AT&T's free iPhone WiFi is (update: was) live at last

Despite AT&T's best attempts at completely failing its free WiFi promises eternally, iPhone owners can finally fire up Mobile Safari in their local Starbucks, or, um, that one other place we heard about with AT&T WiFi, and get browsing. Of course, that's not to say the service won't crash horribly in the next 10 minutes, but at least AT&T stuck by its word, and can now move on to more pressing issues.

Update: Yeah, turns out this isn't true, and AT&T has pulled the page. Free WiFi? That's just silly.

[coloursinmyhead @ Jul 18th 2008 10:44AM]

iPhone free wifi has been working at my local Starbucks since at least last week.

[High Ranks make you sterile @ Jul 18th 2008 10:57AM]

How strong is the signal? Will I be able to use it from the Dunkin Donuts across the street?

Random thought: How did a company with such a stupid name like Dunkin Donuts go on to be so successful and find a place in my hate-prone heart?

[Charlie @ Jul 18th 2008 11:01AM]

Because DD is delicious, and reasonably priced. The real question is how the hell starbucks ever made it.

[High Ranks make you sterile @ Jul 18th 2008 11:30AM]

We're finally starting to get them here. We had ONE because my city has 2 malls in it... and now I have 2 within walking distance of my house (not to mention each other). They're garbage.

DD FTW.

[Tom @ Jul 18th 2008 11:42AM]

I was in a local Starbucks last week and tried to use the attwifi with my iphone but it did not have a way for me to login with iphone information, just att.net or sbc or the other options.

[Dave @ Jul 18th 2008 11:44AM]

Yes DD FTW.

DD : Starbucks
as
Android : iPhone

[Dave @ Jul 18th 2008 11:50AM]

DD ftw

[happy_penguin @ Jul 18th 2008 12:00PM]

Support your local mom & pop doughnut shops. They usually beat the hell out of corporate doughnuts.

[thedesolate1 @ Jul 18th 2008 12:33PM]

wait you mean paying 99 cents for a donut is reasonable??? Shit.... they better be made out of gold to be so expensive. I must admit I have a struggling addiction to strawberry frosted donuts.

[Steffen Jobbs @ Jul 18th 2008 1:27PM]

Yay! Now more incentive than ever for people to buy iPhones. Give free Wi-Fi to those that deserve it. Non-iPhone users need not apply.

[Victoid @ Jul 18th 2008 2:30PM]

non-corporate coffee FTW.

[dee @ Jul 18th 2008 5:05PM]

DD are franchises, not exactly 'corporate coffee', and have been using the same coffee formula for 50+ years - straight from their working class beginnings in New England. I'll support that. You guys are supporting Apple and AT&T, right??

[ejolney @ Jul 18th 2008 10:45AM]

Is it set-up like it was before? Just enter any bogus telephone number and your connected?

[coloursinmyhead @ Jul 18th 2008 10:47AM]

When I used it there was no login, worked instantly. I'm guessing it did a browser check for Safari mobile? I had my laptop with me as well which required an AT&T login (in my case my folks' pacbell.net from back home).

[kal326 @ Jul 18th 2008 10:50AM]

Hopefully it works better then their free Wifi at places with an AT&T dsl account. So far that has been a complete bust everyplace I've tried to use it.

[i-sheep @ Jul 18th 2008 10:56AM]

Bahahahahahaha.......... My i-phone 3g is broken.

[shan @ Jul 18th 2008 10:56AM]

"...or, um, that one other place we heard about with AT&T WiFi..."

Like McDonalds?

[High Ranks make you sterile @ Jul 18th 2008 10:58AM]

McDonald's AT&T WiFi? No you're thinking of the discount coupons they offer for Wii Fit, not WiFi, to work off 'dem Big Macs.

[Charlie @ Jul 18th 2008 11:02AM]

I saw a wi-fi sticker at MCD's the other day. At the time I thought to myself I couldn't ever see bringing my laptop to McDonalds. The idea it might be non-free wifi makes the possibility even more remote.

[letstakeawalk @ Jul 18th 2008 11:41AM]

They rebuilt our local McD's a few months ago, and they've been offering free WiFi since they re-opened. It's not connected with AT&T as near as I could tell.

[Galley @ Jul 18th 2008 1:12PM]

All the McDonald's here in Greenville, SC have fee AT&T Wi-Fi. If you're an AT&T DSL customer, you login with your AT&T account info, otherwise you get a certificate from the cashier.

[SINNN @ Jul 18th 2008 11:01AM]

I bet they felt the heat from us i-sheeps nagging about how we are all having subpar 3g performance. Last time I checied, I was told to turn off 3g. gwad! Free wifi wont satisfy me steve, gimme 3g

[RC @ Jul 18th 2008 4:18PM]

wat

[Jubei @ Jul 18th 2008 11:05AM]

Excellent addition for an already exceptional device. All 17k locations will provide free WiFi access to iPhone users. Barnes & Noble. The value and benefits of having an iPhone, surpasses that of the "me too" companies offerings.

More than 17,000 AT&T Wi-Fi hotspot locations nationwide

12 Airports
31 Hotels
23 Universities
18 Convention Centers
5 Sports Centers
8,000 + Restaurants
700 + Bookstores
50 + Supermarkets

[kccboy2004 @ Jul 18th 2008 11:28AM]

the only thing exceptional about the iphone are the exceptions that you get.

come talk to me when it works.

tell me isheep why is your 3G not working ? are you tired yet of the Beta testing you have done ?

[kal326 @ Jul 18th 2008 11:49AM]

@Jubei
You do realize that almost all AT&T DSL customers get to use those wifi locations for free too. Its not something that AT&T did for the glory of the iPhone. Not to mention there are plenty of other mobile devices that have wifi that those other AT&T customers may use. I don't usually use the wifi service since I have a Tilt which I can tether to my laptop for 3G goodness. That and the wifi points I have tried so far haven't worked, hence why I'm glad I can tether.

[Jubei @ Jul 18th 2008 12:10PM]

Yes I do realize that. There are many iPhone users who are not DSL customers. *Sigh* You people assume just about everything, which is just plain silly.

[kccboy2004 @ Jul 18th 2008 4:29PM]

@Jubei,

you really do look like such as tosser now.

"another failure to deliver on the worlds most hyped phoned".

[Jubei @ Jul 18th 2008 5:03PM]

@kccboy2004

You already have a locked as the Engadget court Jester for life. Why continue the need to promote your standings? This is just a delay with the services as legalities have not been completed. Don't worry, your title still holds true.

[kccboy2004 @ Jul 18th 2008 5:28PM]

@Jubei,

lmao... you are hilarious I give you that. but take a good look at yourself; an apologist bigot who continuous makes factoid statments in they hope that they might become true. sad really.

the iphone 3G release has been a catalogue of disasters from the very start and your blind adherence to unreasonable and unjustified "loyalty" to the iPhone can only suggest that you are either VERY VERY stupid or are party to viral advertising.

Either way it is you that are the joke.

I can quite happily accept a charge of "Court Jester". I don't take any of this seriously. You do however. sad really. lol.

[kccboy2004 @ Jul 18th 2008 11:24AM]

apple - it just works.

after a while, a little fiddle here and there, a little update...

please bear with us, whilst we take another bite of the Apple.

[ZeroCorpse @ Jul 18th 2008 11:45AM]

This has nothing to do with Apple. This is AT&T's deal.

If you're going to try to be snarky, at least attack the subject of the article.

Your non-sequitur is summarily ignored.

[mr. Obsession @ Jul 18th 2008 12:13PM]

Don't bother, ZeroCorpse. My man in KC is clearly pissed he doesn't have an iPhone...and it's showing in his posts.

[Kevin C. Tofel @ Jul 18th 2008 11:26AM]

Per AT&T, they posted the web page in error... again.

http://www.jkontherun.com/2008/07/episode-vi-retu.html

I'm not at a Starbucks, so I can't verify, but this is just silly.

[0150r @ Jul 18th 2008 11:31AM]

Why do you need free wifi if you are paying for an unlimited data plan? Unless the 3g connection speeds are terrible?

[ZeroCorpse @ Jul 18th 2008 11:46AM]

It' s not just free for iPhone owners. It's free for anyone who pays for an AT&T data plan, even DSL at home.

[Dave @ Jul 18th 2008 11:46AM]

Well since 3G is a battery hog compared to wi-fi and 3G iPhone's battery can't be called "exceptional" (or replaceable, lol), there's your answer.

[puma @ Jul 18th 2008 11:41AM]

Standing around indoors with 1 bar of 3G on my iPhone the speedtest repeatedly shows 800 kb/s. No, that is not the fastest connection ever, but for 1 bar indoors I suppose it will do. My HTC Hermes with 5 bars was usually only around 600 kb/s, and that was fast enough that I did not bother ever turning on WiFi...

[Dave @ Jul 18th 2008 12:53PM]

yes but how old is your Hermes? :).

[Colin Kelly @ Jul 18th 2008 11:48AM]

It should be easy for a company to launch free wifi access to 17k hotspots. I don't see what's so hard? Flick a switch and it's done... right? I mean, they've been working on it long enough. And with tech blogs like Engadget learning and exposing every crack along the way, who could expect anything but a smooth & seamless launch?

Come on, AT&T. Just login using your admin password and click on the bright green button that says "Allow free WiFi access to anyone using an iPhone while simultaneously denying access to the thousands of people who are going to attempt a free net fix by exploiting vulnerabilities in the system" - I know, it's a long button, but just click it and be done.

[Scott @ Jul 18th 2008 11:55AM]

Just in time for Starbucks to announce the closure of a whole mess of stores across the U.S.! :P

[kevin @ Jul 18th 2008 12:18PM]

So how does this work?? Does it look at the user-agent in the request to see if it is safari? Does it look at your MAC address?

Either one of those can be altered.

How long until someone releases a firefox plugin that allows free access to all starbucks wifi? Then I can just bring my laptop in and sit down.

[johnny86 @ Jul 18th 2008 12:28PM]

Just saw a post on CNET New's RSS feed that AT&T posted this in error and that they're not ready to give iPhone users free Wi-Fi yet :\

http://news.cnet.com/8301-1035_3-9994170-94.html?part=rss&subj=news&tag=2547-1_3-0-5

[Keith @ Jul 18th 2008 12:34PM]

Sorry to rain on the parade....AT&T: "We have not made any announcement regarding free Wi-Fi and iPhone, the Web page was posted in error and is being removed."

[kirk @ Jul 18th 2008 1:18PM]

How ATT continues to get things posted to their production servers prematurely never ceases to amaze me. As it happens the Starbucks' signal I use the most is in a terrible 3G location and it just a bit out of reach from the Apple Store's signal so launching this would be nice to actually have.

When it was accidentally deployed earlier in the year I did hate how it would kick you off the network quickly if weren't actively using the wifi on the iPhone. You set the phone down for a second -- or are reading a long webpage -- and you have to log in again.

[phofuki @ Jul 18th 2008 1:59PM]

If you have one of those Starbucks cards you can actually get free WiFi for 2 hours regardless of device. You just have to have used the card in the past 30 days and register at Starbucks.

[apeguero @ Jul 18th 2008 2:40PM]

Hey, somehow "AT&T" and the word "Free" don't seem to exist anywhere I look. So, for now, free wifi? Yeah. I'll believe when I see it.

[mhespenh @ Jul 18th 2008 3:11PM]

Will iPod touch users be able to use the wifi for free too? Or are we getting the red-headed step-child treatment again. :-/

[Bzzliteyr @ Jul 18th 2008 4:39PM]

At least wifi is free all through the city of Fredericton, NB, Canada so it doesn't matter to me!!

[Paul Dullford @ Jul 18th 2008 5:14PM]

More flip-flopping than a politician. Interesting.