Skoobie Dhu

iTrader: (3)

Quite often when out and about, my phone will pick up what it thinks is an open BT network, usually there's a secure BT network at the same time. I assume these are folks who have BT routers and the router transmits an open BT network as well as the secure one. Can you connect to these open networks by paying BT a charge somehow?

I looked at the BT webpage and can see a BT openzone service that you can buy credit to connect to wifi hotspots if you're away from your home - but are these open networks I see all over the place part of this openzone service.

I also see that Vodafone are offering some sort of BT wifi add on to their SIM only packages, I'm guessing this is the same openzone service that you can connect to?

LostUser

Yes, that's exactly how they work. In Hotels etc, BT has provided the hotspot, but many of their home routers also provide the hotspot. Most people probably don't even know. I read a while ago it was set as default on their routers. Personally I'd turn it off.

Jamescsti

I tried.to.get.Vodafone to add.it.to my contract assuming I would of course pay a fee for it. They said they would only add it to iPhone packages. I know I can do it directly with bt but never bothered

boxst

If you have a friend who has a BT Broadband account but never goes wandering around you can ask them for their account details and you can use those to log in to a BT Openzone hotspot.

It is the "Btfon" points that are someone else's broadband who probably doesn't realise BT are using it for a wifi hotspot and charging for it.

Ray T

Is there a limit on number of devices, o.e. Mrs on blackberry me on htc plus a netbook can all be logg on?

hodgy0_2

the deal with BTFON is that if you agree to use it i.e. expose a portion of your wireless network, BT should supply you with login details that alows you to use the BT openzone/btfon network

chris84

iTrader: (1)

BTFON site lists where all the hotspots are. I'm on BT Infinity and yes by default it is switched on although it can only use a maximum of 512Kb/s which I wouldn't notice on my 40Mb/s connection.

If you leave it activated you can use BT Openzone and BTFON hotspots for free throughout the country. You turn it off by going to the BTFON site and opting out, they then send a signal to your BT Router to stop it broadcasting. It can be reactivated on the same site, again they send a signal to active it on your router.

I use my own router and not the BT provided router so I have an account for BTFON and Openzone hotspots but I don't broadcast anything, the only way around it if you want to keep your free access.