Public hotspots
As I told you a few lines above, the only true 100% legal system to be able to have unlimited free Internet is to take advantage of the many public hotspots scattered across the globe. These are essentially wireless Internet access points that can be found in bars, restaurants, airports, hotels, parks, squares and so on and that allow you to connect to the Web without limitations and above all without having to pay (unless otherwise specified, of course) .
Generally this is signaled by the presence of special billboards, stickers and various indications on the spot. In order to be able to trace them more easily or in any case even remotely, you can rely on special Internet sites and apps.
Sites to find them
In order to identify the many public hotspots scattered around you can make use of some Internet sites designed precisely for the purpose in question. Below you will find those that in my opinion represent the most reliable in the category.
- FON - This is a site on which there is an interactive map through which it is possible to find all the access points belonging to the FON network scattered throughout the city and around the world. To exploit them, you need to be part of the project or be a customer of certain Internet providers, as in the case of Vodafone. To use the site just connect to its home page, type the name of the reference location in the appropriate field and start the search. The results are then shown on the map. It should be noted that the company that gave birth to the project actively collaborates with several TLC companies and can count on some famous Silicon Valley investors, such as Google, Skype and eBay.
- Wiman - Good website to be able to find public hotspots in the city and around the world. It also allows you to find private networks whose managers have chosen to share the access password. To use it, connected to its home page, type the name of the reference location in the field in the center and press the button Submit on the keyboard. The results will then be shown to you on the map.
- City Wi-Fi hotspots - Through this site it is possible to identify all the public hotspots (not only the free ones but also the paid ones) available in the city, as the name itself easily implies. To use it, type the name of the reference city in the field City or province, check the box Free e pigia his Search. You can also search by category or name using the appropriate menu and the appropriate field respectively. The results obtained will then be shown to you on the map.
I also advise you to make a "short trip" on institutional sites, such as those of the Municipalities, on which in most cases there are updated maps with the areas covered with public Wi-Fi. To find the map related to a given Municipality you can do a quick search on Google using terms like common [common name] Wi-Fi hostspot (instead of [common name] you have to type the name of the municipality of reference). For example, as regards Milan, by carrying out a search on the net it is possible to access this page through the section Areas Served allows you to view the maps of the various areas of the city with related hotspots.
App to find them
Apart from Internet sites, there are also a bunch of apps to help you find public hotspots. The ones that in my opinion are the best and deserve to be tried can be found right here below.
- WiFi Map (Android / iOS) - Hugely popular app of the category. It allows you to find wireless access points from all over the world thanks to the contribution of users. Remarkable is the ability to download maps with hotspots locally and consult them on the device in use even in the absence of an Internet connection (precisely!). It is free to download.
- Instabridge (Android / iOS) - Another very valid app of the category that allows you to identify public hotspots by sending notifications that indicate their presence in the area based on the movements made. You can also set destinations and new Wi-Fi points so that the application also works offline. It is free to download.
- Wiffinity (Android / iOS) - Another resource to consider to find the free hotspots in the area and connect to them directly from the app. It is free to download.
- Facebook (Android / iOS) - No, it's not a mistake, even the Facebook app, the number one social network in the world, can be very useful for finding the Wi-Fi hotspots present in the area and therefore to be able to have unlimited free Internet . To do this, press the button with the three lines horizontally placed on the right, stop on the item Other… annexed to the section Explore of the new screen displayed and step on Find Wi-Fi. You will therefore find yourself in the presence of a map indicating the various free Wi-Fi present in the area with annexes. As known, it is free to download.
- WiFi Finder (Android) - Another famous application that allows you to search for free hotspots through a guided procedure by geographical areas or through a special scanner. In the first case, to get the list, you need to enter the state, province, city and, if desired, the post code or post code, while in the second case it is sufficient to tap on the appropriate item on the screen. It is free to download.
How to connect
Once you have found the hotspot closest to you, you can finally take the real action: connect to the network and start surfing online. Yeah, but ... how do you "connect" to the chosen Wi-Fi? To find out, just follow the instructions below.
- Since Windows - Click onnetwork icon (Quella with him cleats) in the notification area (next to theclock), select the correct connection from the list and press the button Connect.
- Da mac - Click on the icon of wireless network (The cleats) in the upper left part of the system bar and select the reference network from the list that is shown to you.
- From Android - Access the device screen in which the icons of all the apps are grouped, presses on Settings (the icon with thegear), go to the section Connections / Wireless and networks, select the voice Wi-Fi / Wi-Fi settingscarry your ON the relative switch (if the function is disabled, of course) and tap on the name of the reference network.
- From iOS - Access the home screen, tap on the di icon Settings (Quella with l 'gear), presses on the voice Wi-Ficarry your ON (if set to OFF) the switch that you find next to the wording Wi-Fi and presses on the name of the reference network from the list that appears on the screen.
As you can see for yourself, the operations to be carried out are quite simple and within everyone's reach. However, if you need further information, you can take a look at my tutorial on how to connect to WiFi through which I have dealt with the issue in great detail.
Please note: For some hotspots, you may be prompted for a password when connecting. If so, in the case of public places you can find it on any signs, billboards and labels, while in the case of clubs you can ask for it directly to the reference staff (if it is not on display, of course).
Other solutions that may be interesting
Let's now move on to alternative solutions to hotspots which, as I said at the beginning, can still be useful in certain circumstances while not properly respecting the characteristics of "unlimited" and "free".
Offers from fixed line operators
You probably weren't aware of it but you should know that some cittàn providers (and others) allow you to surf the Internet for free, ensuring their customers access to a network of exclusive hotspots present at national level. So, even if it is not exactly a free solution (to use it you must have activated an Internet subscription on the fixed line) it still deserves to be taken into consideration. Below you will find the cittàn operators who offer this type of service to their subscribers.
- Vodafone - The manager allows free access to the hotspots of the FON network (I told you about it at the beginning of the article) as well as to the access points of the Vodafone Wi-Fi Community (i.e. the connections of other users who join the initiative) to all its ADSL and Fiber customers. To use the service you must therefore subscribe to a Vodafone home subscription including Vodafone Station 2 or Vodafone Station Revolution and register on the operator's website. For more info on the service you can consult the appropriate web page, while for Vodafone offers you can refer to my guide on the subject.
- Fastweb - Those who have activated an ADSL or Fiber subscription with the operator (as well as those who have a 4G SIM with an active mobile offer of the same) can access the Wi-Fi hotspot network called WOW FI, all based on sharing the home connection of the various members of the community. The password to access the community is sent directly by Fastweb via SMS and must be entered only at the first access to a hotspot. For more info on the service you can consult the appropriate web page, while for Fastweb offers you can refer to my guide on the subject.
- Tiscali - Even those who have activated an ADSL and fiber subscriber with this manager can connect for free to Wi-Fi hotspots generated by the operator's other customers. The service offered is called Tiscali Social WiFi and activation takes place automatically for anyone with a Tiscali Wi-Fi modem. For more info on the service you can consult the specific web page, while for the Tiscali offers you can refer to my guide on the subject.
In the current state of things, the ones I just told you about are the only operators in the city that allow you to have free Internet using their hotspot network. However, this does not mean that other operators will not be able to offer this opportunity in the future. So, to stay up to date in this regard, as well as on the various Internet offers of the moment, I suggest you visit the section dedicated to ADSL and optical fiber on the Internet site from time to time. Sos Rates, the well-known portal that, in fact, allows you to compare prices and characteristics of all the offers of cittàn providers.
Offers from mobile line operators
As for mobile phone operators, at the moment there are no solutions similar to those mentioned above. However, some operators allow you to continue surfing the net at no cost and at reduced speed once the maximum number of GB included in the subscribed offer has been reached. Even in this case, the concept of free unlimited Internet is not strictly understood but it can still be a valid solution if necessary.
There is one of the main cittàn managers who currently have offers including this option wind that once the GB part of the subscribed plan bundle has been towed allows you to continue surfing the net without limitations but at a maximum speed of 128 kbps (therefore useful more than anything else for communicating on messaging apps and social networks). To know all the offers of the operator you can read my dedicated article, while for more info on the feature in question you can consult the section Wind Remember attached to the web page of each offer on the operator's website.
Even in this case, I remind you that to stay up to date on any new solutions from other operators through which you can surf the Internet unlimitedly, you can from time to time take a look at the section dedicated to mobile telephony and the section dedicated to mobile Internet of the already mentioned website of Sos Rates.
How to get unlimited internet for free
