Free Wi-Fi Internet Access ???

Picture this -After doing all the research you can stand, you finally break down and buy yourself everything you need to set up a wireless (Wi-Fi) network in your house. You can now sit anywhere in the house and be connected to the internet. Then you go over to your neighbor's house to have a beer, and chat, and you start bragging about your new wireless network. Your neighbor pulls out his laptop, equipped with 802.11 capability, and logs on to the internet - using your Wi-Fi network.

As long as his house is closer than 300 feet, this will work fine. In fact, several of your neighbors might be able to take advantage of your connection - if you want to tell them about it. In densely populated areas, such as a development with town houses, you could have 10 or more houses within range. And it not only works inside the house, but out in the yard, on the porch, or out on the dock. How cool is that?

Driving around the neighborhood looking for "hot spots" (wireless access areas) has become popular among some geeks with a lot of time, and enough money for the gas. They call this "war" (wireless access revolution) driving. When they find a live access point they mark the spot (called warchalking) with a special symbol. It might be on the pavement, or on a building, but the symbol identifies it as a hot spot to others war drivers.

Of course, retailers are on the bandwagon as well. Starbucks has access at a lot of their locations and they charge $6/day for access. If you ask me, this beats driving around looking for free Wi-Fi signals. McDonalds is test marketing an offer for one free hour of access to anyone who orders a combo meal. Lunch and the internet for $3 is also a good deal.

Of course, savvy business people who don't have the time or the energy to go war driving can check www.wifinder.com or www.80211hotspots.com to find listings of access points wherever they might be traveling. Many of the access points are not free but most are very reasonably priced. The Hyatt Regency in San Francisco has invested in a network that provides free access to guests in any of its 805 rooms. The Marriott is planning on installing Wi-Fi systems in 400 of its hotels before this summer. Many large cities have free access points in libraries, malls and even parks.

Where is all this leading? The internet has given us free access to unprecedented amounts of information. Will internet access eventually be free? If enough Wi-Fi hot spots spring up, they will overlap. At that point all those war drivers will have to find something else to do with their free time.