BT and FON to offer free wireless WiFi nationwide

gt94sss2

BT and FON have joined forces to create a Wi-Fi community that allows its members to connect for free in thousands of places around the UK and the world.

Any BT Internet/Broadband customer can join for free and those with Home Hubs can also be set up a HotSpot for other customers.

Anyone doing this seems to get:

- free access to other BT customers WiFi hotspots
- free access to BT Openzone hotspots
- free access to any FON Hotspot anywhere in the world.

Note: that is someone else uses your connection as a hotspot, it doesn't come out of your own usage allowance and contains security so they are 100% separated from your own home network

Anyone opting in will be sent a firmware upgrade to their Home Hub (if they have one) from Monday

More details including FAQs and a forum at http://www.btfon.com/

Regards
Sunil

llol_slim

this sounds really interested, but what happens if someone uses your hotspot to download something illegal? in a similar way to why people "war-drive"

hardleyouth

llol_slim wrote: »

this sounds really interested, but what happens if someone uses your hotspot to download something illegal? in a similar way to why people "war-drive"

Excellent point!

Crabman

Good point - this is what their FAQ's say:

What happens if someone uses my broadband connection to access an illegal site? Can I prove that it wasn't me accessing the sites?

Yes, their access to the internet will be through a separate channel, so it is easy to identify that the access was through the visitor channel.

Anyone heard of this before?

gt94sss2

Basically, your router will be broadcasting two different secure wireless signals:

- one for you and your home network.
- one for 'public use'

Anyone accessing the 'public use' signal will reach a page asking them to login so they can be identified if there is a problem.

Without providing correct login details (i.e. there own) they won't be able to access the service - so only registered users can use these hotspots.

It also means that the machines on your home network are safe, as the public and private signals are totally separate.

Regards
Sunil

JDMYOFAN

Go into any Walkabout in the UK and connect to their WIFI network for free (or at least if you buy some fosters shhhh)... All BT are doing is copying this. The company (in this case walkabout) pay for wifi rental, which encourages people to come in for cofee, stay longer, drink more... Anyone can connect. The wifi internet hs high security and every device which connects to the network supplies the network with its 'cap?' ID which can be traced back if they were to do something illegal.

From what i know, its nearly impossible to cause any harm as access will be blocked.

Cheers

ataylorrl

Ahem! Stupid question alert:D

Won't this cause a slow down in your download speed and would it/ could it put you over your download limit?

Told you it was a stupid question! LOL

gt94sss2

ataylorrl wrote: »

Won't this cause a slow down in your download speed and would it/ could it put you over your download limit?

Yes, if someone else is actively using your connection it will mean you get a slightly lower speeds while downloading. However, BT say that at most, they will only allow a small % of your connection to be used by others and that their software is programmed to give your downloads priority.

As for download limits - BT state that any 3rd party use of your connection will not count towards any BT download limit you have.

Regards
Sunil
PS: they are not stupid questions at all..

gt94sss2

nj106 wrote: »

The wifi internet hs high security and every device which connects to the network supplies the network with its 'cap?' ID which can be traced back if they were to do something illegal.

I think you mean 'MAC' ID but these cannot be traced back if something bad was to happen at a Walkabout.. and are easy to spoof anyway..

Regards
Sunil

ataylorrl

I guess you're quite a technie then Sunil?

We have major problems with Talktalk Broadband connection at "peak" times hence why I am not in my slumber at this silly time! We have a Belkin Wireless router which is secured.

If we perch the laptop on the bathroom windowsill, we can sometimes connect to someones unsecured network instead! WOL! (Wail out loud!)

gt94sss2

Well I don't think of myself as such, but lots of other people do it seems

I see you have been subject to Local Loop Unbundling by TalkTalk - bad luck

Hope you get it resolved soon..

Regards
Sunil