FON - Free Wi-Fi!

David Lay · Post by **David Lay** » Sat Aug 05, 2006 12:43 pm

Does anyone else use this?

http://www.fon.com

I installed the firmware on my router, so now I'm sharing my internet!

Maybe all the places in Lakewood that have free wi-fi should too, then we can create a "wireless blanket" here in the city!

David Lay · Post by **David Lay** » Sat Aug 05, 2006 2:18 pm

Oh, and Routers with the FON firmware can be purchased for only $5. It looks like Google and Skype, among a few others, are really funding this project.

If anyone is interested in this, I'd be more than happy to help with setup...

Bryan Schwegler · Post by **Bryan Schwegler** » Sat Aug 05, 2006 6:23 pm

The only problem is that most if not all consumer broadband forbids public sharing in their TOS.

David Lay · Post by **David Lay** » Sat Aug 05, 2006 6:44 pm

But, has any broadband provider ever enforced it? With all the free hotspots popping up these days, I highly doubt enforcement would ever happen, as people like me would be revolting.

David Lay · Post by **David Lay** » Sat Aug 05, 2006 6:56 pm

Looks like there's a large-scale rollout in NYC:

The spanish company Fon, billing itself as the largest WiFi community in the world, is poised to make a dramatic entrance to New York City this month. Their "free WiFi for all who contribute" manifesto found a comrade in technologist and former candidate for NYC Public Advocate Andrew Rasiej, who ran on a free-WiFi-for-all ticket. Having lost that bid, Rasiej is now privately teaming up with Fon in an attempt to cover the City in a grid of "shared" access points. Rasiej and his fellow "Foneros," in a race to beat other cities like Philadelphia and San Francisco to the wireless utopia, are distributing 25,000 free Fon routers from their website starting this month. They are currently only available if you live in the East Village, but you can signup to get notified when they reach your neighborhood. That's good news for me, having just moved to the East Village and still reeling from the fact that all of my neighbors have secured their wireless networks, prohibiting my mooching. Also, unveiled earlier this week, a new router that includes a wireless Skype phone (pictured) adds a mobile component to the Fonero movement.

Bryan Schwegler · Post by **Bryan Schwegler** » Sat Aug 05, 2006 6:57 pm

Yes it does happen. I've read many people having this issue at BroadbandReports.com. Net companies don't care until you start using a lot of bandwidth.

But it's good to let people know the risk if they choose to use FON that they could lose their net access or be forced and back charged for a business account. It has happened. This would be a much better solution for business. I personally just feel it's too risky for regular consumers to wholesale share their access until the ISPs allow it.

David Lay · Post by **David Lay** » Sat Aug 05, 2006 6:58 pm

FON makes it clear in their T&Cs that it could happen.

Bryan Schwegler · Post by **Bryan Schwegler** » Sat Aug 05, 2006 6:59 pm

David Lay wrote:FON makes it clear in their T&Cs that it could happen.

That's fine, but no one reads the tiny fine print of T&C's. I'm just making it more clear for fellow Lakewood residents.

David Lay · Post by **David Lay** » Sat Aug 05, 2006 7:01 pm

The firmware doesn't let any wi-fi connected user use more than half of the available bandwidth. I've done speed tests via my wi-fi and wired connections to verify this.

Ivor Karabatkovic · Post by **Ivor Karabatkovic** » Sun Aug 06, 2006 1:05 am

take your laptop and drive down a few streets in lakewood, you'll find free internet in a lot of places on the street because people don't know how to set up their internet/router security and the signal is strong enough to be noticed from across the street.

I know theres a few spots on my street, but I wouldn't want my neighbors using my internet if I get the bill in the mail every month. ya know?

David Lay · Post by **David Lay** » Sun Aug 06, 2006 6:28 am

The mentality behind it is "give a little, get a lot." You share your bandwidth, you get free access at over 75,000 FON hotspots around the world for FREE.

Personally, I could never use all of the 9mbps pipe, even with Bit Torrent and gaming, so why not share it and get some back?

Bryan Schwegler · Post by **Bryan Schwegler** » Sun Aug 06, 2006 7:25 am

David Lay wrote:The mentality behind it is "give a little, get a lot." You share your bandwidth, you get free access at over 75,000 FON hotspots around the world for FREE.

Personally, I could never use all of the 9mbps pipe, even with Bit Torrent and gaming, so why not share it and get some back?

Because it's breaking the TOS of your internet service. There's enough legit free wifi out there that I would just use that rather than risk losing my internet at home or being back charged a ton of money.

There's a difference between someone not knowing how to lock up their router and someone purposely trying to share their internet. The ISPs know that.

David Lay · Post by **David Lay** » Sun Aug 06, 2006 9:10 am

I highly doubt someone using my wifi here and there is going to be a blip on the ISPs radar. It's not like it's wide open--to use FON, they either have to be a Linus (one that shares their connection, and in turn they have access to other FON sites for free), or an Alien (a user that pays $2/day for access). They have to sign in once they connect, similar to signing in at a pay hotspot.

For those that are interested, a map of FON hotspots in the Cleveland area: