AT&T disables free iPhone WiFi?
Last week we posted about AT&T offering free WiFi access for iPhone customers at several of their hotspot locations, including a few Starbucks stores. According to MacRumors, AT&T has disabled this free service. However, since AT&T never made an official announcement of this service, it seems possible that the free service was launched early (possibly for testing). AT&T representatives have declined to comment on the issue.If you got a glimpse of the free future and have now seen that wireless door slam shut again, let us know.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Luigi193 said 9:18PM on 5-04-2008
Isn't this like days old?
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MeatyPi said 9:27PM on 5-04-2008
Yeah, TUAW is always trying to be in the now, and a couple of their last posts have shown list by being around 4 days old news.
Jason Philo said 9:21PM on 5-04-2008
I tasted the free wifi, and it was sweet like nectar. Alas, poor Yurik…
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Andrew Abate said 9:50PM on 5-04-2008
Last week, I had free access at the new Barnes & Noble in West Hartford, CT. This week, when I went back, it went to the standard AT&T Wifi login page. No longer free! I originally thought it was an error, but after reading this, I am not too happy. Oh well, so much for Starbucks for now.
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Mason said 10:15PM on 5-04-2008
I'm in Starbucks nearly every day.
Free wifi last week, not free this week.
Go figure.
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Mason said 3:17PM on 5-05-2008
As I said in my last comment, I'm in Starbucks nearly every day.
Well, today was one of those days, and I just so happened to ask the manager about it.
According to her, AT&T now offers "something like half an hour a week" of free wifi. The catch: your username and password are the card number and pin number of your Starbucks gift card or Duetto Card, and you need to register your card on a different network before it will work.
So, I went ahead and bought a $5 gift card, jumped onto a nearby open network, registered it, went on the AT&T network, logged in (with a bit of trouble getting it to work), and I'm on it right now.
So there you go, straight from the manager.
Elias said 11:09PM on 5-04-2008
Either way, if you're an ATT DSL subscriber of any plan except the cheapest one (DSL Lite), you get free WiFi access.
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DaffyDuck said 11:44PM on 5-04-2008
There seems to be some general confusion about this - or, as I like to see, desperate efforts at trying to disavow responsibility for the discontinuation of free WiFi.
So, AT&T set up a system aimed to be convenient for iPhone users - detect the iPhone, ask for the iPhone number for verification, give free WiFi. Easy enough, and kudos for them for trying it out.
If it had not been for sites like TUAW (as well as a dozen other similar sites) trumpeting loudly on how to loophole and bypass the system by spoofing the user agent on your browser, and shouting it from the rooftops, we might actually still have the same convenient free WiFi.
Thanks to you guys, we don't (actually, AT&T subscribers still DO get free WiFi, it's just not as convenient) - and instead of simply admitting that you just *might* have contributed to this, all we get is posts with big wonderment, wondering "Golly Gee, what could have happened? Maybe AT&T changed their mind.... (giggles)"
I guess taking responsibility for your co-actions would be a novel concept, sadly.
I'm not taking umbrage on reporting on 'free WiFi for iPhone users', rather it's the "Hey, here's how to get around it, and get free WiFi for everyone -- go ahead, rip off The Man... booyah!" attitude, followed be feigned confusion...
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DJCarbon43 said 12:07AM on 5-05-2008
That about sums it up. Well said Daffy.
I'm guessing that free wi-fi will return...only more locked down than it was before....
Splendid job TUAW, splendid job...
Alex said 6:08AM on 5-05-2008
...via Engadget...a day old
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destructo said 12:41PM on 5-05-2008
Happened to me. It worked for me last week, but not yesterday at Starbucks after I was telling my wife about it all week.
I told her she was stupid and was doing something wrong.
Thanks, AT&T. You almost broke up my marriage.
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steve said 8:59PM on 5-05-2008
Simply calling your wife stupid may break up your marriage.
nka said 6:31PM on 5-06-2008
I spoke to AT&T wifi tech support yesterday, and according to the tech, the official word is that AT&T was testing to see how things would hold up with increased traffic. The tech also indicated that the testing went well, and he expects AT&T will offer free wifi to all iPhone customers in the near future.
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nka said 6:33PM on 5-06-2008
Also he said that "officially" the free access should only be available for the iphone. However, I wonder if they will plug the FF hack that enables you to use safari mobile?
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SFJenn said 7:40PM on 6-05-2008
Yes, I have been to Starbucks, and I couldn't get free wi-fi on my iTouch ipod. You have to sign up and pay. When you select on of the services, the one for the US is AT&T, not T-mobile.
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