There are some people who insist that the never pay for an Internet connection. They know how to find every free wireless hotspot in their area but not everyone is so knowledgeable. There are times when it is important to get online quickly and a free hotspot would be ideal.
There are a number of ways to find these wireless hotspots. Four of the easiest are:
1. Ask others to point them out
You are bound to have a family member, friend or colleague who can point you to existing wireless hotspots.
2. Use your cell phone if it is Wi-Fi enabled
Smartphones have built-in features that allow them to easily scan for wireless networks
3. Use your laptop
Once you turn on your laptop, it will pick up any wireless connectivity within range. It will also identify the strength of the connection so that you can find the best one to use. While, laptops will generally pick-up all connections, it is easy to tell the secure one as the signal indicator tends to have a closed padlock beside it.
4. Use an online Wi-Fi directory
There are now quite a few online Wi-Fi directories for many cities around the globe. They will tell you where free hotspots are so you can plan beforehand where you can settle down to work or check emails.
Jiwire.com for example has a comprehensive list of free wireless hotspots. It allows searching by country, state, address and other ways too. The only requirement is that you have to download the Wi-Fi finder application.
These days, Wi-Fi hotspots are literally all over the place. Finding one is no longer all that difficult, however, finding a free one may take a little extra work. Thankfully, many cafes and coffee shops still offer free Wi-Fi to their customers.