![]() ![]() The VPN protection is very reassuring, and makes it easier for users to protect their mobile activity. It's nice being able to scope out a destination ahead of time, but not having offline access was a bit of a downer. Users will be surfing via a protected connection, will be anonymous since the IP address would be different, but would not be able to hop on Netflix or access other region-specific content.ĭifferent from Other Hotspot Finders Sure, you can use the native features on the iPad to find the nearest open wireless network, but it's really nice to be able to see what services are available without having to sift through the locked ones you can't get to. If a user is in Europe, firing up the service will connect that person to a European server, and there is no way to switch to some other region. Unlike many other VPN services, Boingo's VPN service doesn't allow users to decide which server to connect to. Thankfully, most users who are concerned enough to install the VPN profile are the ones concerned enough to actually go into Settings to turn it on before surfing online. Having a big Turn On VPN app icon or a link inside Wi-Finder would have been nice, but iOS has specific limitations on the settings apps can access directly. How many people ever go inside the settings page? Right now, to have VPN protection, a user has to go into iOS Settings, go to VPN, and then manually turn it on. It would have been nice if there was a way to just turn on the VPN from the app, though. However, many services don't support mobile devices yet, so this is a nice feature from Boingo. I often recommend using a VPN service, such as Norton Hotspot Privacy from Symantec, when using open hotspots. ![]() Despite using an open wireless hotspot, users are now protected because all their traffic is encrypted. The app then uses the Boingo credentials to connect to the nearest Boingo server to create a secure tunnel. Once installed, the user has to manually go into the iOS Settings and turn on VPN. Boingo Wireless integrated a personal VPN service into its app: the Boingo Secure VPN.Īfter I click on "Secure Me!" in the app's settings, I get prompted to download the VPN profile from iTunes and install it. The networks can be malicious, set up as a rogue access point to lure unsuspecting users and harvesting login credentials and personal data, or there may be someone lurking and eavesdropping on your online activity. Watch Out for Open Hotspots The problem with hopping on free wireless networks has always been the fact that you never know how safe they are. It would have been nice to have the connection map available in offline mode. Unfortunately, the app is unable to display this map if I don't already have some kind of a network connection. I could search remote locations in order to find where the nearest hotspots were-so that I could perhaps scope out my network situation before leaving for a trip. Once I've identified the desired hotspot, I could even get Google directions on how to get there. There is no hardware to buy, and no contract to lock users in beyond the time you buy, which can be by the month, or even by the hour. The non-Boingo hotspots are crowdsourced: the app logs successful connections to open networks and sends that information to Boingo Wireless in order to be added to the directory database.īoingo Wireless offers subscription-based access to wireless hotspots in a wide variety of locations, including airports, coffee shops, hotels, convention centers, and retailers. The verified networks refer to commercial hotspots that users can access with their Boingo account credentials. The Wi-Finder displays information about all the free hotspots, whether or not they require the Boingo subscription. ![]() Zooming in on the map and clicking on a pin shows the SSID of the open hotspot, the name, address and phone number of the location offering the hotspot, and identifies the quality of the network as "Certified," "Trusted," or "Unverified." ![]() A coverage map using Google Maps shows what networks are available in the area. Overall Look and Feel The Wi-Finder opens with a summary status screen, where users see statistics about how much of their subscriptions have been used for the month. ![]()
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