Public 802.11b wireless access points, or hot spots, can provide a fast and convenient way to access the Internet and corporate network resources while away from the office—provided you can find an access point when and where you need one and can brave sometimes-confusing setup and payment procedures.
eWEEK Labs tested three services designed to make this process easier by providing users with single-subscription access to hot-spot networks. Overall, we found that Boingo Wireless Inc.s Boingo Wireless service is the easiest to use, Gric Communications Inc.s Gric MobileOffice will offer IT departments the most control over connections, and T-Mobile USA Inc.s T-Mobile HotSpot is the most flexible.
In each case, however, users are almost certain to be disappointed by the dearth of available hot spots. Its much more likely that youll have to go looking for an access point rather than stumble across one, so the question of whether a given service offers the coverage you will need is the most important factor in evaluating a service.
For many potential users of these services, lack of access point availability will prove to be a deal breaker—at least for now. Public access point availability is growing all the time, and having hot spots in key locations—such as an airport you frequent—can make subscribing to one of these services well worth the cost.
Boingo Wireless
Boingo Wireless
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
|
||||||||||||||||
Boingo Wireless
|
||||||||||||||||
With its well-made client software—which includes an access point sniffer, hot-spot directory and optional VPN feature—eWeek Labs found Boingos service the easiest to use of those we tested. However, the software supports only Windows and Pocket PC 2002 operating systems. An unlimited-use subscription to Boingo costs $49.95 a month. |
||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||
|
Boingos hot-spot service consists of a federation of smaller access point networks and independent hot-spot locations (totaling more than 1,300).
The Boingo Wireless client application, which is required to use the service, enables Boingo to manage sign-on and billing across this diverse network.
Boingos software (see screen) runs only on Windows 98SE, Windows 2000, Windows ME, Windows XP and Pocket PC 2002. This will limit the range of machines on which the service can be used, but the client software does add certain benefits.
For example, the Boingo software actively looks for in-range access points in much the same way that Windows XPs zero-configuration wireless utility does—a plus for Boingo users running a version of Windows earlier than XP.
In addition, we could maintain profiles for various access points—including those not part of the Boingo network—in which we could save relevant information such as service set identifiers and WEP (Wired Equivalent Privacy) keys. This will make it easy to switch between work, home and public access points.
Boingos software also contains a directory of Boingo access point locations, which allowed us to figure out where the closest access point was before connecting. In San Francisco, where we tested the services, the Boingo directory returned 65 wireless access points, seven of which were free and did not require a Boingo subscription.
The Boingo client can provide an encrypted VPN (virtual private network) link from a client machine to Boingos servers. While this is no substitute for a companys own VPN, it does provide much better data protection than nothing at all. (Public access points generally dont have even WEP security features enabled.)
Boingo offers a service plan for $24.95 a month, which includes 10 Connect Days (days in which users have unlimited use of the service); additional Connect Days cost $4.95 each. Boingo also offers an unlimited-use service plan for $49.95 per month, as well as a pay-as-you-go plan that costs $7.95 for two Connect Days and $7.95 per additional Connect Day.
Gric MobileOffice
Gric MobileOffice
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
|
||||||||||||||||
Gric MobileOffice
|
||||||||||||||||
Grics MobileOffice client software worked at a higher level than did Boingos. This will mean more steps for the user and a less streamlined experience, but the Gric software can be configured to tie in to VPN and firewall software installed on a client system. A plan that includes 50 hours of dial-up access and 100 hours of wireless access costs $59.95 per month. |
||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||
|
Gric MobileOffice also aggregates separate networks of public access points into a larger service network using a client application, but Grics service supports more connection methods, including dial-up.
We tested the wireless access point portion of Grics network, which includes some 1,500 access points in the United States. In San Francisco, the Gric client returned 15 wireless access points. (Both Grics and Boingos networks include access points from Wayport Inc., so there is some overlap between the services.)
As with Boingo, the Gric service requires client software (see screen) that works only with Windows and includes a directory of available access points.
One complaint we had with the Gric software—and, to a lesser extent, with the Boingo software—was that the access point listings contained more columns and data horizontally than would fit in the space provided. We had to scroll horizontally and adjust column widths to get at information such as full location names.
The Gric software integrates with security software such as VPN clients and personal firewalls and can launch these applications automatically upon connection. This will make it easier for IT departments to ensure that users are connecting securely.
The Gric software does not sniff for available networks in the way that Boingos software does. Rather, the Gric client depends on the wireless utilities built into Windows XP or on connection tools that ship with individual wireless cards.
We tested the Gric software in the lobby of the Omni Hotel in San Francisco, where we connected through an access point from Wayports network. After we selected the appropriate access point using Windows XPs wireless network utility, we hit the log-in button in the Gric client and were presented with a Wayport log-in page in an embedded browser window within the Gric client. There, we had to re-enter our log-in information. Gric would do well to streamline this process, a la Boingo.
Gric offers a $59.95-per-month plan that includes 50 hours of dial-up access and 100 hours of wireless access, a $49.95-per-month plan with unlimited dial-up access and 50 hours of wireless access, and a $35-a-month plan with 20 hours of wireless access.
T
-Mobile HotSpot”>
T-Mobile HotSpot
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
|
||||||||||||||||
T-Mobile HotSpot
|
||||||||||||||||
T-Mobiles service was the most flexible of those we tested because it does not require separate software. T-Mobile offers more hot-spot locations than either of the other services we tested, but availability depends on your location. An unlimited-use plan costs $39.99 per month, or $29.99 with a one-year contract. |
||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||
|
The T-Mobile Hotspot service provides 802.11b wireless Internet access at 2,440 locations—many of which are at Starbucks coffee shops. (In San Francisco alone, there are 58 T-Mobile HotSpot-enabled Starbucks locations.)
T-Mobile does not provide or require extra software to use its service, which makes it much more cross-platform-friendly than either Boingos or Grics services; pretty much any client with an 802.11b card and a Web browser can connect to the Internet through T-Mobiles service (see screen).
The functions of sniffing for available access points and storing individual profiles for access points are left to the utilities that come with users wireless network adapters or operating systems. The wireless configuration tools included with Windows XP, Mac OS X and even many distributions of Linux have gotten increasingly better, so most users wont likely miss service-specific client software (nor will IT administrators miss having one more application to install and maintain).
Upon connecting to a T-Mobile access point (they all use the same service set identifier, “tmobile”) and opening a browser window, we were taken to a Web page through which we could log on to the service.
T-Mobiles directory of locations resides on its Web site, which can present a chicken-and-egg problem: Youve got to find a place to connect before you can search for an access point to which to connect. (Of course, you can print out the list beforehand, but that kind of negates the spontaneous nature of the service.)
As far as security is concerned, its up to the user. T-Mobiles access points—like most public hot spots—are particularly vulnerable to snooping, so its important that users connect through a VPN.
Of the services we tested, T-Mobile offers the most flexible billing options. A one-year-contract unlimited-use plan costs $29.99 per month. T-Mobile also offers a month-to-month unlimited-use plan that costs $39.99 per month. Subscribers to T-Mobiles wireless phone services may add unlimited hot-spot access for $19.99 a month. T-Mobile offers a 300-minute prepay plan for $50, with a minimum user session of 10 minutes.
In addition, the company has metered-use plans that cost 10 cents per minute, with a minimum user session of 60 minutes per log-in.
Senior Analyst Jason Brooks can be reached at jason_brooks@ziffdavis.com.