Travel Technology - AT&T offers free hotspots to some DSL customers

AT&T announced that their hotspot access will be free to certain DSL customers, it's an attempt to get Iphone customers to subscribe to their DSL. Funny, they haven't been going overboard letting current yahoo and ATT dsl customers know about it :rolleyes:

From this page:


http://www.att.com/gen/general?pid=5949

AT&T Wi-Fi Basic is FREE to AT&T Yahoo! High Speed Internet Pro or Elite and AT&T FastAccess® DSL Xtreme or Xtreme 6.0 customers, no ordering required.

haven't tried it yet, so not sure how the login works and all that.......

My account doesn't qualify, and they won't let me upgrade to a faster package as I'm at the edge of their DSL service area. I've been paying the $1.99 a month extra for wi-fi and will have to continue to pay it.

My account doesn't qualify, and they won't let me upgrade to a faster package as I'm at the edge of their DSL service area. I've been paying the $1.99 a month extra for wi-fi and will have to continue to pay it.

2 bucks/month is still a pretty good deal(for unlimited ???)WiFi.

A fair number of other hot spots/motels/places allow roaming from other WiFi vendors, wonder if AT&T is one that can be used

Looks like a fair number of Marriott properties are AT&T sites. I have Yahoo! High Speed Pro and had no idea I could use this. Just installed the AT&T Wi-Fi software and plan to test it out at either the McDonalds or Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf down the street tomorrow. Thanks for the post cordelli.

$1.99 ???? Are you sure that shouldn't be $19.99?
2 bucks a month is a great deal!

My account doesn't qualify, and they won't let me upgrade to a faster package as I'm at the edge of their DSL service area. I've been paying the $1.99 a month extra for wi-fi and will have to continue to pay it.

Question for anyone that's using this
Do you have to use their WiFi Connection software?
it's 22MB D/L which seems rather bloated to me

On their site it says

The AT&T Wi-Fi Connection Software is not required in order to use the AT&T Wi-Fi service, but it is highly recommended to enhance your mobile experience.

Whatever that means.

It includes a hot spot finder, that's probably what is taking up all the space. That actually sounds like a cool tool, though it is fairly large (like most AT&T apps). But if it self updates, that's a good thing.

$1.99 ???? Are you sure that shouldn't be $19.99?

The $1.99 is on top of the $19.99 I pay for my home DSL account. I've had that option for around 2 years now. A lot of McDonalds and Barnes and Noble bookstores are on the list, and it's generally easy to pop into one of those with the laptop when I'm traveling.

I was expecting to pop across the street to the McDonalds here in Crystal City to get on line this trip, but I'm in a hotel with free wi-fi (wasn't free last visit). I've also used it at a Barnes and Noble in Washington, and a coffee shop in Crystal City that has since changed to a free in-house service.

But if it self updates, that's a good thing.

It does. I stopped in a McDonalds along I80 in Foresthill a few weeks ago, on the way to Reno, and it automatically updated while I was there. It will only update if you're logged onto their wi-fi network (you can't update it from home, for instance).

A fair number of other hot spots/motels/places allow roaming from other WiFi vendors, wonder if AT&T is one that can be used

You don't get roaming (premium locations)--only access to their "basic" locations. There's a higher priced plan if you want roaming (I looked at it once, maybe around $20 a month just for it).

As others have noted: $1.99 is an add-on to the regular DSL price. This gets the AT&T service only. Roaming partners are extra. Locations are primarily Coffe Bean, Avis, Barnes and Noble, McDonalds, and some airports (including United at SJC :) ).

No, you don't need their software. When connecting, you get their log-on screen.

Seattle and Philadelphia are two other airports I've used it.

It is indeed 1.99$, it used to be free, but has been 1.99$ about two years,

even at 1.99$, for me it doesn't make sense. I'm not haning out in McD's or Barnes and Noble, or the UPS store too often, I also didn't find any hotels that used it. I think there was ONE place, a Boingo location that had a roaming agreement.

Now, if they had a roaming agreement with T-mo (there WAS some talk of this a while ago) THAT might make it interesting.

I qualify for this with my 17.99$ a month Elite account, but still don't see it being used at all.

I qualify for this with my 17.99$ a month Elite account, but still don't see it being used at all.

How are you getting Elite(6Mbps) for that price?
Sweet Deal

I think that's what I pay for my elite or whatever higher speed too, though only for another couple weeks. I was on basic DSL, my first year ran out they offered me one program for basic, so I called and asked "What more can you do for me?"

They said they could move my lines to all distance, up my speed considerably, and do it for like $18 a month or so. I'm like gee, $25 for slow, and no long distance, or for for less money, free long distance (which I hardly use) and 4 times the speed.

Hoping they don't realize that year term is over, but who knows, they may offer an even better deal.

They had over a dozen plans, and the person on the phone ran every combination of my two lines to come up with a great deal.

Yes, my experience was similar. This was about a year ago, and I had the pro for 12.99 or something, it had been a promo. I need my upstream BW, and they said that only with ELITE could I get that. I said, well, I don't need anything like 6mbs downstream, just more than 238 up, so I ended up with a 678 upstream and about 4.5 down, for the 17.99 Elite plan.

I DID have to add a second phone service, which I don't use, but the package was cheaper than the ala carte so the costs only went up 5.00 a month (plus taxes) this is silly phone company math.

I move a line to another location, and went on a MTM for 14.99 for Pro, which is fine, I didn't need the upstream there.

I always call retentions when doing this, or go through a DSL tech rep on the DSL forums, they get a small spiff, but make it happen.

personally i'm cheap (hey, i'm not proud, just cheap ;)) and think wifi should be free......http://www.wififreespot.com/

I qualify for this with my 17.99$ a month Elite account, but still don't see it being used at all.

How did you qualify for $17.99 Elite acct? I'm paying $34.99/mo for Elite, that's after they give me a credit of $5/mo. Can you elaborate please? TIA

Figured I would resurrect this here.

Starbucks and ATT are NOW finally teaming up (I guess my letters to their COO have worked!!)

Starbucks customers who use their starbucks card will get 2 free hours of wifi, ATT customers will get free access.

The t-mobile six year partnership is ending, and ATT is going to be in 7,000 starbucks in the USA.

Figured I would resurrect this here.

Starbucks and ATT are NOW finally teaming up (I guess my letters to their COO have worked!!)

Starbucks customers who use their starbucks card will get 2 free hours of wifi, ATT customers will get free access...
Thank you for writing to the COO and making this possible. ;)

Do you have a updated link? I figure the basic DSL suscribers are still excluded, right?

Thank you for writing to the COO and making this possible. ;)

Do you have a updated link? I figure the basic DSL suscribers are still excluded, right?

http://www.att.com/gen/general?pid=5949

AT&T Wi-Fi Basic is FREE and already included if you subscribe to AT&T U-Verse or AT&T DSL with a minimum speed of 1.5 MB or higher, NO ORDERING REQUIRED. Customers can login at any AT&T Wi-Fi Hot Spot by entering their primary DSL or U-Verse account username and password.

http://www.att.com/gen/general?pid=5949

AT&T Wi-Fi Basic is FREE and already included if you subscribe to AT&T U-Verse or AT&T DSL with a minimum speed of 1.5 MB or higher,....
Thanks for the link!

That does exclude AT&T Basic DSL subscribers, as I had suspected. No freebie for me then. :(

Has anyone been able to use AT&T at ORD? I tried last week (Feb 11th) with my ATT account, but couldn't get on. I have a AT&T Pro DSL account at home.

I think I used it at ORD in the past, not 100% sure.

If you have not logged on before, I was making the mistake of putting in the username and password, but not changing the domain name (in my case to snet.net) to log on. I felt like a fool when I called in to see why it wasn't working and they mentioned you need to change the domain to whatever your regular account access is.

I typed that in the router like five years ago and haven't put it in since :p, so I guess it's OK I missed that.

This is silly phone company math.

This kind of stuff is so widespread, I suggest the text abbreviation SPCM be used henceforth :p

Just an update here, it is now working at Starbucks, - at least some starbucks

It appears that this has actually started early, some users around the country are reporting the ability to login now at starbucks, with ATT DSL username and password.

I'm going to head out and give it a shot this morning. :-)

Indeed, I just tested it at my local starbucks here in MP CA. At the top right of the screen there is a larger ATT CUSTOMERS banner, which takes you to an ATT WIFI login back. The authentication takes place there, at the ATT site and then passes the authentication BACK to the t-mo site, and your IN!

Sweet.

I'll check it out tomorrow at the RCC in SFO when I fly out

I've been paying the $1.99 a month extra for wi-fi ...

How do you ever fit that into your budget?!?!?!? :eek:


;) :D

Sooo, it seems that ATT might be trying to pull a fast one on us. Not sure yet, but after logging in this morning, I started to search on the ATT site for information about the launch at STARBUCKS, and indeed there is info there.

but, the kicker is, and I am not sure yet, but as I read the info at attwifi.com, they are not introducing ADDITIONAL pricing plans. It USED to be that Elite and Pro users got the ATT WIFI service for free, and NOW they have a BASIC plan, and a PREMIUM plan. Which one do you think works at the starbucks! Which one do you think COSTS MORE even to ATT DSL customers,

Hmmm, somehow that wasn't in the original ATT/Starbucks press release. I hope it doesn't come to bear, but if that is the case, forget it. I'll stay with my t-mobile 15$ a month plan

How do you ever fit that into your budget?!?!?!? :eek:


;) :D

He avoids DIY projects that could destroy his ride. :)

He avoids DIY projects that could destroy his ride. :)

Hey now, it turned out to be only mildly damaged, not destroyed. :D