# Which free WiFi?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-free-wifi/644066>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [December 14, 2012, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-free-wifi/644066 "2012-12-14T21:50:08Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Kansas\_Beekeeper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/c37758/32.png) [@Kansas\_Beekeeper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kansas_Beekeeper)\
**Post date:** [December 14, 2012, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-free-wifi/644066/1 "2012-12-14T21:50:08Z")

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So as not to hijack this thread:

[http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=15797631#post15797631](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=15797631#post15797631)

If I’m at someplace like an airport and I see a number of free wireless connections, all of which have plausible sounding names, how do I know which, if any, are the actual official free WiFi and which are traps? I’ve not seen signs. Asking doesn’t always work.

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**Author:** ![ZenBeam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/3ab097/32.png) [@ZenBeam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZenBeam)\
**Post date:** [December 14, 2012, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-free-wifi/644066/2 "2012-12-14T22:24:57Z")

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Do airports even _have_ free WiFi? I’ve always assumed that with a captive audience, they had overpriced WiFi instead.

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**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\
**Post date:** [December 14, 2012, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-free-wifi/644066/3 "2012-12-14T22:26:05Z")

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> [@ZenBeam](#):
>
> Do airports even _have_ free WiFi? I’ve always assumed that with a captive audience, they had overpriced WiFi instead.

Some do (e.g. Sky Harbor, Phoenix’s airport).

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**Author:** ![Iggins](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Iggins](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Iggins)\
**Post date:** [December 14, 2012, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-free-wifi/644066/4 "2012-12-14T23:24:09Z")

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I’ve always seen official signs concerning the Wi-fi services offered (free or paid). There are usually quite a few posted around the terminals I’ve been to. Otherwise, I’d try to pick a name I recognize, though that doesn’t help you much. Sometimes the coffee shops will have their own service, which should be recognizable.

PDX has free Wi-fi, which I appreciate.