Comments on: Rant: AT&T iPhone Wi-Fi free as in money, but not as in time

Getting a Wi-Fi connection requires a cellular data link. What?

[iJah420]

Stop your ******'n.....

I AM SO SICK AND TIRED OF THE WHINING SNIVELING SPOILED TECH BABIES.

IS YOUR POOR LITTLE FINGY GONA GET BROKE BECAUSE YOU HAD TO GO TO YOUR SETTINGS TO GET ON THE NETWORK!!!!!!

GMAF BREAK!!!!!

GET A LIFE!

iJah420 says GET OVER IT ALREADY. IF YOU DON'T LIKE IT LEAVE AT&T AND FIND SOME OTHER CARRIER!!!!

[Canberra-photographer]

Looks like a lot of AT&T employees on here bashing Rafe for making a very valid point about this silly red-tape AT&T makes customers go through for free WiFi.
And it is a valid point, here in Australia Telstra offers free WiFi access at its hotspots for iPhone customers. You connect and it automatically knows your an iPhone user. No authorization or time limits. If Telstra can do it, why can't AT&T do IMEI and account checks automatically.

[fuzbears]

The service is not "FREE".. It is a mandatory bundled service that you are paying for, not a freebie. It is included with your $60+ month bill. Everyone is talking like they are being charitable.. You can and should expect it to work well for you like any other service you pay for.

Now if they would just stop using such weak transmitters, so you could actually sit at the outside tables and use it..

[adville]

I haven't tried the following, but it might be one explanation for this closed-loop process, as compared with the author's proposal for checking the iPhone's MAC address:

Is this free Wifi access for iPhones, or for iPhone subscribers? If the former, than the MAC address authentication would be sufficient, as you're limiting access to the device. But maybe they intend this to be a perk of being an iPhone subscriber, just the way free access is a perk of being an AT&T DSL subscriber, as described above.

In other words, if you properly authenticate as an iPhone subscriber (by the fact that you receive the SMS message), can you enter the URL that you receive by SMS on a laptop and get access for that device?

[MickBurke]

Wow AT&T "Tanks for nottin!!"

[nordstrl]

If your already paying for unlimited data why would you jump through hoops just to get the same thing for "free"? ATT Free iPhone Wi-Fi is a waste of time.

[CydeSwype]

I have to chime in that this is pretty standard authentication and not that burdensome. My Chase.com account (where I check my credit card balance and pay my bill) uses this same method for authorizing access every so often. It's annoying, but it adds a very valuable level of authentication that's pretty low-tech and easy to implement.

The other benefit here is that if they're not paying attention to MAC address, you should be able to take this confirmation code and use it on your laptop, so you can surf with any device...not just iPhone.

[MacUser-4-ever]

Logging in at Starbucks is easier than most (not all) Wi-Fi hotspots. Your iPhone will automatically connect to the network, and then when you launch Safari, it will automatically bring up the login page. Simply enter your phone number and submit. Seconds later, you click on the link on your SMS. It's easier than typing a username and password, and faster than many other free hotspots where you have to wait while it accepts your agreeing to the terms and conditions.

It's not the type of thing you'd do to check email while waiting for your coffee, but it's worth it if you're going to be there a while.

[esully63]

Everyone keeps talking about free WIFI, i am confused. ATT claims you need to have a 30.00 a month data plan, it is required if you use an IPhone. Part of that 30.00 is for wifi. At 30.00 a month Thats 720.00 over the two year contract. Its crazy, if you have to log into ATT WIFI hot spots doesnt this limit your wifi possibilities and if you can connect on any wifi what is ATT out. Basically if I can connect thru my home wifi I would be paying ATT to use my own service, wake up! I suggest instead of getting an IPhone from ATT you purchase an IPod Touch. The IPod touch has free WIFI, you dont pay a dime after puchasing the ipod. I have used the ipod touch in restraunts, hotels and at home with no additional cost to me. The 16Gig 3GS Iphone is 199.00 the 16gig IPOD touch is 299.00. Take the extra hundred fom the cost of the data plan and over the course of two years you still save 620.00 dollars. Ask yourself other than GPS do you really need the IPhone Data plan? Saving 620.00 could pay for the very best in GPS and then some.