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What is your success rate using this method (of X numbers of days away)? It certainly won't be a Free.fr or SFR network.
I haven't a clue ! We don't keep numbers! I'd say approximately 50/50 depending on whether the aire is a village or town one or, less likely, out in the middle of no-where.
Basically we arrive at an aire or campsite and decide if we need or want to go online. If it is urgent then the computer comes out with attached dongle, if not then, during the course of either of us using our Kindles, we check out the locally available wifi. We don't-ever- use unlocked wifi nodes. We can usually identify the locked-but-free-with-password ones ( clues like name of village or town or camping) and we will then go out- if we want to use them- to wherever we can get the password: maire, office de tourisme, local shop etc. We then come home and set up the computer. We don't ask anyone unless we have seen a network first and we don't use ones that we have no permission to use !
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There is often Wifi available free at Supermarkets, Tourist Offices and so forth but for a Kindle to pick it up from inside your van, in an aire potentially out of the town centre sounds very strange and not something I've ever come across.
Indeed there is. French villages and towns are -justly- proud of their local networks and have been building them for many years. I suggest you try again next time you're on an aire; I think you'll be pleasantly surprised.
I think Addie is perhaps like us when away in the van, we tend to steer clear of towns, campsites and built up areas in general. I, like him marvelled at your claims of network availability as whenever we stop I do check for available connections and invariably find none (free) so resort to my Orange fr dongle.
I guess it depends on the places you like to stop over at, we prefer the more away from it places so are content to suffer a lack of free access.
You will notice that most discoverable access here is password protected as SFR, Orange etc hubs have default password protection, so not so easy to piggy back on private networks, although I note you would never resort to such action
______________________________________________________________ John
I think Addie is perhaps like us when away in the van, we tend to steer clear of towns, campsites and built up areas in general.
We do indeed tend to use aires that are within walking distance of towns, villages and cities because we go there to see them and eat and shop locally. The concentration of aires is around villages, town and cities in the main in France as they are a means of bringing trade to the area.
Pretty well all the access we see is password protected but, if it is nationally installed and locally run for the community- as is the case in almost all villages, towns and cities, then the password is freely available even to transients like us.
We have had to give our details; name, home address, passport details etc and have been told that this is a French government regulation " for security reasons". In some out-of-town hypermarkets like Auchan, Leclerc etc this is not always the case but not invariably so. Some of these might be private networks however so presumably can make up their own rules, unlike those provided by the state.
My experience has been similar to that of Addie and Eurajohn.
We spend a couple of months travelling through France each year and sitting here thinking about it I can only remember once having been able to connect to an open network.
My experience has been similar to that of Addie and Eurajohn.
We spend a couple of months travelling through France each year and sitting here thinking about it I can only remember once having been able to connect to an open network.
It's odd how experiences vary, Alan.
I think Grizzly says she uses 'secured' networks (as she doesn't use 'open / unsecured' ones like we do) but is able to obtain the WEP/WPA access key by asking around.
This is in contrast to the regular login home screen asking for a username / password usually used for hotspots. I've not come across any locked network names (SSID's) that would fit this bill and although we were only in France for a week we have our Wifi gear running all the time on our Laptop as we drive through towns etc.
We used 'open' Muncipal Wifi a LOT in Greece / Eastern Europe but not yet come across it in France. Its strange that these networks are secured via network security rather than a open network with a locked homescreen which would inform users about the network / how to log on and so forth.
We spend a couple of months travelling through France each year and sitting here thinking about it I can only remember once having been able to connect to an open network.
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We don't connect to an open network; ever. .The networks we connect to are always locked and need a password to connect.
Do you ever stay at Kaysersburg ? Marboue ? Calais ? Metz aire, Forges les Eaux (when the campsite is open and/or network switched on)
I think Grizzly says she uses 'secured' networks (as she doesn't use 'open / unsecured' ones like we do) but is able to obtain the WEP/WPA access key by asking around.
Correct.
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and although we were only in France for a week we have our Wifi gear running all the time on our Laptop as we drive through towns etc.
Addie, I wonder if you're not picking them up because you are in the van ? This is why the Kindle is such a handy wifi-network-spotter and, though I don't have one, presumably a smartphone with wifi network detector would do the same .
Sometimes networks are very clear and appear on the computer or Kindle in the van- Metz for example. Sometimes simply opening the van door and standing there with Kindle or laptop will bring them in. I do find the Kindle better at network detection than the computer. We have an extension lead for the laptop dongle in the van as well as my homemade signal amplifier ( metal folding colander) and opening the roof vent or door and putting the business end out onto the top of the van will do wonders !
Sometimes- Kaysersburg for example- it depends where on the aire you park. In the line with your back to the village is fine but across from there or in the coach park is not.
We've also used hotels- with their permission- in Greece and Italy and roadside bars in Spain are always useful- again, I would not ever simply go into a network without permission.
Where I am sitting at the moment I can get 3 secured and one unsecured network, all belonging to neighbours, on my Kindle ( ours is switched off). If I do downstairs, to the back of the house, I can't get anything and struggle with a 3G signal to get my newspaper. It is very directional and, when looking for such municipal networks in the van you do have to be prepared to open doors etc !
In Italy the aires owned by regional motorhome associations ( where they store and service their vans often) are very accommodating. We like these as some have the full Monty van washes as well. Even if the network is not locked, as for example in Modena, we ask the caretaker if it will be OK for us to use. This seems only polite.
On the one occasion I did connect to an open network in France we were parked on an aire beside the Mayors office. We stayed there Friday and Saturday nights. The network was from that office, there was no one to ask but as it was open and could be accessed from the aire it seemed reasonable to assume that was deliberate don't you think, Alan.
On the one occasion I did connect to an open network in France we were parked on an aire beside the Mayors office. We stayed there Friday and Saturday nights. The network was from that office, there was no one to ask but as it was open and could be accessed from the aire it seemed reasonable to assume that was deliberate don't you think, Alan.
Indeed yes, if you can be sure it is from the maire then this is fine. Most of the time however I find the ident - if that is what it is called- does not make it clear so it could be from a private house, hotel, restaurant, bar or other places. If it is called- for example: Camping4321- then this is clear. If it is called Charlie then it is not clear ! In our experience those who name municipal networks are often quite creative.
I'm not criticising your use of open networks Alan ! I'm only reporting on our experience in finding usable wifi access in Europe and suggesting to others that it is there but does- in our experience anyway-need a password which is freely given. Often it is an opportunity for a chat when you have to go and find the network source, a chance to learn about the town, a little puffery at their foresight in providing such a network and so on.
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