Samba (decesaed) and FON as a replacement?

[iBozz]

I have subscribed to the Samba which was a "free wifi for watching adverts" service for a while and find today that it has gone bust - see their announcement).

Whilst I don't really need 3G, it was a useful back-up for when I couldn't find a free wifi network such as The Cloud, O2, etc. so I am now looking for a replacement back-up service. I can't justify a monthly subscription as I won't use it enough, at least in the foreseeable future, so was looking to extend my wifi options.

I have come across the self-claimed Global Wifi Network FON which looks pretty good.

The premise seems to be shared routers, somewhat like BT's system, but for which the only cost is £34.00 for a special fire-walled router to separate private and public traffic.

I would use FON on the move for a 3rd Generation iPad under iOS.7.2 and the router for my home network a quad-core i7 MacOSX.9.n Mavericks iMac, G4 MacOSX.4.11 Tiger eMac and G4 Tiger Tower.

I appreciate that this isn't the same as 3G, but does anyone have experience of it?

How good, bad or indifferent is it? Is there a better solution to my limited needs?

Many thanks.

[evilsatan]

The only places I really see FON are on BT Homehubs along with their openzone broadband. BT are my ISP so I have BT Openzone and FON access wherever I go using my account.

[iBozz]

Thanks for the response. I don't use BT for either telephone or broadband and am reluctant to switch providers as I am happy where I am.

I do wonder how my own ISP would take to me effectively opening my connection to all and sundry although, as I live in a domestic and not particularly "busy" area, I can't see too many passers-by jumping on to my router and increasing traffic dramatically - or, indeed, at all.

When out and about I do see many "closed" networks with FON in the SSID, most seemingly connected to BT, and my inference is that I could hop onto any of those when The Cloud, etc. are not available.

[evilsatan]

Yes that's right, and I don't think your ISP will mind because the public connection will have limited bandwidth.

[tombott]

I use to use FON years ago, but stopped once BT & FON formed a partnership for the UK. It's a shame because FON was / is a great idea, but I could not bring myself to use something affiliated with BT.

[plug1]

When fon first came about , the gave out free routers . Witch most ppl just flashed to the original FW.

[tombott]

When fon first came about , the gave out free routers . Witch most ppl just flashed to the original FW.

Yeah still have mine (did pay for it though), and now flashed with dd-wrt.

[DJ OD]

I've used FON abroad. Seems fine to me. I am also stuck with BT (No cable for me) I get unlimited wifi with that which again works fine.

Thanks for the heads up about Samba. Shame, as you say, was good to have as a backup.


DJ OD

[iBozz]

Thanks for the comments.

At a slight tangent, their website (https://support.fon.com/entries/26200421-Fon-Apps/26200421-Fon-Apps) refers to an App for mobile devices (in my case iOS7.n) but I have been unable to find a download link or a link to an external download source. I've also been to Apple's App Store and typed in FON and can find nothing.

Can anyone throw any light on this or, indeed, offer any further advice or comments about FON before I take the plunge?

You could, of course, totally humiliate me by pointing out that only a congenital idiot could miss the clearly marked and totally unmissable link on that page, but I can live with that if needs be!

My current NetGear DG834Gv3 router is functioning fine but, being many years old, will need replacing at some stage in the not too distant future and the FON system seems to be the way forward in my case.

Unless, of course, anyone comes up with any just cause or impediment why these two persons (me and FON) should not be joined together - in which case, Ye are to declare it!

[connormill]

I know that Fon in the UK are partnered with BT, and if you are on the Fon website they wont sell you a device, instead just point you to BT.

But, if I buy a Fon router on eBay and set it up here would I be able to access all the BT-Fon spots?

routers are going for less than £20. so for under £20 I could have free Wi-Fi all over the place in exchange for giving up a few hundred k a second? seems OK to me!

only thing that concerns me is the sign up and log in process, as I'm UK and not using BT, will it even allow that or might I have to trick it by routing through a VPN... Might just buy one and give it a go!

[iBozz]

From the FON guys ...

We're sorry to say that but our Fon shop doesn't sell to certain countries (including United Kingdom, Croatia, The Netherlands, Russia, Germany and Greece).

This is due to partnership agreement with a Telco partner in particular country.

If you do not want to subscribe with them, you can search for second hand Fonera e.g. on eBay.

We're sorry for this inconvenience and thank you for understanding.

Furthermore, since the Fon router is actually an access point and does not replace your existing router (instead it connects upon it), you should not have any issues with your current set-up.

[iBozz]

connormill: I've just spoken to an eBay seller about buying a unit (a European one but with a UK plug adaptor, £29.95 and free p&p and it looks exactly like the one on the Fonera website so appears to be the latest version) and they said they had sold quite a number of these without any problem.

The enclosed instructions should include advice on how to register direct with Fonera who then give you your "worldwide" user ID which allows access to the network without registering through the local "Telco partner" company.

He sounded a genuinely helpful chap so I've plumped!

[connormill]

connormill: I've just spoken to an eBay seller about buying a unit (a European one but with a UK plug adaptor, £29.95 and free p&p and it looks exactly like the one on the Fonera website so appears to be the latest version) and they said they had sold quite a number of these without any problem.

The enclosed instructions should include advice on how to register direct with Fonera who then give you your "worldwide" user ID which allows access to the network without registering through the local "Telco partner" company.

He sounded a genuinely helpful chap so I've plumped!

Perfect! might just go for that after all! he didnt say whether registering for a worldwide account as oppesed to a telco account has any limitations?

i.e a worldwide account can only access other worldwide foneras or would my worldwide account be able to access telco AP's (the millions of BT-FON AP's near me for example!)

[Over Carl]

It looks like you can set up FON on a DD-WRT router but I haven't tried it myself http://www.dd-wrt.com/wiki/index.php/FON_Hotspot.

[iBozz]

To the best of my knowledge it's a one size fits all ID. To the world wide FON network you are just a FON member and that's all it needs to know to allow you access.

[connormill]

To the best of my knowledge it's a one size fits all ID. To the world wide FON network you are just a FON member and that's all it needs to know to allow you access.

Fon is sounding even more tempting! The more I hear the more I want one.

It looks like you can set up FON on a DD-WRT router but I haven't tried it myself http://www.dd-wrt.com/wiki/index.php/FON_Hotspot.

Pitty I just away my last DD-WRT box last week to a friend that needed one. Damn my short sightedness!

[iBozz]

My expected delivery date is tomorrow, which I take with a pinch of salt, but nevertheless I hope to have it delivered (1st Class post) by the weekend and thus configure it then.

If you can possess your soul in patience, I'll report back how it goes so that we don't both make a big mistake!

If, however, you decide to take the plunge and beat me to configuring it then you let me know how it goes.

Deal?

[iBozz]

Well, it's good news and bad news!

The good news is that the router did arrive "tomorrow" and thus within 24 hours of ordering it - excellent service from PCBITZ.com (the supplier who were also very helpful when I called them before ordering) and The Royal Mail!

The bad news is that at the end of the registration process the FON registration system said that service was temporarily unavailable and that I should try again later. When I did try later it said that my user ID and email address were already registered, but when i then tried to log on it said that they weren't recognised!

So, an email to FON Support and I await their reply.

I am not disheartened yet and will report back anon.

[iBozz]

The bad news has turned in to good news!

A necessary step in setting up the account is to click a link in a confirmation email (either the process doesn't actually say that or I missed it) and that email had been filtered out by my ISP's spam filters although other FON emails had been received. Presumably some combination of content in that specific email fell foul of their spam algorithm.

Once I had "released" that email and clicked on the confirmation link it all fell in to place.

I have managed to log on to my "own" FON node (FON_FREE_INTERNET), my own "normal" wifi and a neighbour's BTwifi-with-FON network so it all looks like it is working just fine.

Time will tell when I am out and about, but I appear to have significantly increased my access to free wifi hotspots for a one-off outlay of £29.95

You can, connormill, go ahead and take the plunge!

[connormill]

The bad news has turned in to good news!

A necessary step in setting up the account is to click a link in a confirmation email (either the process doesn't actually say that or I missed it) and that email had been filtered out by my ISP's spam filters although other FON emails had been received. Presumably some combination of content in that specific email fell foul of their spam algorithm.

Once I had "released" that email and clicked on the confirmation link it all fell in to place.

I have managed to log on to my "own" FON node (FON_FREE_INTERNET), my own "normal" wifi and a neighbour's BTwifi-with-FON network so it all looks like it is working just fine.

Time will tell when I am out and about, but I appear to have significantly increased my access to free wifi hotspots for a one-off outlay of £29.95

You can, connormill, go ahead and take the plunge!

Thanks for the update. I'll go get on off eBay at some point soon, unless you think the place you got yours from was shit hot, I'll just use them.