I often recommend using a VPN service, such as Norton Hotspot Privacy from Symantec, when using open hotspots. Despite using an open wireless hotspot, users are now protected because all their traffic is encrypted.
The app then uses the Boingo credentials to connect to the nearest Boingo server to create a secure tunnel. Once installed, the user has to manually go into the iOS Settings and turn on VPN. Boingo Wireless integrated a personal VPN service into its app: the Boingo Secure VPN.Īfter I click on "Secure Me!" in the app's settings, I get prompted to download the VPN profile from iTunes and install it. The networks can be malicious, set up as a rogue access point to lure unsuspecting users and harvesting login credentials and personal data, or there may be someone lurking and eavesdropping on your online activity. Watch Out for Open Hotspots The problem with hopping on free wireless networks has always been the fact that you never know how safe they are. It would have been nice to have the connection map available in offline mode.
Unfortunately, the app is unable to display this map if I don't already have some kind of a network connection.
I could search remote locations in order to find where the nearest hotspots were-so that I could perhaps scope out my network situation before leaving for a trip. Once I've identified the desired hotspot, I could even get Google directions on how to get there. There is no hardware to buy, and no contract to lock users in beyond the time you buy, which can be by the month, or even by the hour. The non-Boingo hotspots are crowdsourced: the app logs successful connections to open networks and sends that information to Boingo Wireless in order to be added to the directory database.īoingo Wireless offers subscription-based access to wireless hotspots in a wide variety of locations, including airports, coffee shops, hotels, convention centers, and retailers. The verified networks refer to commercial hotspots that users can access with their Boingo account credentials. The Wi-Finder displays information about all the free hotspots, whether or not they require the Boingo subscription. Zooming in on the map and clicking on a pin shows the SSID of the open hotspot, the name, address and phone number of the location offering the hotspot, and identifies the quality of the network as "Certified," "Trusted," or "Unverified." A coverage map using Google Maps shows what networks are available in the area. Overall Look and Feel The Wi-Finder opens with a summary status screen, where users see statistics about how much of their subscriptions have been used for the month.
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