21.02.2018, 12:18
You may need the Internet at the airport: for work, to contact loved ones, or just to brighten up the waiting time. Most often, wi-fi at the airport is paid or limited in time, for example, you can use it for half an hour for free, but for the subsequent time you will have to pay extra. But there are many ways to avoid unnecessary spending. We will tell you only about the most common ones and introduce you to an interactive map of free Wi-Fi.
Mobile applicationsThe convenient and simple Foursquare application will search for an area with free Wi-Fi in a matter of minutes. It is enough to type “foursquare + airport name” in the application itself or in Google, for example, “foursquare Dubai Airport” and you will receive tips, comments, among which there will certainly be tips on where to find free wi-fi at the airport and even passwords for paid ones.
Also, the 4sqwifi (IOS) or Venue Spot (Android) application installed on a smartphone or tablet will automatically select comments in Foursquare related to the location and passwords for WI-FI, which will significantly save effort and time.
There are also applications that show passwords to closed Wi-Fi networks, for example wifimaps.net. They can be used in cases where the Wi-Fi access point is known, but the password is unknown.
Cafe with free Wi-Fi
Almost every airport has a cafe with free Wi-Fi. If you don’t need the Internet for long, you can quickly connect to wi-fi, find the information you need, and just as quickly leave. But even if you order a cup of coffee, your wallet won’t be emptied much, but you can safely use the Internet as much as you need.
Tourists with 3G/4G Internet
What to do if the free connection is limited in time
If free Wi-Fi at the airport is limited in time, then there are several ways to extend it:
If the restriction is NOT for registered users:
- Change your IP address (just restart your computer)
- Clear your browser cookies
- Change the time on your gadget
- Change your MAC address. There are even special programs for this, some of the most popular are Mac Makeup for Windows and Link Liar for iOS.
- You can register again each time after the free minutes have expired. In this case, you will need to specify the name of the new email address each time. They can be quickly generated using special applications (10 Minute Mail, Guerilla Mail).
And for dessert, about the free wi-fi card, which was created by computer security engineer and blogger Anil Polat. Interactive map WiFox contains information about free Internet with passwords for most major airports in the world.
Airports are marked on the map with blue airplanes - just click on them and all the information will appear on the left: network name and password. You can also enter a city or airport name.
The information is constantly updated, so if you travel often, we recommend using WiFox. Moreover, this map is available in the application for iOS and Android.
Very often, before boarding a plane, it is necessary to write someone a message on social networks, send an email, or find some information on the Internet. But, unfortunately, free Wi-Fi is not always available to tourists. We will tell you about the main methods that will allow you to quickly find a Wi-Fi access point and connect to it for free.
How to use free Wi-Fi at airports? This can be done in many ways. We will list only the most common ones.
Mobile applications
With the Foursquare app, finding an area with free Wi-Fi becomes a matter of minutes. All you have to do is enter the name of the airport in the program and read the comments and tips from users who have checked in at that location.
People who don't want to waste time reading hundreds of comments can simply install the 4sqwifi (IOS) or Venue Spot (Android) apps on their smartphone or tablet, which can automatically filter Foursquare comments related to WI-FI locations and passwords.
If the location of the Wi-Fi access point is known in advance, but the password is unknown, you can use applications and services that show passwords to closed Wi-Fi networks (for example, wifimaps.net).
Cafe with free Wi-Fi
Almost every airport has a cafe with free internet. Of course, to connect to it you will have to make an order, and, as you know, food prices at airports are much more expensive than in cities. But ordering a small cup of coffee is unlikely to ruin even the most thrifty tourist. Plus, you can simply walk into a cafe, quickly connect to Wi-Fi, find all the information you need in a few minutes, and then leave without ordering anything.
Tourists with 3G/4G Internet
What to do if the free connection is limited in time
Many airports have temporary restrictions on the use of Wi-Fi networks. They can be easily bypassed. If registration is required to connect, you can register again each time after the free minutes have expired. In such cases, you will need to specify the name of the new email address each time. They can be quickly generated using special applications (10 Minute Mail, Guerilla Mail).
On some networks, time limits are set not for registered users, but for IP or MAC addresses. It's also easy to get around them. Dynamic IP addresses change during a normal device reboot, and MAC addresses in the settings of computers and laptops change in just a couple of minutes.
The airport is definitely not the best place on earth. Food here costs a million times more, people are not very friendly, and after the registration and verification procedures you feel completely uneasy. But looking at your Facebook feed or a couple of dozen pictures on Instagram significantly eases the fate of the traveler. But sometimes it seems like it's easier to get cheap, reliable Wi-Fi in the Vatican than at the airport.
In general, it’s worth making sure that you never get stuck in some terminal, sadly looking at the screen of your smartphone. The following 6 tips will help you connect to the Internet at the airport.
Visit Boingo Affiliate Pages to Bypass Paywalls
Airport Wi-Fi systems often have affiliate pages, free sites that you can use to get unlimited Wi-Fi access. If the airport uses a Boingo hotspot, go to the main page > The Good Stuff > click on one of the free pages > open a new tab. Leave the first tab open and move on to the content you need.
Trick the network by resetting your time limit settings
Airports know how long you've been using their Wi-Fi thanks to your Media Access Control (MAC) address, a specific number assigned to your computer or device. Download Technitium MAC Address Changer for Windows or Linkliar for OS X to change your MAC address. This will fool the network into thinking that you are using another computer.
Enter "?.jpg" at the end of the URL
This is an old trick, but it still works at some airports. By adding "?.jpg" to the end of the URL of the site you are trying to access, you can bypass Wi-Fi restrictions. But keep in mind that this only works if the network allows it.
Use the console to bypass the paywall.
Sometimes airports prevent web browsing by simply disabling the address bar. If you're using Chrome or Firefox, there's a tech trick you can try to get around this.
Chrome: Click Menu > More Tools > Developer Tools. You will see a pop-up screen. To go to the site you need, enter the following formula in the search bar > window.location.href = "http://www.google.com".
Firefox: Menu > Tools > Web Console. Click the blue double arrow at the bottom of the screen. Then, to get to the site, do everything the same as in the case of Chrome.
Find Wi-Fi passwords in Foursquare comments
If you're running around an airport hoping to get a Wi-Fi signal, it won't help if you don't know the password. Luckily, kind and generous people have likely already posted this information in comments on Foursquare.
Rewind time on your computer
If all other options don't work, sometimes it helps to simply change the time on your gadget. If the airport offers free Wi-Fi for a limited period of time (for example, one hour), you can try changing the time on your device. This is an incredibly easy trick, but sometimes it really works.
The cost of using high-speed Wi-Fi at Sheremetyevo Airport after 15 minutes will range from 99 to 299 rubles. Ilya Grabovsky, director of external communications for Wi-Fi operator MaximaTelecom, told the Moscow City News Agency about this.
“During the first 15 minutes, all passengers can use the AURA Wi-Fi network completely free of charge. After this period, the user will be asked to choose one of the most suitable tariff plans for him, designed for different lengths of stay at the airport: 90 minutes – 99 rubles, 180 minutes – 149 rubles, 720 minutes – 299 rubles,” said I. Grabovsky.
He also noted that you can pay for the service either using a bank card (MasterCard and Visa) or using a mobile phone account (Beeline, MTS and Megafon). In the future, the ability to make payments using electronic money and other means of payment will be added.
“As part of a joint project between Sheremetyevo International Airport and MaximaTelecom, the main stage of work has been completed to replace and install new network equipment to achieve 95% coverage of public areas of terminals C, D, E, F: check-in, departure, arrival and transit. The AURA Wi-Fi network is connected to an Internet channel from MaximaTelecom with a total throughput of 5 Gbit/s. More than 100 access points allow airport passengers to connect to the Internet at speeds of up to 50 Mbit/s,” said I. Grabovsky. (From here.)
I will say this to this.
1. Before this, free Wi-Fi in Sheremetyevo was either from Beeline or from MTS (I don’t remember exactly) and it was very, very bad: I turned it off and used the mobile Internet.
2. Who is stopping you from using mobile Internet there, which costs a penny in Russia? (In contrast, I note, from Europe, where it costs not a penny AT ALL and in some countries there is no unlimited access for mobile Internet.)
3. I travel a lot, I have been to many countries and dozens of airports. As far as I remember, literally only a few of them had free Wi-Fi, or rather, they let you use it for free for 15 minutes, and then they demanded you pay. And it often happened that they demanded some crazy money for Wi-Fi at the airport - like €25 for use for one day or €6 for an hour of Wi-Fi.
4. Sheremetyevo promises a good channel, 15 minutes for free and payment of €1.1 for an hour and a half. And for 12 hours they demand €3.5.
So what are you unhappy about? Personally, I'm happy with everything. The right decision, oh-duh-bang! I will use it.
Upd: Argument of the day, definitely!
And I'll tell you this. Paid food at the airport is the most disgusting redneck imaginable. After all, people need to eat!
The cost of using high-speed Wi-Fi at Sheremetyevo Airport after 15 minutes will range from 99 to 299 rubles. Ilya Grabovsky, director of external communications for Wi-Fi operator MaximaTelecom, told the Moscow City News Agency about this.
“During the first 15 minutes, all passengers can use the AURA Wi-Fi network completely free of charge. After this period, the user will be asked to choose one of the most suitable tariff plans for him, designed for different lengths of stay at the airport: 90 minutes – 99 rubles, 180 minutes – 149 rubles, 720 minutes – 299 rubles,” said I. Grabovsky.
He also noted that you can pay for the service either using a bank card (MasterCard and Visa) or using a mobile phone account (Beeline, MTS and Megafon). In the future, the ability to make payments using electronic money and other means of payment will be added.
“As part of a joint project between Sheremetyevo International Airport and MaximaTelecom, the main stage of work has been completed to replace and install new network equipment to achieve 95% coverage of public areas of terminals C, D, E, F: check-in, departure, arrival and transit. The AURA Wi-Fi network is connected to an Internet channel from MaximaTelecom with a total throughput of 5 Gbit/s. More than 100 access points allow airport passengers to connect to the Internet at speeds of up to 50 Mbit/s,” said I. Grabovsky. (From here.) Here on social networks there have already been shouts about this: they say, the bloody KGB is taking away the last free WiFi. I will say this to this. 1. Before this, free Wi-Fi in Sheremetyevo was either from Beeline or from MTS (I don’t remember exactly) and it was very, very bad: I turned it off and used the mobile Internet. 2. Who is stopping you from using mobile Internet there, which costs a penny in Russia? (In contrast, I note, from Europe, where it costs not a penny AT ALL and in some countries there is no unlimited access for mobile Internet.) 3. I travel a lot, I have been to many countries and many dozens of airports. As far as I remember, literally only a few of them had free Wi-Fi, or rather, they let you use it for free for 15 minutes, and then they demanded you pay. And it often happened that they demanded some crazy money for Wi-Fi at the airport - like €25 for use for one day or €6 for an hour of Wi-Fi. 4. Sheremetyevo promises a good channel, 15 minutes for free and payment of €1.1 for an hour and a half. And for 12 hours they demand €3.5. So what are you unhappy about? Personally, I'm happy with everything. The right decision, oh-duh-bang! I will use it. Upd: Argument of the day, definitely!
And I'll tell you this. Paid food at the airport is the most disgusting redneck imaginable. After all, people need to eat!