On August 1, 2015, I got to visit Tallinn, Estonia for the first time. I did a walking tour of the old city. It was awesome. At times, it felt like I was stepping back in time. At the end of the tour, I chose to return to the pier with the tour bus. At the pier, you can find a small building that is sort of a cruise ship terminal even though it isn't used to process people for cruises.
The small building has 2 or 3 souvenir shops including one that sells postcards and stamps. Just outside the building is a mailbox where you can mail the postcards. Throughout the building, the terminal offers free WiFi. At one end of the building is a small cafe that has tables and chairs both indoors and outdoors. The cafe offers various drinks including Estonian beer. I think the cafe also offers food though I don't remember what exactly they offered in that way. This part of the building was packed with people taking advantage of the free WiFi. I felt bad for the lady behind the cafe counter as so many of the people weren't buying anything from the cafe (it wasn't required) and yet using her tables and chairs. This was the main reason I decided to buy one of their drinks and settled on one the beers they had for sale as I thought it would be neat to try it. During my travels, I will try various foreign beers. Some can be very good like Carlsberg Dark I tried in a hotel in Arhus, Denmark and some can be basically piss water like one I had in a restaurant in Peru one time.
Overall, the WiFi at the terminal was very good. It had a good connection speed and, I liked that it was FREE. If you do a cruise into Tallinn (well worth doing), I'd recommend you take advantage of the free WiFi and maybe try one of the Estonian beers the cafe has. Happy Internet surfing all!
Showing posts with label WiFi. Show all posts
Showing posts with label WiFi. Show all posts
Sunday, September 13, 2015
Neptune Internet Cafe St. Petersburg Russia
To my great surprise, as far as I can tell, there isn't any information on the Internet about the Neptune Internet Cafe located in Terminal 2 of the Marine Facade Complex (cruise ship and ferry complex) in St. Petersburg, Russia. This blog entry will give a little information on the cafe and the terminal. I personally visited this terminal during a port call at St. Petersburg, Russia from 29 to 31 July 2015 while cruising on Royal Caribbean's Serenade of the Seas.
The Marine Facade Complex is located 3 miles northwest of the city center (source: cruiseportwiki.com/StPetersburg) in an area of the city that is being developed by city authorities. I personally saw a number of new buildings close to the complex. The complex was finished in 2008 and comprises of 7 berths which serve 3 cruise ship terminals and 1 ferry terminal (terminal 3) (source: www.passengerport-mf.spb.ru/en/).
According to the Marine Facade Complex webpage (www.passengerport-mf.spb.ru/en/), all of the terminals have a cafe so, all of them may offer Internet service though I can only vouch for the cafe at terminal 2 which I personally used.
The Neptune Internet Cafe is located on the 2nd floor of terminal 2. It's a small cafe offering WiFi access for a fee and a selection of drinks (I didn't buy any so I can tell you how much they cost). I don't remember if they offered any food for sale. The cafe accepts U.S. dollars, Euros and Russian rubles (I didn't note what the charges were in Russian rubles). WiFi charges were:
$3/3 Euros for 1 hour
$5/5 Euros for 2 hours
$8/8 Euros for 24 hours continuous service
The cafe offered better WiFi prices than what were offered on Serenade of the Seas and had better connection speeds though I didn't have a meter to see just how fast the connection speeds were. I don't remember if they had terminals for use if you didn't have a WiFi capable device.
Concerning connecting to their WiFi, once you paid for how ever long you wanted to connect to their WiFi, they gave you a ticket with a username and password. The ticket told you how long you would be able to connect to the WiFi and the fee you'd paid. Lastly, there was a time limit in which you had to activate your account by. I don't know what would happen if you didn't activate it in time.
One drawback to using the cafe were the tough Russian customs rules. If you were on a cruise ship, you could visit St. Petersburg (for no more than 72 hours) without a tourist visit ($100 U.S., good for 2 years) but, you had to show a tour ticket to the Russian customs officer at the terminal. Otherwise, you weren't allowed to pass through the terminal and, you had to get through customs to be able to get to the Neptune Internet Cafe.
Another drawback is there aren't any other alternatives to the Neptune Internet Cafe that are close to the terminal. The cruiseportwiki.com/StPetersburg webpage has a picture of the Marine Facade Complex which if you click on the view larger map offers some excellent pictures of the complex and the area close to it. You'll see from the pictures there isn't much close by.
According to the Marine Facade Complex (see previously mentioned webpage), authorities do run buses (bus number 158) to terminal 3. If you click on directions on that webpage, they give a bus schedule. The bus runs to the Primorskaya Metro Station. Also, according to the webpage, taxis run from all the terminals though I don't have any idea how much a taxi or the bus would cost you.
Overall, I was really pleased with the Neptune Internet Cafe. The people running it were very courteous, the connection speeds were very good and, their prices were better than what were offered on my cruise ship. I would definitely recommend it and, I give it a thumbs up. I hope to use it again when I visit St. Petersburg again some time in the future. Happy Internet surfing all!
The Marine Facade Complex is located 3 miles northwest of the city center (source: cruiseportwiki.com/StPetersburg) in an area of the city that is being developed by city authorities. I personally saw a number of new buildings close to the complex. The complex was finished in 2008 and comprises of 7 berths which serve 3 cruise ship terminals and 1 ferry terminal (terminal 3) (source: www.passengerport-mf.spb.ru/en/).
According to the Marine Facade Complex webpage (www.passengerport-mf.spb.ru/en/), all of the terminals have a cafe so, all of them may offer Internet service though I can only vouch for the cafe at terminal 2 which I personally used.
The Neptune Internet Cafe is located on the 2nd floor of terminal 2. It's a small cafe offering WiFi access for a fee and a selection of drinks (I didn't buy any so I can tell you how much they cost). I don't remember if they offered any food for sale. The cafe accepts U.S. dollars, Euros and Russian rubles (I didn't note what the charges were in Russian rubles). WiFi charges were:
$3/3 Euros for 1 hour
$5/5 Euros for 2 hours
$8/8 Euros for 24 hours continuous service
The cafe offered better WiFi prices than what were offered on Serenade of the Seas and had better connection speeds though I didn't have a meter to see just how fast the connection speeds were. I don't remember if they had terminals for use if you didn't have a WiFi capable device.
Concerning connecting to their WiFi, once you paid for how ever long you wanted to connect to their WiFi, they gave you a ticket with a username and password. The ticket told you how long you would be able to connect to the WiFi and the fee you'd paid. Lastly, there was a time limit in which you had to activate your account by. I don't know what would happen if you didn't activate it in time.
One drawback to using the cafe were the tough Russian customs rules. If you were on a cruise ship, you could visit St. Petersburg (for no more than 72 hours) without a tourist visit ($100 U.S., good for 2 years) but, you had to show a tour ticket to the Russian customs officer at the terminal. Otherwise, you weren't allowed to pass through the terminal and, you had to get through customs to be able to get to the Neptune Internet Cafe.
Another drawback is there aren't any other alternatives to the Neptune Internet Cafe that are close to the terminal. The cruiseportwiki.com/StPetersburg webpage has a picture of the Marine Facade Complex which if you click on the view larger map offers some excellent pictures of the complex and the area close to it. You'll see from the pictures there isn't much close by.
According to the Marine Facade Complex (see previously mentioned webpage), authorities do run buses (bus number 158) to terminal 3. If you click on directions on that webpage, they give a bus schedule. The bus runs to the Primorskaya Metro Station. Also, according to the webpage, taxis run from all the terminals though I don't have any idea how much a taxi or the bus would cost you.
Overall, I was really pleased with the Neptune Internet Cafe. The people running it were very courteous, the connection speeds were very good and, their prices were better than what were offered on my cruise ship. I would definitely recommend it and, I give it a thumbs up. I hope to use it again when I visit St. Petersburg again some time in the future. Happy Internet surfing all!
Friday, September 11, 2015
Serenade of the Seas WiFi
To provide more information on Royal Caribbean's ships, here is my review on their Serenade of the Seas WiFi.
I sailed on this ship from July 26, 2015 to August 8, 2015 though I didn't use the ship's WiFi that entire time. The reason for that was it had problems. When I first tried to log in to see what discount I would get for being Diamond with their Crown & Anchor Society (frequent cruiser program), it couldn't give me the discount. It told me I could pre-pay the plan now and see about getting the money for the discount through guest relations later - no thanks. The second time I tried to pick a plan, it wouldn't even let me into the plans. The third time I tried, it finally would give me my Diamond discount AND let me pick a plan. So, I finally signed up though I still had issues with the ship's WiFi. I tried to connect to various websites at times and, the connection was sooooo SLOW that the connection would time out. Grrrrrrrrr!!!!!!!! Still, there were pluses to the ship's WiFi.
First, they were now offering unlimited time on the plans for one flat price. You could get the unlimited WiFi plan for one device which cost $20 per day. Or, you could get the unlimited WiFi plan for two devices which cost $30 total per day. If you didn't like either of those plans, your final option was getting their daily plan which was 24 hours continuous for $39.95. I thought the first two plans were better though I didn't care to give them another $10 a day for a second device. If you had a family on the cruise, the second plan would probably be worth it.
Second, there is the convenience of using the ship's WiFi. I did use the free WiFi offered at various ports but, that meant I had to have my device on hand. Often I did as I was using my new smart phone which can connect to the Internet using WiFi. Still, it was nice not having to lug around whichever device I wanted to use while visiting various ports.
Third, using the ship's WiFi gave me something to do when we were at sea. I know the Royal Caribbean comes up with lots of things to do at sea but, I find I still get bored which why I hate days at sea. Being able to surf the web then gives me something I find entertaining to do.
Overall, I felt the ship's WiFi was worth it though I still looked for free WiFi spots while in port because I found they usually offered a faster connection. I've heard about Royal Caribbean's new VOOM system and, I can't wait to try it to see if it's equal to all the hype they're putting out about that. I don't know when I'll get to cruise one of their ships that has it. My next cruise will be on their Independence of the Seas November of next year. It'll be an interesting cruise for me because, I'll be doing the opposite of what I did on it the last time I sailed on that ship. The last time I sailed on her, I boarded at Ft. Lauderdale, Florida and left the ship early at Philipsburg, St. Maarten. This time, I'll board at Philipsburg, St. Maarten and depart at Ft. Lauderdale. Also, it'll be my first cruise as Diamond Plus. I'm curious to see what discounts you get at that level.
FYI, for Diamond members, the discount was $39.95 which would could be applied toward your bill if you got one of the first two plans or you could get one 24 hour continuous period for free.
I sailed on this ship from July 26, 2015 to August 8, 2015 though I didn't use the ship's WiFi that entire time. The reason for that was it had problems. When I first tried to log in to see what discount I would get for being Diamond with their Crown & Anchor Society (frequent cruiser program), it couldn't give me the discount. It told me I could pre-pay the plan now and see about getting the money for the discount through guest relations later - no thanks. The second time I tried to pick a plan, it wouldn't even let me into the plans. The third time I tried, it finally would give me my Diamond discount AND let me pick a plan. So, I finally signed up though I still had issues with the ship's WiFi. I tried to connect to various websites at times and, the connection was sooooo SLOW that the connection would time out. Grrrrrrrrr!!!!!!!! Still, there were pluses to the ship's WiFi.
First, they were now offering unlimited time on the plans for one flat price. You could get the unlimited WiFi plan for one device which cost $20 per day. Or, you could get the unlimited WiFi plan for two devices which cost $30 total per day. If you didn't like either of those plans, your final option was getting their daily plan which was 24 hours continuous for $39.95. I thought the first two plans were better though I didn't care to give them another $10 a day for a second device. If you had a family on the cruise, the second plan would probably be worth it.
Second, there is the convenience of using the ship's WiFi. I did use the free WiFi offered at various ports but, that meant I had to have my device on hand. Often I did as I was using my new smart phone which can connect to the Internet using WiFi. Still, it was nice not having to lug around whichever device I wanted to use while visiting various ports.
Third, using the ship's WiFi gave me something to do when we were at sea. I know the Royal Caribbean comes up with lots of things to do at sea but, I find I still get bored which why I hate days at sea. Being able to surf the web then gives me something I find entertaining to do.
Overall, I felt the ship's WiFi was worth it though I still looked for free WiFi spots while in port because I found they usually offered a faster connection. I've heard about Royal Caribbean's new VOOM system and, I can't wait to try it to see if it's equal to all the hype they're putting out about that. I don't know when I'll get to cruise one of their ships that has it. My next cruise will be on their Independence of the Seas November of next year. It'll be an interesting cruise for me because, I'll be doing the opposite of what I did on it the last time I sailed on that ship. The last time I sailed on her, I boarded at Ft. Lauderdale, Florida and left the ship early at Philipsburg, St. Maarten. This time, I'll board at Philipsburg, St. Maarten and depart at Ft. Lauderdale. Also, it'll be my first cruise as Diamond Plus. I'm curious to see what discounts you get at that level.
FYI, for Diamond members, the discount was $39.95 which would could be applied toward your bill if you got one of the first two plans or you could get one 24 hour continuous period for free.
Saturday, October 18, 2014
Starbucks Portland Commercial Street Restaurant Wi-Fi
While in port during my recent cruise on Royal Caribbean's Legend of the Seas, I got to visit the Starbucks on 145 Commercial Street, Portland, Maine and try out their Wi-Fi. Due to expensive rates on the ship, I was looking for alternative Wi-Fi locations and, this Starbucks fit the bill superbly. Also, another nice thing about this Starbucks is that it isn't that far from the Portland cruise ship terminal. I think it was about 4 or 5 blocks from the terminal. As the terminal doesn't have Wi-Fi as far as I know, this is maybe one of the closer places to the terminal that offers it.
Also, the Commercial Street Starbucks has convenient hours. They are:
Monday to Thursday and Sunday: 5:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Friday and Saturday: 5:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. (current at the time of this post)
Overall, I was very pleased with the Wi-Fi connectivity at this Starbucks as well as the service. Prices were the same as at other Starbucks and, they do accept Starbucks giftcards as well as participate in their reward program. I'd definitely recommend this Starbucks and plan to use it again when I make port again in Portland some time in the far future. Happy web surfing all!
Also, the Commercial Street Starbucks has convenient hours. They are:
Monday to Thursday and Sunday: 5:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Friday and Saturday: 5:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. (current at the time of this post)
Overall, I was very pleased with the Wi-Fi connectivity at this Starbucks as well as the service. Prices were the same as at other Starbucks and, they do accept Starbucks giftcards as well as participate in their reward program. I'd definitely recommend this Starbucks and plan to use it again when I make port again in Portland some time in the far future. Happy web surfing all!
Friday, October 10, 2014
Bar Harbor Maine Cruise Ship Pier
Last month, I got to visit Bar Harbor, Maine for the first time while doing a Maine/Canada cruise on Royal Caribbean's Legend of the Seas. Bar Harbor was the only port on this cruise where the ship had to tender us in i.e. take up to port in smaller boats (this is standard for cruise ships as Norwegian Cruise Line's Dawn had to do the same thing while I was there). The reason for this is I believe is because the water is too shallow by the pier.
Concerning the pier, there isn't a cruise ship terminal there like at other places. The town did have 1 policeman nearby but, there weren't any dedicated cruise buildings. Royal Caribbean set up it's own security to check people before they were allowed on a tender which took them to the ship.
The pier does have restaurants which seemed useless to me since the free food on board the ship was fine. One plus in my opinion was the free Wi-Fi at Agamont Park which is right next to the pier. I tested this Wi-Fi and, it worked fine.
Concerning the pier, there isn't a cruise ship terminal there like at other places. The town did have 1 policeman nearby but, there weren't any dedicated cruise buildings. Royal Caribbean set up it's own security to check people before they were allowed on a tender which took them to the ship.
The pier does have restaurants which seemed useless to me since the free food on board the ship was fine. One plus in my opinion was the free Wi-Fi at Agamont Park which is right next to the pier. I tested this Wi-Fi and, it worked fine.
Sunday, June 15, 2014
Princess Juliana International Airport WiFi Report
With my out-processing done on Royal Caribbean's Independence of the Seas this past May, I took a taxi to St. Maarten's Princess Juliana International Airport (SXM). There, I'd catch my flight to New York JFK International Airport with a connecting flight to Washington's Reagan National. I would've dreaded my wait time at this airport but thankfully, they have free and excellent WiFi at this airport. I didn't have any problems using it with my Nook e-reader which is what I prefer to use Internet wise when I'm traveling (easier to carry than a laptop). It was really nice. It definitely helped the time go by as I waited for my flight.
The airport itself is surprisingly busy for such a small island. My taxi driver told me during high season, they'd get 17 flights a day from the U.S. and Canada and 5 from Europe! The airport has 4 jet bridges and 12 gates. Also, it has at least 3 or 4 eateries and a gift shop on the upper level.
Overall, I was really pleased with this airport. The WiFi works great here and, the people who work here are nice. I suspect I'll get to use this airport again some time in the future as I plan to do another transatlantic cruise with Royal Caribbean where I'll either leave the ship at St. Maarten or join it there on it's way to Florida. Happy travels all!
The airport itself is surprisingly busy for such a small island. My taxi driver told me during high season, they'd get 17 flights a day from the U.S. and Canada and 5 from Europe! The airport has 4 jet bridges and 12 gates. Also, it has at least 3 or 4 eateries and a gift shop on the upper level.
Overall, I was really pleased with this airport. The WiFi works great here and, the people who work here are nice. I suspect I'll get to use this airport again some time in the future as I plan to do another transatlantic cruise with Royal Caribbean where I'll either leave the ship at St. Maarten or join it there on it's way to Florida. Happy travels all!
Sunday, June 01, 2014
Market House Annapolis Maryland WiFi Review
Today, I got to visit the old part of Annapolis, Maryland. I wanted to post something on the Internet from my Nook e-reader so, I looked for a place with free WiFi. I walked into Market House at 25 Market Place and saw a sign claiming they have free WiFi. Awesome! I bought 3 scoops of gelato from their Firenzes Gelateria, sat down and tried to connect to the Internet. No go. It turned out the sign was total bs. The place doesn't offer free WiFi. A worker at one of the shops I spoke with said the local government was supposed to do something about it but, they apparently haven't. :-( Thankfully, there are a couple places in the dock area that do offer free WiFi like the Starbucks at 124 Dock Street. So, if you want to surf the web, skip the Market House. Happy Internet surfing all!
Sunday, May 11, 2014
Royal Caribbean's Independence of the Seas Wi-Fi
Recently, I got to sail on Royal Caribbean's Independence of the Seas cruise ship. While on-board, I tried out the ship's Wi-Fi and found out what the prices were for its various Wi-Fi plans. The plans can vary from ship to ship and, that was the case in this instance.
Independence of the Seas offers 4 plans:
1 hour plan - $29.95
1 day plan - $59.95
Unlimited plan for 1 device - $189.95
Unlimited plan for 2 devices - $229.95
With the 1 hour plan, you get 60 minutes that you can use at various times. This is different from their 1 day plan which for some reason must be used continuously for 24 hours. I confess I didn't like that I had to use the 1 day plan all in 1 day and, I wouldn't recommend it. With the unlimited plans, the big thing there is how many devices you can have hooked up to the Wi-Fi at one time. With the unlimited plan for 2 devices, you can have 2 devices hooked up at the same time. This would be handy for families. If you're on a long cruise and surf the web a lot, the unlimited plans are definitely the way to go. I do wish Royal Caribbean offered the unlimited plans on more of their ships. Right now, it's only available on this ship, Allure of the Seas and Navigator of the Seas. I would've greatly preferred it over the 1,600 plan I got on their Legend of the Seas ship.
For Crown & Anchor members, the Diamond discount is $29.95. This will get you 1 hour of free Wi-Fi or $29.95 off one of the other plans. I'm Diamond and since I wasn't staying for the whole cruise, I took the 1 hour free Wi-Fi. I wasn't wiped out with this offer otherwise. $160 (after the discount) for unlimited Wi-Fi still isn't cheap in my book though it is way better than what Royal Caribbean has offered before.
One final difference I found between the Wi-Fi on Independence of the Seas and Legend of the Seas was you could hook up to the Wi-Fi using the Mozilla Firefox browser. The sheet with the information on the ship's Wi-Fi states that Firefox, Internet Explorer and Safari version 3 or higher will work on their Wi-Fi. Internet Explorer as far as I know works on all of Royal Caribbean's ships and apparently is their preferred browser. On Legend of the Seas, I tried logging on Mozilla Firefox and, the page would lock up at the log-in point. On Independence of the Seas, the log-in page worked fine. As I don't have the Safari browser, I didn't test that one. It would be nice if they added the Chrome browser to the list of browsers you can use.
Lastly, the Wi-Fi is available throughout the ship. This is one of the upgrades Royal Caribbean is doing to its entire fleet and will encourage people to use the Wi-Fi. It's a real pain to have to search for a hotspot on the ship. Happy surfing on the Internet all!
Independence of the Seas offers 4 plans:
1 hour plan - $29.95
1 day plan - $59.95
Unlimited plan for 1 device - $189.95
Unlimited plan for 2 devices - $229.95
With the 1 hour plan, you get 60 minutes that you can use at various times. This is different from their 1 day plan which for some reason must be used continuously for 24 hours. I confess I didn't like that I had to use the 1 day plan all in 1 day and, I wouldn't recommend it. With the unlimited plans, the big thing there is how many devices you can have hooked up to the Wi-Fi at one time. With the unlimited plan for 2 devices, you can have 2 devices hooked up at the same time. This would be handy for families. If you're on a long cruise and surf the web a lot, the unlimited plans are definitely the way to go. I do wish Royal Caribbean offered the unlimited plans on more of their ships. Right now, it's only available on this ship, Allure of the Seas and Navigator of the Seas. I would've greatly preferred it over the 1,600 plan I got on their Legend of the Seas ship.
For Crown & Anchor members, the Diamond discount is $29.95. This will get you 1 hour of free Wi-Fi or $29.95 off one of the other plans. I'm Diamond and since I wasn't staying for the whole cruise, I took the 1 hour free Wi-Fi. I wasn't wiped out with this offer otherwise. $160 (after the discount) for unlimited Wi-Fi still isn't cheap in my book though it is way better than what Royal Caribbean has offered before.
One final difference I found between the Wi-Fi on Independence of the Seas and Legend of the Seas was you could hook up to the Wi-Fi using the Mozilla Firefox browser. The sheet with the information on the ship's Wi-Fi states that Firefox, Internet Explorer and Safari version 3 or higher will work on their Wi-Fi. Internet Explorer as far as I know works on all of Royal Caribbean's ships and apparently is their preferred browser. On Legend of the Seas, I tried logging on Mozilla Firefox and, the page would lock up at the log-in point. On Independence of the Seas, the log-in page worked fine. As I don't have the Safari browser, I didn't test that one. It would be nice if they added the Chrome browser to the list of browsers you can use.
Lastly, the Wi-Fi is available throughout the ship. This is one of the upgrades Royal Caribbean is doing to its entire fleet and will encourage people to use the Wi-Fi. It's a real pain to have to search for a hotspot on the ship. Happy surfing on the Internet all!
Sunday, April 27, 2014
Royal Caribbean's Legend of the Seas Wi-Fi
From April 3rd to April 16th, 2014, I sailed on Royal Caribbean's Legend of the Seas ship (the rates posted are current at the time of this sailing). I used the ship's Wi-Fi considerably (approximately 1,500 minutes) which is the most I think I've ever used the Wi-Fi on any of their ships I've been on. The ship's Wi-Fi worked really well. I never had a problem getting on though I think I did get bumped off a few times for unknown reasons. The Wi-Fi is available throughout the ship including all cabins. I primarily used it in my inner cabin and, it worked fine there. I can't tell you how fast the connection speed was though I had no problems holding a texting chat with a friend on Facebook.
The pay as you go rate is a very high 85 cents a minute. The pre-paid plans available are as follows:
38 minutes - $24.95 which breaks out to 66 cents a minute
90 minutes - $49.95 which breaks out to 56 cents a minute
208 minutes - $99.95 which breaks out to 48 cents a minute
555 minutes - $199.95 which breaks out to 36 cents a minute
1,599 minutes (the Wi-Fi sheet showed 1,666) - $399.95 which breaks out to 25 cents a minute
I bought the 1,599 minute package as I didn't want to have to worry about my Internet time. I was on a 2 week cruise and, I figured correctly I'd use most of the time up. I think this package would be better for families vice 1 person like myself.
I discovered that Royal Caribbean's Wi-Fi has connection problems with Google's Chrome browser and Mozilla's Firefox. I would try to log in at the connection page and, it would repeatedly hang up. I was never able to connect to their Wi-Fi going solely through those browsers. Apparently, you must use Internet Explorer though I did discover a workaround for my Nook e-reader which is an Android device which I'll blog about later. Microsoft doesn't make an Internet Explorer version for Android devices which creates real problems for those who want to use them on Royal Caribbean's Wi-Fi. I mentioned this to Royal Caribbean on my cruise feedback. I don't know if Royal Caribbean will do anything about this problem.
You can use your Crown & Anchor Wi-Fi discounts on the pre-paid plans. I used my Emerald discount which was 15% and saved $60!
Overall, Legend of the Seas's Wi-Fi worked really well but, it was expensive. I wish Royal Caribbean would introduce an unlimited plan like they have on their Allure of the Seas and Navigator of the Seas. If you want to save money, you would do well to look for places in the various ports that offer cheaper Wi-Fi. I found them in Guatemala and Costa Rica. Happy web surfing all!
Update October 18, 2014: I did a Maine/Canada cruise Legend of the Seas last month. I was able to re-check the ship's Wi-Fi rates. They haven't changed. Because of its expensive rates, I searched for and was able to find places during the cruise that had free Wi-Fi such as Starbucks on Commercial Street in Portland, Maine.
FYI, for Diamond Members, I found out they got 30 minutes of free Wi-Fi. I don't know why you get less time on this ship than I got on Independence of the Seas.
Overall, I wasn't pleased with the ship's expensive Wi-Fi rates. Unless you really need to get on the Internet, I'd avoid using this ship's Wi-Fi. You will really pay a lot for the privilege.
The pay as you go rate is a very high 85 cents a minute. The pre-paid plans available are as follows:
38 minutes - $24.95 which breaks out to 66 cents a minute
90 minutes - $49.95 which breaks out to 56 cents a minute
208 minutes - $99.95 which breaks out to 48 cents a minute
555 minutes - $199.95 which breaks out to 36 cents a minute
1,599 minutes (the Wi-Fi sheet showed 1,666) - $399.95 which breaks out to 25 cents a minute
I bought the 1,599 minute package as I didn't want to have to worry about my Internet time. I was on a 2 week cruise and, I figured correctly I'd use most of the time up. I think this package would be better for families vice 1 person like myself.
I discovered that Royal Caribbean's Wi-Fi has connection problems with Google's Chrome browser and Mozilla's Firefox. I would try to log in at the connection page and, it would repeatedly hang up. I was never able to connect to their Wi-Fi going solely through those browsers. Apparently, you must use Internet Explorer though I did discover a workaround for my Nook e-reader which is an Android device which I'll blog about later. Microsoft doesn't make an Internet Explorer version for Android devices which creates real problems for those who want to use them on Royal Caribbean's Wi-Fi. I mentioned this to Royal Caribbean on my cruise feedback. I don't know if Royal Caribbean will do anything about this problem.
You can use your Crown & Anchor Wi-Fi discounts on the pre-paid plans. I used my Emerald discount which was 15% and saved $60!
Overall, Legend of the Seas's Wi-Fi worked really well but, it was expensive. I wish Royal Caribbean would introduce an unlimited plan like they have on their Allure of the Seas and Navigator of the Seas. If you want to save money, you would do well to look for places in the various ports that offer cheaper Wi-Fi. I found them in Guatemala and Costa Rica. Happy web surfing all!
Update October 18, 2014: I did a Maine/Canada cruise Legend of the Seas last month. I was able to re-check the ship's Wi-Fi rates. They haven't changed. Because of its expensive rates, I searched for and was able to find places during the cruise that had free Wi-Fi such as Starbucks on Commercial Street in Portland, Maine.
FYI, for Diamond Members, I found out they got 30 minutes of free Wi-Fi. I don't know why you get less time on this ship than I got on Independence of the Seas.
Overall, I wasn't pleased with the ship's expensive Wi-Fi rates. Unless you really need to get on the Internet, I'd avoid using this ship's Wi-Fi. You will really pay a lot for the privilege.
Wednesday, February 12, 2014
8700 Washington Boulevard Savage Maryland McDonald's Wi-Fi Review
I had a McDonald's coupon which would get me 2 of their large sandwiches for the price of 1. Because of that, I decided to stop by the McDonald's which is close to the Extended Stay America I'm staying at. While waiting for my order to be filled, I tried out their Wi-Fi.
I picked up 2 signals which may be the problem at this McDonald's. Both signals came in very strong. One was for ATT and the other was for Wayland Portal which I'd never seen before. McDonald's standard Wi-Fi provider is ATT. For whatever reasons, every time the webpage came up where I would press on the I accept button (accepting the terms of use), nothing would happen. After trying for something like 10 minutes, I gave up.
Because of my failure to connect, I have to give this McDonald's a thumbs down Wi-Fi wise. I plan
to go back at a later time and, I'll test their Wi-Fi again. We'll see if it works that time. Stay tuned.
Update February 19, 2014: I was off today so, I decided today was a good day to test this McDonald's Wi-Fi again. Plus, I had coupons where I could get 2 Big Macs or 2 Filet-o-Fish sandwiches for $4. I think I saved $4 with each coupon. This McDonald's will let you use up to 2 coupons per visit which is nice.
Concerning their Wi-Fi, this time it worked very well. One neat thing about Nook e-reader is when you visit a place you've been to before, it'll automatically connect to that place's Wi-Fi signal. This time, there wasn't any conflict between the ATT and Wayland signals and, it promptly connected to the ATT signal which was very strong. I did have a minor glitch in that I was able to post to Facebook BEFORE the standard agree to terms of use window came up. Because I hadn't accepted the terms, Facebook wouldn't let me put where my location was with my post which was weird. Once I accepted the terms of use, it would.
Overall, I was very pleased with this McDonald's Wi-Fi and, I give it a big thumbs up. If you're in this area, this is a place worth stopping at if you need Internet access. Happy surfing all!
Correction: I discovered that I put the wrong town name on my first post for this review. Apparently, this McDonald's is considered to be in Savage (according to the McDonald's website any way) even though the Extended Stay which is less than a block away is in Jessup. I confess I don't understand how they determine which town places like these are in which are on the boundaries of the town.
I picked up 2 signals which may be the problem at this McDonald's. Both signals came in very strong. One was for ATT and the other was for Wayland Portal which I'd never seen before. McDonald's standard Wi-Fi provider is ATT. For whatever reasons, every time the webpage came up where I would press on the I accept button (accepting the terms of use), nothing would happen. After trying for something like 10 minutes, I gave up.
Because of my failure to connect, I have to give this McDonald's a thumbs down Wi-Fi wise. I plan
to go back at a later time and, I'll test their Wi-Fi again. We'll see if it works that time. Stay tuned.
Update February 19, 2014: I was off today so, I decided today was a good day to test this McDonald's Wi-Fi again. Plus, I had coupons where I could get 2 Big Macs or 2 Filet-o-Fish sandwiches for $4. I think I saved $4 with each coupon. This McDonald's will let you use up to 2 coupons per visit which is nice.
Concerning their Wi-Fi, this time it worked very well. One neat thing about Nook e-reader is when you visit a place you've been to before, it'll automatically connect to that place's Wi-Fi signal. This time, there wasn't any conflict between the ATT and Wayland signals and, it promptly connected to the ATT signal which was very strong. I did have a minor glitch in that I was able to post to Facebook BEFORE the standard agree to terms of use window came up. Because I hadn't accepted the terms, Facebook wouldn't let me put where my location was with my post which was weird. Once I accepted the terms of use, it would.
Overall, I was very pleased with this McDonald's Wi-Fi and, I give it a big thumbs up. If you're in this area, this is a place worth stopping at if you need Internet access. Happy surfing all!
Correction: I discovered that I put the wrong town name on my first post for this review. Apparently, this McDonald's is considered to be in Savage (according to the McDonald's website any way) even though the Extended Stay which is less than a block away is in Jessup. I confess I don't understand how they determine which town places like these are in which are on the boundaries of the town.
Sunday, February 02, 2014
The Mall in Columbia Wi-Fi Review
The Mall in Columbia as it's titled (it's located in Columbia, Maryland) brags about offering free Wi-Fi. I decided to test it and find out if there are any strings attached with their Wi-Fi. I found out really fast there is. The first is you have to join The Club. The Club is where they send promotions and events by email. You can also receive them by text message though this part is optional. The email thing isn't. Second, once you've sign up for The Club, you click on freewifi-TheClub signal. Then, you call up a brower window where you'll use your email address to log in to their free Wi-Fi. According to my Nook e-reader, their Wi-Fi signal rated as good though I think it's more ok. When I first tested the mall's Wi-Fi, the signal actually dropped out and, I had to disconnect and re-connect to it to get it to work again. I'm definitely not impressed with their free Wi-Fi.
However, there is an alternative. The Mall in Columbia has a Starbucks located in the C section of the mall next to the entrance (close to Sears) on the upper level. Starbucks doesn't require you join anything. All you have to do with them is agree to their terms of use. Like at other Starbucks, ATT provides their Wi-Fi connectivity. Signal strength wise, it was good. Sadly, their signal doesn't carry very far so, you must be in the Starbucks or right next to it to use it.
Between using the mall's Wi-Fi and Starbucks, I found I preferred Starbucks Wi-Fi as it was more reliable and has fewer hassles. Also, I suspect you won't have to deal with as many people using the bandwidth. Happy surfing all!
However, there is an alternative. The Mall in Columbia has a Starbucks located in the C section of the mall next to the entrance (close to Sears) on the upper level. Starbucks doesn't require you join anything. All you have to do with them is agree to their terms of use. Like at other Starbucks, ATT provides their Wi-Fi connectivity. Signal strength wise, it was good. Sadly, their signal doesn't carry very far so, you must be in the Starbucks or right next to it to use it.
Between using the mall's Wi-Fi and Starbucks, I found I preferred Starbucks Wi-Fi as it was more reliable and has fewer hassles. Also, I suspect you won't have to deal with as many people using the bandwidth. Happy surfing all!
Saturday, February 01, 2014
Laurel Sam's Club Wi-Fi Review
I don't know if all Sam's Clubs offer free Wi-Fi. I checked their website and, they don't say anything about the service. I do know that their club in Laurel, Maryland offers free Wi-Fi. This past Wednesday, I finally got to test it out using my Nook e-reader. ATT provides their Wi-Fi connectivity. You click on the ATT signal and, it gets you an Internet Protocol (IP) address. Then, you have to call up a webpage that shows the address of the Sam's Club and, you have to check that you agree to their terms for using their free Wi-Fi. Once you do that, it connects you.
I found the signal at this Sam's Club to be excellent. I had no problems surfing the web or posting on my Facebook page. I consider this service a big plus over Costco which definitely doesn't offer free Wi-Fi at their stores. I plan to visit other Sam's Clubs in Maryland to see if they offer free Wi-Fi as well. Stay tuned for more updates on that.
I found the signal at this Sam's Club to be excellent. I had no problems surfing the web or posting on my Facebook page. I consider this service a big plus over Costco which definitely doesn't offer free Wi-Fi at their stores. I plan to visit other Sam's Clubs in Maryland to see if they offer free Wi-Fi as well. Stay tuned for more updates on that.
Monday, January 20, 2014
Arundel Mills Mall Wi-Fi Review
After spending a nice 3 hours in Baltimore's Inner Harbor, I decided to ride my TMAX to the Arundel Mills Mall in Hanover, Maryland. I wanted to put some more tokens on my Dave & Buster's power card only to find out once I got there, I'd forgotten the thing. :-( My 2nd objective there was to test the mall's FREE Wi-Fi. I found out from the mall's website www.simon.com/mall/arundel-mills that it offers free Wi-Fi though they warn you that you'll have to agree to their terms and conditions (standard for free Wi-Fi). As I didn't have a problem with their terms and conditions, I gamely tried to connect at the Arundel Mills Mall. On the list of Wi-Fi signals, you click on Simon WiFi. I did that, my Nook e-reader tried to find me an IP address and, I promptly started getting Wi-Fi errors. Uh oh! Shades of the Starbucks at the Trump Boardwalk Hotel. I decided to move around the mall to see if that would help and, it helped in that the log-in page came up. It asked for my first and last names and either an email address or cell phone number. It claimed this information was mandatory in order to hook up. The company that runs the mall would use your email address to send you emails telling you of specials at the mall as well as new stores. If you supplied your cell phone number, they'd text about such things. I filled in the information and tried to connect and repeatedly got errors where I had to go back and try sending the information AGAIN. After the 3rd try, I noticed a little further down was a box you could check that would get you out of the emails or text messages. I checked the box as I wasn't feeling generous with the mall after all the problems I was having connecting to their Wi-Fi.
Eventually, I did get the service to work though I suspect I spent at least 15 minutes or more repeatedly trying to connect. During the whole process, I would receive at least 2 more Wi-Fi errors. Once I did connect, the connection was sufficiently fast. I will give the mall at little slack as I wonder if part of the problem was a number of people using their free Wi-Fi. The mall was packed today I suspect because it being Martin Luther King Day. I'll have to test the mall's Wi-Fi another day when there aren't such large crowds.
For now, I can't rave about this mall's free Wi-Fi. I had a real job trying to get it to work. If you wanted an easier free Wi-Fi connection, the Arundel Mills Boulevard McDonald's I reviewed was close by. It was definitely easier to use than the mall's Wi-Fi. Still, you can put this mall on your list of places that do offer legitimate free Wi-Fi. Happy surfing all!
Update February 17, 2014: I tried connecting to the Arundel Mills Mall free Wi-Fi and, I had problems again. I definitely wouldn't recommend their Wi-Fi. Also, while I was at the mall, I tried the free Wi-Fi at their Books-a-Million store. Their Wi-Fi worked great. However, Books-a-Million has apparently instituted a policy where if you don't belong to their Millionaire's Club, you have to pay a small fee to use their Wi-Fi. Club members get to use their Wi-Fi for free. As I'm a member, this isn't a problem for me but, it could be for others.
Eventually, I did get the service to work though I suspect I spent at least 15 minutes or more repeatedly trying to connect. During the whole process, I would receive at least 2 more Wi-Fi errors. Once I did connect, the connection was sufficiently fast. I will give the mall at little slack as I wonder if part of the problem was a number of people using their free Wi-Fi. The mall was packed today I suspect because it being Martin Luther King Day. I'll have to test the mall's Wi-Fi another day when there aren't such large crowds.
For now, I can't rave about this mall's free Wi-Fi. I had a real job trying to get it to work. If you wanted an easier free Wi-Fi connection, the Arundel Mills Boulevard McDonald's I reviewed was close by. It was definitely easier to use than the mall's Wi-Fi. Still, you can put this mall on your list of places that do offer legitimate free Wi-Fi. Happy surfing all!
Update February 17, 2014: I tried connecting to the Arundel Mills Mall free Wi-Fi and, I had problems again. I definitely wouldn't recommend their Wi-Fi. Also, while I was at the mall, I tried the free Wi-Fi at their Books-a-Million store. Their Wi-Fi worked great. However, Books-a-Million has apparently instituted a policy where if you don't belong to their Millionaire's Club, you have to pay a small fee to use their Wi-Fi. Club members get to use their Wi-Fi for free. As I'm a member, this isn't a problem for me but, it could be for others.
Inner Harbor Barnes & Noble Wi-Fi Review
After I had a nice lunch at the Baltimore Hard Rock Cafe, I walked next door to the Barnes & Noble located at 601 East Pratt Street in the Inner Harbor. The store is located in a former power station. The store has retained some of the huge piping and wooden floors from the former power station giving the store a nice character. In terms of Wi-Fi, once you press to connect to B&N under the Wi-Fi signals, a disclaimer may pop up. I don't remember if one did. I do remember I had fewer hassles hooking up to their Wi-Fi then I had when I tried to connect to the Wi-Fi at the Starbucks I tested in Columbia, Maryland. If you have a Nook e-reader like I do, the store will offer you free reading for up to 1 hour of a number of e-books. I didn't try it out so, I don't know how well it works or how vast the selection is. The store offers drinks for sale which can be nice while your surfing the web.
Overall, I was very pleased with this store. It was easy to connect to their Wi-Fi and, I had no serious hassles (see my review about Arundel Mills Mall). This is definitely an easy place to hook up to the web if you're in Baltimore's Inner Harbor. Happy surfing all!
Overall, I was very pleased with this store. It was easy to connect to their Wi-Fi and, I had no serious hassles (see my review about Arundel Mills Mall). This is definitely an easy place to hook up to the web if you're in Baltimore's Inner Harbor. Happy surfing all!
Sunday, January 05, 2014
Arundel Mills Boulevard McDonald's Wi-Fi Review
As my readers know, I was a bit irked when I found out the Wi-Fi at the Benson Drive McDonald's in Columbia, Maryland was down. I really wanted to try McDonald's free Wi-Fi and see if it's any good. So, today, I made a visit to the McDonald's at 7053 Arundel Mills Boulevard in Hanover, Maryland just to try out their Wi-Fi.
I didn't see any markings on the building saying anything about Wi-Fi at this McDonald's. Maybe, they assume people will know about it. After I placed my order at the counter, I found a seat and turned on my Nook e-reader. I found this McDonald's uses AT&T Corp (ATT) for its Wi-Fi service (just like Starbucks). I don't know if that's true throughout the entire United States. The ATT Wi-Fi signal came in strong and, I had no problems getting an Internet Protocol (IP) address. When I clicked on a browser window, McDonald's page came up where I had to agree to their conditions as far using their Wi-Fi service. Once passed that, I was free to check my emails and surf the web.
I found the connection speed plenty fast though I can't post any numbers as far as bytes per second. I didn't do any extensive testing but, McDonald's free Wi-Fi should be fast enough for those doing normal surfing and checking of emails.
Overall, I was very pleased with McDonald's free Wi-Fi. I would definitely recommend it. Plus, according to their website, it is available in over 11,000 McDonald's restaurants. I'll definitely be putting McDonald's on my list of places to try when I want to use Wi-Fi to surf the web. Happy web surfing all!
I didn't see any markings on the building saying anything about Wi-Fi at this McDonald's. Maybe, they assume people will know about it. After I placed my order at the counter, I found a seat and turned on my Nook e-reader. I found this McDonald's uses AT&T Corp (ATT) for its Wi-Fi service (just like Starbucks). I don't know if that's true throughout the entire United States. The ATT Wi-Fi signal came in strong and, I had no problems getting an Internet Protocol (IP) address. When I clicked on a browser window, McDonald's page came up where I had to agree to their conditions as far using their Wi-Fi service. Once passed that, I was free to check my emails and surf the web.
I found the connection speed plenty fast though I can't post any numbers as far as bytes per second. I didn't do any extensive testing but, McDonald's free Wi-Fi should be fast enough for those doing normal surfing and checking of emails.
Overall, I was very pleased with McDonald's free Wi-Fi. I would definitely recommend it. Plus, according to their website, it is available in over 11,000 McDonald's restaurants. I'll definitely be putting McDonald's on my list of places to try when I want to use Wi-Fi to surf the web. Happy web surfing all!
Wednesday, January 01, 2014
Extended Stay Hotel Jessup Maryland Wi-Fi Review
One of the things Extended Stay America brags about is its FREE Wi-Fi. It is a noteworthy service considering what I've seen some places can charge to hook up to the Internet. I remember one Hyatt hotel in New York City I stayed at years ago that charged 50 cents a minute to hook up to the Internet.
At the Extended Stay hotels, they do have FREE Wi-Fi though they also offer a Wi-Fi service you have to pay for. What's the difference? Connection speed. The FREE Wi-Fi is what they call Wi-Fi Lite. Speed wise, it averages about 85 kilobytes per second (source: speed observed by me when I downloaded some map updates for my Global Positioning System (GPS) device). Their pay Wi-Fi service which I think they call high speed Wi-Fi costs up to $20 a month. The price depends on how long you want the service. I think they offer it for an hour, a day and a month (I use the month option). Connection speed wise, it does live up to its claim that it's 2 and 1/2 faster than their Wi-Fi Lite. I observed connection speeds of 235 kilobytes per second with it sometimes being faster than that.
Signal wise, they offer a very good signal which is pretty strong. To my surprise, I've even been able to pick up the signal in the hotel parking lot with my Nook e-reader. To those who might be tempted to try to get some FREE Wi-Fi this way, you have to have a password given to you when you check into your room at the reception desk in order to connect.
Another item of note. Each device you use to connect will be given it's own Internet Protocol (IP) address. You can use multiple devices to hook up to the Wi-Fi in your room HOWEVER, you will have to use the password the first time to log in on Each device. If you pay for the faster Wi-Fi, that will be good only for the device you pay for it on. It doesn't switch over to other devices you may use as I've found out from personal experience. If you want the faster service for a 2nd or 3rd device, you'll have to pay the charges for EACH device.
The faster service can be helpful if you're going to download some big files like GPS map updates or Windows operating system updates.
Overall, I've found the free Wi-Fi at Extended Stay America hotels (I've stayed at 2) to be a very nice service. It isn't free as you have to stay at the properties to be able to use it BUT, it can save you money or hassle (you don't have to go in search of a free Wi-Fi hotspot). I've been very pleased with it. Happy Internet surfing all!
At the Extended Stay hotels, they do have FREE Wi-Fi though they also offer a Wi-Fi service you have to pay for. What's the difference? Connection speed. The FREE Wi-Fi is what they call Wi-Fi Lite. Speed wise, it averages about 85 kilobytes per second (source: speed observed by me when I downloaded some map updates for my Global Positioning System (GPS) device). Their pay Wi-Fi service which I think they call high speed Wi-Fi costs up to $20 a month. The price depends on how long you want the service. I think they offer it for an hour, a day and a month (I use the month option). Connection speed wise, it does live up to its claim that it's 2 and 1/2 faster than their Wi-Fi Lite. I observed connection speeds of 235 kilobytes per second with it sometimes being faster than that.
Signal wise, they offer a very good signal which is pretty strong. To my surprise, I've even been able to pick up the signal in the hotel parking lot with my Nook e-reader. To those who might be tempted to try to get some FREE Wi-Fi this way, you have to have a password given to you when you check into your room at the reception desk in order to connect.
Another item of note. Each device you use to connect will be given it's own Internet Protocol (IP) address. You can use multiple devices to hook up to the Wi-Fi in your room HOWEVER, you will have to use the password the first time to log in on Each device. If you pay for the faster Wi-Fi, that will be good only for the device you pay for it on. It doesn't switch over to other devices you may use as I've found out from personal experience. If you want the faster service for a 2nd or 3rd device, you'll have to pay the charges for EACH device.
The faster service can be helpful if you're going to download some big files like GPS map updates or Windows operating system updates.
Overall, I've found the free Wi-Fi at Extended Stay America hotels (I've stayed at 2) to be a very nice service. It isn't free as you have to stay at the properties to be able to use it BUT, it can save you money or hassle (you don't have to go in search of a free Wi-Fi hotspot). I've been very pleased with it. Happy Internet surfing all!
Snowden River Starbuck Wi-Fi Review
The second place I decided to check Wi-Fi wise today was the Snowden River Starbucks located at 7090 Deepage Drive in Columbia, Maryland.
The Starbucks there is your standard Starbucks. It offers good parking, the standard Starbucks menu and FREE Wi-Fi (it isn't always free as I found out when I used it in Nassau, Bahamas, see my review on that). The Wi-Fi is provided by ATT. When you click on it, it says there is a log-in which threw me initially. However, I persevered and found out there isn't any password you need. You click on a button that takes you to an ad provided by the sponsor of the Wi-Fi which you can skip if you wish. Once you're past the ad, you're in. The Wi-Fi has good connectivity though I can't tell you what the connection speed is there. I didn't try to access any video to if it could handle that. I posted on my Facebook page and checked emails on my Nook e-reader and, it worked fine.
The only thing I could knock about the place was I wasn't wiped out by their peppermint hot chocolate venti I bought. I don't know what milk they used if they used any but, it wasn't very good though it did have a noticeable mint flavor to it. Still, this has nothing to do with the Wi-Fi which was the most important thing to me. Other people like me used it to surf the web and as far as I could see, they weren't having any problems either. This Starbucks did seem to be pretty popular as they were doing a good bit of business today. Happy web surfing all!
The Starbucks there is your standard Starbucks. It offers good parking, the standard Starbucks menu and FREE Wi-Fi (it isn't always free as I found out when I used it in Nassau, Bahamas, see my review on that). The Wi-Fi is provided by ATT. When you click on it, it says there is a log-in which threw me initially. However, I persevered and found out there isn't any password you need. You click on a button that takes you to an ad provided by the sponsor of the Wi-Fi which you can skip if you wish. Once you're past the ad, you're in. The Wi-Fi has good connectivity though I can't tell you what the connection speed is there. I didn't try to access any video to if it could handle that. I posted on my Facebook page and checked emails on my Nook e-reader and, it worked fine.
The only thing I could knock about the place was I wasn't wiped out by their peppermint hot chocolate venti I bought. I don't know what milk they used if they used any but, it wasn't very good though it did have a noticeable mint flavor to it. Still, this has nothing to do with the Wi-Fi which was the most important thing to me. Other people like me used it to surf the web and as far as I could see, they weren't having any problems either. This Starbucks did seem to be pretty popular as they were doing a good bit of business today. Happy web surfing all!
Benson Drive Columbia Maryland McDonald's Wi-Fi Review
Note to all: I specified Benson Drive in the title because there are 4 McDonald's Restaurants in Columbia, Maryland.
According to the McDonald's website, there are over 11,000 McDonald's restaurants that offer FREE WiFi. I had to pick the one who's WiFi was down. I'd never tested the WiFi at a McDonald's and, I wanted to see if there were any problems with it. The Wi-Fi at the 8305 Benson Drive McDonald's in Columbia, Maryland definitely has problems at the time of this post. The restaurant was reportedly recently remodeled. As far as I could tell, this was true and, they did a very nice job of it. However, according to the person who took my order there, while doing the remodeling, they cut 3 of the wires that helped run the WiFi at the restaurant knocking it out. I tested it with my Nook e-reader and found that I could pick up a very strong signal however, I got repeated WiFi errors if I tried to get an Internet Protocol (IP) address. So, for now, there isn't any WiFi at this restaurant. I plan to check back at the place in about a month or so and see if they get it fixed. Stay tuned for an update.
Update June 1st, 2014: My apologies to my readers for taking so long to get back to this McDonald's to test its WiFi. I finally made it there today. I found out the WiFi is working there though it seems to have some kind of problem. I kept getting WiFi errors saying no Internet connection even though I had an Internet connection that worked i.e. could post stuff on Facebook, check emails, etc. Go figure. So, you may get WiFi errors but, you will be able to connect to the Internet here. Happy Internet surfing all!
According to the McDonald's website, there are over 11,000 McDonald's restaurants that offer FREE WiFi. I had to pick the one who's WiFi was down. I'd never tested the WiFi at a McDonald's and, I wanted to see if there were any problems with it. The Wi-Fi at the 8305 Benson Drive McDonald's in Columbia, Maryland definitely has problems at the time of this post. The restaurant was reportedly recently remodeled. As far as I could tell, this was true and, they did a very nice job of it. However, according to the person who took my order there, while doing the remodeling, they cut 3 of the wires that helped run the WiFi at the restaurant knocking it out. I tested it with my Nook e-reader and found that I could pick up a very strong signal however, I got repeated WiFi errors if I tried to get an Internet Protocol (IP) address. So, for now, there isn't any WiFi at this restaurant. I plan to check back at the place in about a month or so and see if they get it fixed. Stay tuned for an update.
Update June 1st, 2014: My apologies to my readers for taking so long to get back to this McDonald's to test its WiFi. I finally made it there today. I found out the WiFi is working there though it seems to have some kind of problem. I kept getting WiFi errors saying no Internet connection even though I had an Internet connection that worked i.e. could post stuff on Facebook, check emails, etc. Go figure. So, you may get WiFi errors but, you will be able to connect to the Internet here. Happy Internet surfing all!
Monday, December 02, 2013
Starbucks Trump Plaza Boardwalk Wi-Fi Review
Yesterday, I drove to Philadelphia and Atlantic City so, I could visit the Hard Rock Cafe's there. I wanted to get them added to my Hard Rock travel map and get closer to earning my first reward for visiting so many different cafe's. You get the first one when you visit 10 different cafe's.
While in both cities, I visited Starbucks so I could use their free Wi-Fi to post updates on my travels on Facebook. For me, the biggest reason I visit Starbucks is because of the free Wi-Fi. I have to use Wi-Fi to access the Internet when I use my Nook e-reader. Accessing the Internet this way is way easier than carrying my laptop around. I use a Sprint USB modem I own to access the Internet on my laptop.
I thought all Starbucks shops offered free Wi-Fi barring the small ones in airports as I found out in the Miami airport. To my surprise, the one in Trump Taj Mahal doesn't have Wi-Fi (according to the lady who was working behind the counter). So, I went in search of another Starbucks. I figured there had to be another one some where in Atlantic City.
To my delight, I found another Starbucks at the Trump Plaza Boardwalk. They confirmed they have free Wi-Fi. I tried connecting and, it requested a password. They told me the password is starbucks (makes sense). I entered the password and, my nook e-reader waited and waited and waited and waited for an IP address that never came. I asked the folks there what might be the problem. First, they said try turning the Wi-Fi off and on. It didn't help. Then, they suggested I completely shutdown my e-reader and bring it up. That caused me to get constant Wi-Fi errors stating that the network was overloaded and, I couldn't connect. The people at the Starbucks assured me their Wi-Fi worked but, I was never able to connect there. Later, a saleslady at the Under Armour Outlet store said she'd had the same problem. As luck would have it, there is a Starbucks at 120 North Michigan Ave which is less than a block from the Under Armour store. I tried to connect to their Wi-Fi and, my e-reader connected immediately. Also, I didn't have any problems connecting to the Starbucks Wi-Fi at the Philadelphia shop on 12th and Maple (I believe that's the address) I visited. Because I didn't have any problems elsewhere and the lady at Under Armour experienced the same problem, I have to believe there is some kind of problem with the Wi-Fi at the Trump Plaza Boardwalk. I definitely wouldn't recommend the place because of this.
Note: there are Starbucks located at the Showboat, Caesar's, Golden Nugget, The Borgata, Tropicana Casino and Resort and Tropicana Marketplace which MAY offer Wi-Fi. As I didn't know about these other locations, I didn't visit them to try them and see if they offer or how well the Wi-Fi works at these places.
While in both cities, I visited Starbucks so I could use their free Wi-Fi to post updates on my travels on Facebook. For me, the biggest reason I visit Starbucks is because of the free Wi-Fi. I have to use Wi-Fi to access the Internet when I use my Nook e-reader. Accessing the Internet this way is way easier than carrying my laptop around. I use a Sprint USB modem I own to access the Internet on my laptop.
I thought all Starbucks shops offered free Wi-Fi barring the small ones in airports as I found out in the Miami airport. To my surprise, the one in Trump Taj Mahal doesn't have Wi-Fi (according to the lady who was working behind the counter). So, I went in search of another Starbucks. I figured there had to be another one some where in Atlantic City.
To my delight, I found another Starbucks at the Trump Plaza Boardwalk. They confirmed they have free Wi-Fi. I tried connecting and, it requested a password. They told me the password is starbucks (makes sense). I entered the password and, my nook e-reader waited and waited and waited and waited for an IP address that never came. I asked the folks there what might be the problem. First, they said try turning the Wi-Fi off and on. It didn't help. Then, they suggested I completely shutdown my e-reader and bring it up. That caused me to get constant Wi-Fi errors stating that the network was overloaded and, I couldn't connect. The people at the Starbucks assured me their Wi-Fi worked but, I was never able to connect there. Later, a saleslady at the Under Armour Outlet store said she'd had the same problem. As luck would have it, there is a Starbucks at 120 North Michigan Ave which is less than a block from the Under Armour store. I tried to connect to their Wi-Fi and, my e-reader connected immediately. Also, I didn't have any problems connecting to the Starbucks Wi-Fi at the Philadelphia shop on 12th and Maple (I believe that's the address) I visited. Because I didn't have any problems elsewhere and the lady at Under Armour experienced the same problem, I have to believe there is some kind of problem with the Wi-Fi at the Trump Plaza Boardwalk. I definitely wouldn't recommend the place because of this.
Note: there are Starbucks located at the Showboat, Caesar's, Golden Nugget, The Borgata, Tropicana Casino and Resort and Tropicana Marketplace which MAY offer Wi-Fi. As I didn't know about these other locations, I didn't visit them to try them and see if they offer or how well the Wi-Fi works at these places.
Monday, October 07, 2013
Columbia Maryland Wegmans Wi-Fi
I found another reason to like the Columbia, Maryland Wegmans supermarket. They offer fine free Wi-Fi there. I checked their website before going there with my Nook e-reader and, it says they offer it. I hooked up in their dining area. I don't know if the Wi-Fi signal is available throughout the entire store. Their dining area was a pleasant area to enjoy a little meal, snack or drink while checking your emails or posting something on Facebook. It's another reason (like I need them) to visit this Wegmans which has good prices and service. Happy surfing all!
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