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How to find free Wi-Fi near you

How To Find Free Wi-Fi Near You. Use AT&Ts or other ISP’s Wi-Fi hotspots, Wi-Fi at McDonald’s, OpenWiFiSpots, Boingo, Wi-Fi at libraries

Published

8 months ago

January 5, 2021

TwinzTech

Why would you need a free Wi-Fi connection when you can easily rely on your home network or your mobile’s data when you’re on the go? Well, the answer is pretty simple. Imagine that you are working away from home, your workplace or your educational institution, and you find that your mobile data has run out. Here are any feasible solutions to your dilemma:

You contact your mobile data carrier and request them for more data. A pretty simple query to which they will oblige, but the downside will be the cost. The extra data will be pricey, and since mobile data coverage isn’t always the optimum everywhere, you might be cutting a sorry figure at the end of the day.

You can rush back to any of the places mentioned above to complete your work, but that isn’t the most feasible option, significantly if a specific time limit constricts you.

Use your own ISPs hotspot

Now here’s the good part. You can find out if there’s a Wi-Fi hotspot near you and log in from where you are, and your problem is solved there and then.

While we recommend the third option, there are a few problems you can come to face. The hotspot may be shielded by security. They might only allow limited users. However, most cities now have free Wi-Fi hotspots that may include restaurants, cafés, malls and stores, etc.

These can be accessed if you know their locations. Let’s take a look at a few of these options, starting with the easiest and obvious choice:

Table of Contents

1. Use your own ISP’s hotspot

This may not sound free, but the reality is that since you’re already on a monthly subscription, connecting to your ISP from wherever you are doesn’t cost you any extra bucks. There are multitudes of location throughout the U.S where internet service providers have their Wi-Fi hotspot.

ISPs like Spectrum, Cox, Xfinity and Optimum have joined together to form a single network called the Cable Wi-Fi. This ensures that you automatically are entitled to benefit from these hotspots if you’re a consumer of any of these ISPs.

There are thousands Charter Spectrum Wi-Fi hotspots scattered throughout the states. Being a Spectrum user, you can access these in a few simple steps.

Just open the Wi-Fi tab from your system or your mobile phone.
Search for available networks.
Select Spectrum from the list.
Enter your Spectrum username and password that you use at home, and you’re logged in to high-speed, reliable internet. Because there do no data caps on any of Spectrum’s internet plans, you can access unlimited data at the same bandwidth.

2. Use AT&Ts or other ISP’s Wi-Fi hotspots.

Many well-known brands use AT&T as their internet service provider and offer free internet to their customers.

Some use Google Wi-Fi and a few others. McDonald’s, Barnes and Noble, FedEx, and Starbucks are some of these brands. You can either search their hotspot through the steps mentioned above. In case that doesn’t work due to some firewall issue, some apps may help locate hidden Wi-Fi hotspots.

3. Wi-Fi at McDonald’s

With thousands of branches spread across the nation, McDonald’s offers free Wi-Fi at all of them. There may be an issue with accessing the hotspot if the owner-operator of a particular branch has disabled the connection, but that’s not very common. You can look for their units near you and go there to get connected.

McDonald’s uses two networks, and it’s crucial to remember their names. One is Wayport_Access, and the other is attwifi_mcd. To connect to these, they will direct you to a web browser page with a “connect” button. Click on it, and you’re online.

The same things work at Starbucks as well, but they use Google Wi-Fi. Select Google Starbucks network. Fill in the form that opens up on your browser and choose “Accept & Connect”.

4. OpenWiFiSpots

Users of this app have added thousands of free Wi-Fi locations, and you can look for them by opening up their webpage. Once you have found an open Wi-Fi hotspot, you can access it easily through their website.

You can also search by putting in specific locations like airports, malls or eateries. It will work by showing all the nearby areas on a map. This website/app works internationally in places like Canada, Australia, Brazil, and many more.

5. Boingo

It is another Wi-Fi hotspot search engine and works pretty much the same way as OpenWiFiSpots. You can put in the desired location, and it will take you to it even though an offline map. They have around a million free Wi-Fi hotspot locations on their database. They have apps that support all types of operating systems like Android, iOS, Windows and Mac.

6. Wi-Fi locations at libraries

Most public libraries these days have access to computer systems and have the digital platform as well. Therefore, some of these also provide free internet access through their W-Fi to library users. So, whether you’re a student or have some leftover office work, you can access free Wi-Fi at one of these libraries.

Other apps and websites like Wi-Fi-FreeSpot Directory, Wi-Fi Map, Avast Wi-Fi Finder and WeFi can help look for free hotspot locations. Any of them can run in the past on your system, always collecting data relating to free Wi-Fi hotspots, keeping you updated on the go.

Computer

5 Features Of A Proactive IT Strategy

Here are some of the features that’ll help you have a clear understanding of what a proactive IT strategy is:

Published

50 mins ago

September 16, 2021

TwinzTech

Action Plan Process Strategy Vision Concept

Some organizations take a reactive and break-fix approach to their organization’s IT support system. Essentially, they wait until a machine breaks down, and then they start making an effort to fix it. This approach usually leads to unwarranted interruptions in the organization’s workflow.

To avoid such, it’s best to have proactive IT strategies. Experts continuously monitor and assess whether the systems are in the right conditions, check for potential trouble beforehand, and fix them before they become a significant problem.

For this reason, you’d like to be proactive in your business and enjoy the benefits that come with it. Here are some of the features that’ll help you have a clear understanding of what a proactive IT strategy is:

Table of Contents

1. Learns From The Past

To avoid making mistakes, it’s good to understand the errors that have happened in the past and come up with measures to prevent repeating the same mistakes. For instance, if your business database was hacked, it’s critical to investigate and try to pinpoint the security loophole that made the breach possible.

Perhaps it was due to the lack of a firewall, or the passwords were easy enough for Tom, Dick, and Harry to guess. Moving on, you’d want to have a firewall in place, create stronger passwords that are hard to crack, and also enforce other measures to make your data more secure.

2. 24/7 Vigilance

You understand that cybercriminals are working day and night to access sensitive business data and jeopardize your business. It might be a costly miscalculation on your part if you leave the security bit of your system to a nine to five employee. A lot of damage can happen during the lengthy period they’re not at work. And by the time they report to work, the cybercriminals may have accomplished their mission of stealing data or corrupting your system.

What you need is round-the-clock surveillance of your IT system. It may not be possible with an in-house IT department, and that’s why it’s advisable to hire a managed IT solutions company. Such firms have a large team of experts that can instantly respond to any data breach or technical hitch in your system. This way, you can prevent hackers from going too far with their malicious attacks and significantly reduce your server downtime.

5 Features Of A Proactive IT Strategy

3. Keeps Pace With Latest Trends

Currently, almost every company is undergoing digital transformation due to the dozens of benefits set to be reaped. Some of the latest IT trends you need to consider include cloud computing, artificial intelligence, edge computing, machine learning, cyber security, virtual reality, the internet of things, and robotic process automation.

Being up to date with the current technological trends gives your organization a competitive advantage. Consumers worldwide prefer doing business with companies that embrace the latest technologies. The chances are high that your competitors are also using modern technology to run their businesses. You wouldn’t want to lag with outdated technology, as you’ll never manage to amass a large customer base like them.

4. Remote Accessibility

In today’s world, it might be inconvenient to restrict operations to a stationery office or location. Thus, you wouldn’t want to have servers with no internet connection. Your IT staff and other employees must be able to access the company database from elsewhere other than the office. This enables them to work while traveling or from home.

It also enables you to employ managed service providers. They can control your IT system from their offices without having to report in person at your business premises. This way, they can quickly update the system or detect a problem and fix it regardless of where they are. It also helps a lot during those times your workplace is inaccessible, perhaps due to government-enforced lockdowns or natural disasters, such as floods.

5. Tight Security

A proactive IT strategy ensures that the organization’s security systems are tight. This will reduce the risk of data breaches which can cost your company millions of dollars and interrupt your company’s workflow. Millions of businesses worldwide fall prey to cybercriminals every year. Thus, security is of utmost importance to every business that wholly or partially operates online. Here are a few tips to improving the safety of your IT system:

Assigning minimum privileges to administrators
Identifying vulnerabilities, such as the Bring Your Device (BYOD) approach, and planning for various related threats
Using several layers of independent defenses, such as solid passwords plus two-factor authentication
Regularly backing up all vital business data
Continuously conducting risk assessments and testing the effectiveness of the security systems implemented

Conclusion

Some of the critical features of such a system include digital technology, tight security, remote accessibility, and 24/7 vigilance. A proactive IT strategy enables you to see threats from afar and develop solutions to combat them before the molehill turns into a mountain. To make this a reality in your business, consider outsourcing managed IT solutions from reputable firms.