) on AB on all sorts of things, but particularly on computing. As I've said before on a different thread, I think you, Mamyalynne and Scorpiojo should be awarded a 'Most Helpful Contributor' award by AB. Thank you

[Buenchico]

Thanks for your kind comments, Brainiac.

I'm entirely self-taught when it comes to computers (largely because I can't afford to pay others to fix things for me!).

;-)

[Togo]

I came I late on your thread brainiac, but further to Buen's answer, BT also use with the permission of their customers, their hubs to allow other BT subscribers to access what are called hot spots for net access. When we were staying in Cornwall last summer in a cove with no wifi and very limited mobile phone service, the cottage next door was hard wired through BT and access was obtained through using your BT account details or paying a daily or weekly fee to BT. The subscriber with the hub got very good discount from BT for agreeing to the arrangement. The daft thing was I was able to log on with my lappie by giving my account details but my son's pal had to cough up his bank details to get in touch with his family and girlfriend. I also had to ask the neighbour for his hub code.