Searching for WiFi Nirvana

I started writing this post from a cafe up the road from my house whilst waiting for my Chiropractor appointment. I needed to go to the bank and post office so figured I would just stay out and get some work done. Searching for a cafe to work from I suddenly remembered that it was Melbourne Cup day and every place had a special lunch running thus making free tables somewhat of a scarcity. I finally found a small cafe/ deli around the corner with decent coffee and planted myself there for an hour or so.

As always my first priority is to find some open and free wifi to connect to and get some work done- this is where things got interesting. There were several networks locked down, and the only one without security was of all things the RTA traffic routers at the intersection. To my astonishment there was no security on this access point and I was freely able to connect and access the web. I could have tethered my iPhone for some 3G access, but this is cumbersome, and in many cases the wifi will always give better access and stability. I have gone to some decent lengths to be able to work more freely without it costing me (much) more. I even downgraded the OS on my iPhone so that I could use tethering for 3G access when WiFi is not available.

This got me thinking about how hard it is to get decent web access when out, and why cafes still do not see it as an advantage to offer such a service.

There are a few VERY smart cafes in the city and the east that have put in wifi to varying degrees. Some have a cumbersome log in procedure whilst others simply have the network wide open. Others are doing an interesting experiment and offering the access outside of peak times (lunch and dinner) to promote trade in those periods.

Whatever the decision, I can simply say this- if there are 2 cafes in an area I need to work in and one has wifi and the other does not, guess where I am parking myself!!!

Just a little food for thought for cafe owners looking to drum up some extra business.

Trent Collins on November 8, 2009 | Filed Under Blah Blah, Business

3 Comments

jamesis  on November 8th, 2009

Completely agree with you Trent. Australia is well behind in realizing that free wifi for a company to provide, is not all that expensive, and resonates well with consumers.

The only thing I hate though is when people don’t get the ‘fair use’ system.

I know a guy who was w writer and used to go to this cafe to write EVERYDAY, order one coffee, and sit there all day. He didn’t understand when they asked him to stop coming there-he thought it was his right…

I think we need an online charter that we all agree to adhere to :)

Royce Fullerton  on November 9th, 2009

Finding WiFi in Sydney at a cafe is tough, I agree. The given is McDonalds but that is not very conducive to getting work done. If you can find an unwired hotspot it is nice as well. In the US free WiFi is everywhere and it is a great concept, most mom & pop coffee shops will have a network wide open for you to connect to.

I think the issue in Australia is the capped bandwidth on the internet plans. It is much more expensive if a customer abuses the access. If someone downloads a massive file, it doesn’t adversely affect the network just during the actual transfer but probably for the rest of the billing period until the quota is reset. In other countries, owners can get a $20/month unlimited plan and a $40 router and they are good to go.

One adverse affect is people squatting all day and the cafe turns into a library of sorts…but I suppose that is better than being empty.

I love everything about Australia except the internet situation…it is crazy how limiting capped internet is.

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