Cochrane’s Guide to Finding Wi-Fi
At silicon.com, Peter Cochrane recounts the efforts he goes through on a regular basis to find Wi-Fi access in coffee shops, hotels and airport terminals worldwide.
"Over the past six months or so I have taken particular note of my 'on the road' access habits and success rate," Cochrane writes. "To a first Approximation my connectivity is around 85 percent by Wi-Fi and 15 percent by wired LAN. At no time did I have to use a phone line or mobile phone link. Around 35 percent of connections were free, whilst 60 percent were via low-cost commercial services, and just five per cent were at 'rip-off' hotels and bars when I paid because I happened to be desperate to connect due to time constraints."
Cochrane says he rarely finds it difficult to get connected while traveling. He offers 11 key pieces of advice on finding Wi-Fi access, all of which are worth checking out. The best of all: "8. Never be shy in asking a stranger who is carrying a computer where they get Wi-Fi access."