Why Fon is a good thing

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Why Fon is a good thing

Posted on Sunday, August 31st, 2008 at 10:45am. #

A few days ago, someone used my internet connection for fifteen minutes. He, or she, downloaded 1.9 meg of data, and uploaded just under half a meg. In fact, he’s regularly doing that – normally between 5pm and 6pm, but occasionally at 8.45am. And that’s fine by me – because I let him.

No, I don’t run a totally open wifi connection. I live in an urban area; I want to ensure that my own network is not open to the world; I want to be able to limit the bandwidth I give away for free; and I want something in return.

So, I run a FON hotspot – as do another one million people across the world. Essentially, it lets me run what looks like two wifi networks – one, WPA-secured, for me; and one, open and isolated network for others. I can limit it (it’s only 512k), I can add additional users (so guests get free wifi when they’re here), and I can even nominate a free website (I nominate BBC News).

What do I get back? Free wifi access in nearly a million hotspots across the world. I’m giving it away, so I get to use other peoples’ wifi too. (Fon make their money by charging for access to non-members; I could forgo the chance of free wifi in return for earning a %age from their sales).

This is good for two reasons.

First, while access to free wifi has historically been nice but a little pointless – I don’t carry around a wifi-capable laptop, after all – with the advent of devices like the iPhone, all of a sudden free wifi is rather useful; particularly when abroad to avoid the eye-watering bills for roaming data.

And second, while free wifi connections are easy to come by in places like Prague (and Reykjavik), I’ve found cities like London and Vienna have rather less free wifi available. Particularly Vienna. So, needing to send a bit of personal email, I did the “iPhone wifi” walk – you know the one, with the wifi networks page open and just wandering to find an open network. Hey presto, a FON wifi point appeared, and I was able to send a mail for free, rather than for the equivalent of a few euro on roaming data.

FON is an interesting concept: sharing our technology in an interesting way. It’s similar to the ‘agree on technology, compete on content’ philosophy I’m very keen on. And if you’ve not got a FON spot, they’re dirt cheap and might come in very useful indeed.

(And, as a thing to be aware of, the FON wifi hotspot is a very strong wifi signal indeed, which means my private connection is available for a wide area right round my house – which means I can work in the back yard if it ever decides to be sunny again this year.)

Photo: Clive Darr. Used under licence.

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9 comments

Ben
commenting at August 31st, 2008 at 4:27pm

Speaking of ‘walking’ around looking for a Wifi spot, I produced a Google Map of Free Wifi Spots in Glasgow recently. Incase it’s of any use to someone!

http://glasgow-wifi.subduedmedia.net/

Phil Edmonds
commenting at September 1st, 2008 at 12:39pm

I’m sure I remember reading a plan that BTInternet had to turn all their ‘BT Home Hubs’ into FON hotspots, and as part of your BT Broadband subscription you get free access to any FON hotspot.

Michael
commenting at September 3rd, 2008 at 8:18pm

Yup, Fon are partners with BT, but don’t know how practical it is for BT to start altering their modems – do they have to be a sort of dual band I wonder?

Love the idea of Fon, hope it takes off more. Do you have to have them as your ISP or is it additional? Costs involved at all?

James Cridland
commenting at September 3rd, 2008 at 8:30pm

They need to have two wifi units inside, as the Fon wifi access point does. That’s a picture of one at the top.

No costs at all, except buying the wifi access point. I needed one anyway; and when I joined, it was €5, so rather cheap…

Paul Webster
commenting at September 7th, 2008 at 11:10am

Anyone with a BT Homehub (and I think some of their higher end ADSL contracts) can go and click a button on a BT website (linked to from the set-up page in the Homehub) to enable their Homehub for Fon.
This is done by an automated overnight firmware upgrade (perhaps more recent models already have the firmware).
From then on the Homehub presents 2 SSIDs – with the new one being BT Openzone.
i.e. it makes your Homehub look like a regular BT access point.

The BT subscriber can then use any Fon access points in the world and any BT Openzone access points.

No need to add a 2nd hub.

Mine is shared out that way.

Adam Bowie
commenting at September 8th, 2008 at 8:07pm

Surely most contracts with ISPs actually prohibit this sort of thing. They don’t even really like you sharing WiFi with your next door neighbours. So effectively leasing it on to third parties would seem to be even worse.

I still like the idea though even if I don’t believe that James doesn’t carry a WiFi laptop around with him a lot of the time.

Tony Moorey
commenting at September 10th, 2008 at 12:01pm

You have me convinced, James. In fact I ordered one after reading this and it’s just arrived.

Have you ever considered a career in advertising copy-writing?

Christopher Woods
commenting at September 16th, 2008 at 8:17pm

Welcome to the Fonero community Mr. Crid! I’ve run two La Foneras in two separate places for a while, you should’ve just asked me for one because I still have three of the little units spare (recent promotion for existing foneros).

Glad to know you also signed up as a Linus – I thought I was in the minority!

Paul Webster
commenting at September 17th, 2008 at 10:41am

@Christopher Woods
I think that all BT-FON subscribers are essentially “linus”.
(see my earlier comment about BT Homehub)
You don’t see them on the Fon map – but there are a lot.
For example – there are 8 BT-FON listed within 3 streets of me on the BT map – but only 1 on the FON map.

http://www.btfon.com/

The SSID makes them look like a regular BT access point but it presents FON branding and you can login with you regular FON id.

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