Data Stops

[C Brian Batey]

Has anyone compiled a list of their favorite WiFi hotspots in 'the alley'?

I'd think this would be a great resource for those getting started or expanding their chase territories.

73,

N5ACN

 

[Joey Ketcham]

I have a list of WiFi's here in Kansas, it's located at http://www.kschaser.com/wifi.html

I need to try and update it. I used WiFi alot last year. Most McDonald's have wifi now which cost like $2 or so for 3 hours or something to that effect, I used that quite a bit last year

 

[Edward Ballou]

I voted waste of time because you can get a lot of that information at:
http://www.wigle.net

It also has a web map based system. You can type in street addresses, zip codes, etc. No guarantees that they're wide open networks though.

 

[bill mudd]

thanks for the topic and the list - since Kansas is my favorite chase country this could come in handy!

 

[Aaron Kennedy]

I use to maintain a list but the hotspots change so often I found it pretty pointless.

Aaron

 

[Kurt Silvey]

I voted “waste of timeâ€￾ wifi is everywhere! Last year I connected to wifi in Wakita, OK. It is almost impossible to get off an interstate or highway at any exit that has more that two gas stations and a motel and not find wifi. I was able to connect to wifi spots in all but the very smallest towns (less than 400 population). The availability of wifi and legally free wifi will only continue to expand.

 

[Ryan McGinnis]

Ditto with the "wifi is everywhere" thing. I just drive around town until I hear Netstumbler chirp at me, then I do a U-turn and watch the signal meter until I figure out where it's coming from. Hotels are usually pretty good bets, if they don't have their connections locked down. I once was on a chase in central Kansas with Darren Addy and we were both pulling data down from a Days Inn with our laptops. Apparently, I'd parked right in front of the manager's office, as the hotspot went away in mid-connection just moments after he peeked out his window.

I once was using a connection out in front of someone's house in SE Nebraska when my chase partner said "Uh... I think maybe we should go now." When I looked over at what he was pointing at, I saw more or less the whole family in their back yard (which was like seven people), standing perfectly still and unabashedly gawking at us. All the men in the family were wearing cut-off jeans and no shirts. It was like something out of "Deliverance".

 

[Dan Robinson]

I've only been turned down once when asking a hotspot owner if I could use their WIFI connection for a couple of minutes for weather data. Hotels are normally very chaser-friendly if you're honest about it - most of the ones that are password-protected will give you the password if you ask for it. So far only one has told me no.

 

[Robert Edmonds]

I've only been turned down once when asking a hotspot owner if I could use their WIFI connection for a couple of minutes for weather data. Hotels are normally very chaser-friendly if you're honest about it - most of the ones that are password-protected will give you the password if you ask for it. So far only one has told me no.

Thanks for the info. There's been a few times when I run into the password wi-fi stuff, and wondered if it was worth my time to ask.

 

[John Erwin]

I voted "waste of time", only because the number of hotspots and their availability is too dynamic.

Having said that, a resource that highlights major changes (ie a major hotel chain deciding to offer "free" wifi) would be a welcome resource. Requires somebody to update on a VERY frequent basis though... stale data is useless. I've found that the stormtrack equipment forum has been a great resource for this and other topics.

 

[David Drummond]

If I am looking for WIFI I almost always look for a hotel/motel first. I have no issues about using their connection. I have spent enough money on motels while chasing over the years I am sure I funded quite a few of those hotspots and probably will fund a few more in the future.

Here's a nice little piece of gold for you. Childress, Texas, the perennial chaser convergence spot, the Kettle restaurant there has wifi and it's free!

 

[Justin Teague]

Here's a nice little piece of gold for you. Childress, Texas, the perennial chaser convergence spot, the Kettle restaurant there has wifi and it's free!

That is a great WIFI spot! We were searching the buildings in that area when we saw the "Kettle" SSID. It was a bit suprising, but it's a very good connection.

 

[David Drummond]

Originally posted by Justin Teague

Here's a nice little piece of gold for you. Childress, Texas, the perennial chaser convergence spot, the Kettle restaurant there has wifi and it's free!

That is a great WIFI spot! We were searching the buildings in that area when we saw the "Kettle" SSID. It was a bit suprising, but it's a very good connection.

A couple of the newer motels there have it too, but stay away from the Best Western (I think it was a BW), the foreign guy running it will call the cops on you. The cops told me he does that all the time, that he's real paranoid about it.

 

[Bob Schafer]

Originally posted by David Drummond
...stay away from the Best Western (I think it was a BW), the foreign guy running it will call the cops on you. The cops told me he does that all the time, that he's real paranoid about it.

LMAO A little group of four of us just stayed there, in two rooms, last year, too.

I have a BW Gold Crown Club membership. Don't you think we should petition BW for some sort of "WiFi privileges" thing so we would automatically be granted permission to log onto their system, for 30 minutes, say, at any motel, if we have that membership, and use it? I mean, if they can see, from our membership, that we're staying at BW's at least 5 times a year? (Joining is free.) Those are franchises, and yes, having been a franchisee, I know that the franchisees can be required to do stuff like that.

Bob

 

[David Drummond]

Have you found a lot of the BW locked down Bob? I haven't seen any yet. Coming back from Rita, Jay and I checked in to a BW in Waco, and they gave me a user/pw for the wireless, but I found out it was wide open anyway.

Days Inn and Holiday Inn Express are usually wide open, at least all the one's I have seen so far. I honestly don't think we are going to see a widespread lockdown on the motel ones, just because the average person isn't all the bright about how to setup the password to get in to a locked one.

Lots of State Farm offices have open wifi as well, even in small towns