Site Totals

61162 Questions Answered 267 Categories

Free Verizon WiFi HotSpots Now On-Line

It looks like Verizon has turned on the ability to register for access to free Verizon WiFi HotSpots.

Verizon Wi-Fi for High Speed Internet Verizon Wi-Fi* is a free service that enables qualified Verizon High Speed Internet subscribers to access the internet at thousands of public places known as Wi-Fi hotspots. This wireless service is not intended to be used from your home, but to be used while on-the-go.

Here is the URL:

http://www22.verizon.com/ResidentialHelp/HighSpeed/Networking/SetUp/WiFi/124611.htm?LOBCode=C&PromoTCode=A0441&PromoSrcCode=V&POEId=VU1SP&CMP=DMC-A0441

It requires a 20MB Download or better FIOS Plan or 3MB or better DSL Plan

Verizon Wi-Fi is available with select High Speed Internet packages and in designated locations only. The service requires Windows Vista or Windows XP 32-bit with Service Pack 3. Verizon Wi-Fi is not available on Macintosh, Windows XP 64-bit, or Windows 7 operating systems.

Comments

manhattan12345

Anyone else having trouble registering for this? I downloaded the software but when I go to activate an account, I get the same error message: "User name contains one or more invalid characters."

I followed all the requirements to pick a name - started with a letter, name has at least 3 characters, did not use my Verizon user name - and after 10 different tries, with 5 different names, that same error message comes up.

Any suggestions as to what is wrong?

Thanks!

tomb01

Useless for me. Am a Mac user. Not only is it Win 32, it is FP3 of win32.... Guess they don't really want people to use it. AT&T does not have these restrictions....

jmclaughlin

Not only that, but they don't even want their future wifi-enabled phones to use it either.

Brilliant move Verizon. I really hope you change your mind about the software requirements.

milton6976

Totally agree...I was excited that Verizon was finally allowing free Wifi access for premium high speed subscribers (something AT$T offered over a year ago) but this was short lived after finding out that my netbook running Linux (Ubuntu) was not on the list of operating systems (an extremley short list) I assume this will change and they want to get to all of their primary OS users out of the way first. Disappointing to say the least. There are alot of your subscribers that are looking for alternatives to the infamous "Windows" especially on their mobile devices. I hope they will provide these users with options as well.

pcoyote

I'm a month away from the end of my year contract and I saw the news and thought now I have to good reason to stay. Too bad I don't run Windows. I guess I'm back to checking out my other options.

spacedebris

maybe one of the Verizon guys can answer this for me. I went into the hotspot list and almost every hotspot is something like a barns and noble or a starbucks, etc. These places already offer free wireless. I can go down to my local starbucks right now and access wireless for free and I dont have to subscribe to anything. So what kind of benefit is this? Now dont get me wrong, this is not a complaint or criticism. I'm just currious to find out what the difference is because I already do this without signing up for something. Do I get faster speeds? Is it a secure connection? Other features? I just need to know what this is about.

milton6976

Spacedebris, where do you live at. I'm in a suburb of Dallas, TX and from my understanding they always charge, wheteher its a pass through Starbucks or a subscription fee to the Wifi company. Maybe I don't need this service after all?

spacedebris

I'm in southern california. (oxnard). Now I dont travel but I do frequently go down to the local starbucks and the wifi there is wide open. the local Mcdonalds is the same way. On my days off, I go down and check email while relaxing with a cup of cofee. maybe I'm lucky and I just have some local stores that do it different from other area's but I've never had to even put in a wep key at the local watering hole.

DaveBecker

Just signed up for 2 years of phone/DSL/cable (via DirectTV) from Verizon. Non-metro area doesn't yet have FIOS.

Salesperson noted package included free WiFi at Verizon hotspots. Good deal, part of motivation to switch providers.

Went to info page: only for certain PC operating systems. Salesperson did NOT mention that.

AT&T does it for Macs. T-Mobile does it for Macs. Starbucks does it for Macs. Panera does it for Macs.

It's all essentially automatic. No special software installed, just provide your credentials & the access point doesn't have to know or care what the OS is.

Why does Verizon need to make it as hard as possible, including making users install unnecessy/undesirable software to use the service? Every time you install foreign software from a source you can't check it's a security risk. Who needs that?

Reminds me that in about 1990 I had Verizon DSL in another location. Couldn't just use same browsers other ISPs used - had to install Verizon's own version (I think it was Netscape).

Side effect of having to create custom s/w for each platform: Most used systems (XP, Vista) get developed first. If there's any money left, do OS X and Linox, but of course much later. (Actually, no, probably Windows 95 first.)

Verizon's not necessarily a bad company, just a company making bad choices.

bozey45

Why bother with verizon's so-called free wifi? Even small motels and hotels everywhere offer free wireless internet these days and personally I've never had a problem with them at all.

knguyentu

I have the exact same problem. It ask me to create a username, i dont' want to create a user name. I already have one.

LizJ

Wow, I just upgraded and now I'm really bummed. Dear Hubby has a Mac on the road. This would have been so helpful for him. We've got one Windows laptop in the family. so I guess we won't waste the feature for now.

Are there any plans to add the wi-fi service for Macs?

adrodi

Most corporate users like myself are forced to stay at XP SP2 so this new service does me no good at all.....

Child Item