I took both Instabridge and Boingo out for a few short trips recently, and found that they're useful, but they're both a little frustrating and incomplete.įirst of all, I'd like to note that because Android is a more open OS, the Android versions of these Wi-Fi apps are much more powerful than the iOS versions. I've used it on and off for a few years, and while it's no 4G hotspot, it can be a real help.
Like DeviceScape used to do, Instabridge uses a crowdsourced database of Wi-Fi hotspots combined with a commercial database of large Wi-Fi networks.īoingo Mobile (Opens in a new window) (at right, below) goes a step further it's a subscription Wi-Fi service (only $5 per month, if you stick to phones) that comes very close to being able to replace your cellular carrier, at least on Android, by knitting together various paid Wi-Fi networks and hotspots. Instabridge (Opens in a new window) (right) is the more modern alternative, with much better design and better filtering options. The old-school way to find free Wi-Fi is by using the JiWire Wi-Fi Finder, but that hasn't aged terribly well. In that case, public Wi-Fi hotspots may be just the trick. When I'm on a business trip, I spring for a 4G hotspot like the swift LTE models offered by My Webspot, but if you're on a leisure trip, you may not want to go for the $10 per day fee. International roaming is getting cheaper, but T-Mobile's and Sprint's cheap roaming is still often limited to very slow speeds.
How to Set Up Two-Factor Authenticationįree Wi-Fi on the road is often a matter of luck, but you can even the odds a little bit with two apps.
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