Handy app bypasses AT&T's ridiculous iPhone Wi-Fi sign-up process

No more SMS two-step.

"They wrote this for you," Josh said in IM to me about Devicescape's Easy Wi-Fi for AT&T, an app that directly addresses my complaints about the free Wi-Fi that AT&T now provides to iPhone users at Starbucks and various airports.

As I wrote, I dislike the Safari/SMS two-step required to authorize the iPhone to use the AT&T free Wi-Fi. Yes, it's looking a gift horse in the mouth. But I am a professional crank. I really do get paid for this.

Anyway, the Easy Wi-Fi app bypasses the SMS process with a single button. You do have to pre-load the app with your phone number. But only once. And you also have to connect to the AT&T access point through the iPhone's control panel first, but once you've done that, you just press the big Log In button and you're connected.

I tried this app at a Starbucks. I downloaded the app over my phone's cellular connection, put in my phone number (both things I'll never have to do again), connected to the store's Wi-Fi router, fired up the Easy Wi-Fi, pressed Log In, and I was connected. Much better than the old way. Thank you, Devicescape.

Easy Wi-Fi is free through Friday. Then it goes up to $1.99. So grab it now (iTunes link).

First spotted: Gizmodo.

[Vegaman_Dan]

I don't expect this app to last long in the Apps Store as it bypasses functions that Apple has its own connection method already set up for. Apple doesn't like anything that either duplicates a function they have in the system or makes it easier to use than the built in method. <br /> <br />So go out and get this now. <br /> <br />I wonder if it would work with the Touch?

[Thomas, David]

It's not bypassing anything. It is automating those steps.<br /><br />The app will stand, until (and not likely), AT&#38;T makes connecting simpler, or changes it.

[Perry_Clease]

I have it installed and it works great, handy little app.

[ASROSS]

What everyone seems to miss, including this reporter and this new app, is that none of it solves the very fast session timeout on ATT WifFi as soon as you stop using Safari or otherwise actively using the iPhone's WiFi connection.<br /><br />For example, use this cool Devicesape app to easily log in to ATT WiFi, set your phone down for less than 5 minutes while you read the paper at Starbucks, and then pick up your phone and try to browse the web. You won't be able to!<br /><br />You will have to log in to ATT WiFi again (which, admittedly, is easier with this cool new ap). Oh, and in that time you were sitting reading the paper? You didn't get a single push or auto fetch email because the iPhone was trying to use the ATT Wifi connection to check mail, but it couldn't because the session timed out, and the iPhone is too dumb to roll over to the perfectly good 3G cell data network that is there... instead it is confused by the existence of a known network that it can't penetrate due to the ATT WiFi time out.<br /><br />In other words, the experience is so horrible I just shut WiFi off on my iPhone when I am camped out and working or reading at Starbucks. At least then I still get my mail.<br /><br />I am praying that either ATT does something to change the way the WiFi sessions time out so they don't, or that Apple or Devicescape do something on the iPhone side to repeatedly ping the WiFi network to keep the session active.

[substance21]

There is a new, free app called autoweb which will record your login steps for most simple sites and play them back very easily. It's free and customizable for any wifi network or login.