With the growing ubiquity of wi-fi access, finding a hotspot is becoming easier by the day. However, users who are travelling or have changed equipment may encounter difficulty in finding a hotspot. There are several directories and apps that users can look to for solutions.

Users should first check their device settings, to ensure that the device is set to search for all local Wi-Fi signals available.

Many merchants, restaurants, and hotels now provide complimentary and/or free Wi-Fi access to their patrons and adjoining public spaces, as well as most government offices in developed areas.

Users able to access the Web will find several directories available with listings and physical address of Wi-Fi access points. A simple search of leading search engines will return hundreds of directories, listings, and applications available to provide location information in a user’s search for a Wi-Fi hotspot.

The list below contains a few examples of the many sites available to use:

  • FON.com – a tool that combines a listing of Wi-Fi hotspots along with a google maps address locator to provide a map of user’s local area.
  • JiWire – A free global Wi-Fi directory that boasts 680,000+ Wi-Fi locations in 143 countries on it’s registry and a free downloadable Wi-Fi locater app for Apple mobile devices.
  • Wi-Fi Alliance – An industry-based group begun in 1999 that advises the wireless industry in standards adoption, security initiatives, and general promotion of Wi-Fi connectivity. The site contains many resources, including a free hotspot locater.

 

Additionally, many mobile communication carriers offer Wi-Fi service and locater applications for the mobile devices they support.

Security Considerations
While it is becoming ever easier to find and access a Wi-Fi hotspot, security concerns are real and users should be conscious of the risks associated with using a Wi-Fi hotspot.

Some hotspots authenticate users as a security measure, but this step does not secure the data transmission or prevent packet sniffers to see network traffic.

Many hotpsots offer virtual private network (VPN) as a security option. However, this is not a comprehensive solution as only the connection between user and network is shielded, the network itself is not.

Some vendors provide a download option that deploys WPA support. This provides a great deal more security, but may cause conflict with enterprise-specific security processes a user may need to use.

A particular concern is that of a “poisoned hotspot”, a free public hotspot set up by identity thieves or other malicious individuals for the purpose of “sniffing” the data sent by the user. Such identity thieves will have access to the MAC address of the connecting terminal, individually identifying the hardware. They may attempt to decipher passwords, log-in names, and perform other malicious activities.

In order to provide robust security to hotspot users, Wi-Fi alliance is coming up with a new hotspot program, planned to launch in the first half of 2012, which aims to encrypt hotspot traffic with the latest WPA2 security.

Users are encouraged to take all available precautions against malicious activity when using a Wi-Fi Hotspot.