Finding Free Wi-Fi: The Eternal Quest of the Mobile Worker

You call yourself a Road Warrior, a Virtual Worker or an On-the-go Employee. You have all the mobile gadgets you need, from a laptop to a smartphone to a shiny new tablet. You’ve even signed up for the best cloud storage service you can find so you have access to all your documents and files no matter where you are – if you have Internet access, that is. And, for today’s mobile worker, finding that access, especially in the form of free Wi-Fi connectivity, is like finding an oasis in the desert or at least locating a carry-on bag that actually fits neatly in the overhead bin. But with these tips and tricks, you can turn your Road Warrior status to 11 by finding free Wi-Fi as easily as you locate your mileage rewards card.

1. There’s an app for that: Of course there is an app for finding free Wi-Fi. So why don’t you have it? Check out the Wi-Fi Finder by jiwire for iPhone or Android (News - Alert). It works online and offline, anywhere in the world, and can find all the Wi-FI hotspots near you, helping you locate over 500,000 free and paid Wi-Fi hostpots. It can give you the results in map or list form, let you filter the results and even give you details about each choice, so you can find the best free Wi-Fi hotspot.
2. When in doubt, try the Web: There are several great websites out there that can direct you toward free Wi-Fi hotspots no matter where you are. WeFi (News - Alert).com is a community made up of millions of users who continually update the site with information on how to find free Wi-Fi. Another great choice is free-hotspot.com which stores a list of places that have free Wi-Fi. Enter your zip code and get a results in one click!
3. Know your best bets no matter where you are: It’s always good to have a back-up plan if you are stuck and knowing some places that consistently provide free Wi-Fi is always a good idea. Local libraries are always a good choice, since they are nice and quiet and a good place to work. But if you can’t find a library, you should think about heading to one of the ubiquitous chains that offer free Wi-Fi. Starbucks is a great choice if you don’t mind nursing an overpriced drink while you are there. Who knows, you might luck out and get a seat on the couch. And over 11,500 McDonald’s locations across the world offer free Wi-Fi. The company website lets you search for the closest Golden Arches with this capability. Other common spots for free Wi-Fi are Ben & Jerry’s, Barnes & Noble and many hotels and RV parks.

So, whether you are grabbing a Big Mac, using your new app or taking advantage of an online community of fellow workers looking for free Wi-Fi, make sure you have a plan when you hit the road. Otherwise, you might be the only Road Warrior who can’t merge onto the Information Superhighway.