AT&T WiFi portal for iPhone users shows up at Starbucks

Here's an update for DC:

http://www.looprumors.com/article.php?free-att-wifi-hotspot-access-for-iphone-users,589033123

Per my comment, this is exactly what ATT should have done. Free. Easy.

I tried using my iPhone at a couple of Starbucks in the Seattle area today: the one I always go to in Redmond and the one at Pike Place (the first Starbucks) when I was in Seattle. I didn't see this kind of login screen today or any other day I've gone lately, so I guess there's no two-hours-free option yet. But I could still login with my AT&T DSL account. I'm surprised it's not implemented here yet.

I'm both an iPhone owner, and I have AT&T DSL through SBCGlobal. The other day, I stopped by a Coffee Bean, which has AT&T wifi. I tried to connect and my wifi showed a strong connection, but there was nothing to connect to. The folks at Coffee Bean knew nothing about it, so they gave me an 800 number to call. After 45 minutes on tech support (thankfully on nights and weekends time!) the tech support person gave up and said, that there must be something wrong with my computer and my iPhone. I went to another coffee shop and connected immediately. A friend told me that the problem was that their router needed a reset, but AT&T apparently doesn't know that sort of arcane knowledge.

I went back a few days later and tried again, and this time it worked. It didn't have that fancy iPhone login screen though. It was a standard web browser login. I logged in with my DSL account and it worked great, but every hour or so it would disconnect and require me to log in again. (Not remembering any of the login info I asked Firefox to remember.)

I hope the AT&T system at Starbucks is smoother than the AT&T system at Coffee Bean.

@Dave S
I understand it as two hours per day. And it's consecutive hours. Meaning you can't do an hour in the morning and an hour in the afternoon.
Someone said something about tracking by MAC address, but I thought they'd be tracking by your sbux card number. I can't imagine they would track by MAC. Anyone?

A little confused: is this 2 hours for free, per lifetime, 2 hours for free, per hotspot, or 2 hours for free... per visit?

And whatever happened to free wifi at cafe's?

The good news would be hearing that they are including WiFi access with their wireless consumers Data Plans as T-Mobile did. They already do it for their DSL consumers I have heard. This would be a great addition to the "iPhone Plan" that AT&T, at the time Cingular, said they would be adding to in the next couple years. I don't think its wishful thinking, but who knows.

I live in Texas, and I noticed my local Starbucks supported my AT&T internet account back during my spring break, the second week of March. My home internet is through AT&T and it let me sign into my account instead of signing into a pay per use T-mobile account.

Just as a side note, they have had that iPhone interface for quite a while now when you use an ATT wifi spot. It's at Barns & Noble and McDonald's.

Does anyone know if starbucks/att will also be implementing this policy in airport locations? I absolutely hate that most airports try to gauge you on wi-fi. even the frickin red carpet club uses t-mobile hotspot, despite charging over $300+ a year for membership.

also, for those of you who have used wi-fi at starbucks, how does it compare to aircard speeds (not theoretical, actual use)? i find my verizon aircard to be just alright, not as fast as i would like.

I have accessed an AT&T Hot Spot before with my iPhone and the login screen did look exactly like that. The only trouble I'm having is that I do not see anywhere to get passed that screen (on this screenshot or on my own screen) without paying.