Starbucks wi-fi shouldn’t be this complicated
I had some downtime this morning between appointments so I decided to swing by a nearby Starbucks to enjoy a latte and write this blog post. The original topic of this blog post was not supposed to be about Starbucks and their wireless Internet access but circumstances forced me to change the topic.
It all started when I tried to connect my laptop to Starbucks' wireless Internet. I was able to connect to the wireless network ok but got stuck when trying to get past the proxy page. The proxy page is the web page that displays automatically any time you open your Internet browser. It will continue to display no matter what you try to do until the company presenting the page allows you to pass by it.
This is how Starbucks prevents people from "stealing" their wireless Internet access (no free lunch at Starbucks). This type of proxy page is not all that uncommon. Hotels use it all of the time to make sure their free wireless Internet access is only used by hotel guests (not people sitting in their car in the parking lot). Usually, you just enter a code given to you by the company providing the wireless Internet access on the proxy page, click a button and you're in.
Free, not easy, Internet access
If you frequent Starbucks yourself you may know that you can either pay for wireless Internet access or "earn" it through a variety of options. One such option is to register a Starbucks card. This is the option I thought I was going to use. I say thought because it flat out didn't work. Apparently I hadn't used my registered Starbucks card in the last 30 days so it was no longer valid for Internet access. Never mind the fact that I had just used it 2 minutes earlier to buy my coffee.
It's at this point I remembered that iPhone users are also entitled to free wireless Internet access at Starbucks. Since I have an iPhone I figured this was my ticket in. Wrong again. Apparently, iPhone users can only get free wireless Internet access on their iPhone, not on any other device.
Frustrated beyond belief, I finally got up and walked out and headed straight to the Bean Cup, my favorite local coffee house. 15 seconds later I had my laptop connected to their free wireless network.
I'll give you one guess where I was when I posted this blog post to the Noobie web site.
14 comments for this blog post so far...
April 23, 2009 at 1:11 pm
y0mbo
Don’t tell me you walked into @thebeancup with a Starkbucks cup in hand. That would have been really tacky!
April 23, 2009 at 1:44 pm
Patric Welch
@y0mbo: No, luckily it look me long enough to try to figure out Starbucks’ wi-fi that I finished my coffee.
April 24, 2009 at 5:24 am
asudduth
wow that does sound complicated.
The only times I’ve ever used Starbucks WiFi (and I have without issue) I had an AT&T;username/password. Type it in and you’re on. Guess I should clarify that is the username and password you get from a DSL or UVerse internet account… not an AT&T;Cell account.
I’m also sure it would have taken your Visa card very easily, right? Based on my brief experience and yours combined it sounds like they just don’t want you to have it for free! hopefully Starbucks reads this and sends you a free latte to try to encourage you to come back… or perhaps others will read this and say “Starbucks? No thanks… Lets go to the Bean Cup!” :)
April 24, 2009 at 12:07 pm
Patric Welch
@asudduth: I guess I just don’t understand why it isn’t free. Perhaps they are worried too many people will loiter and not buy anything. But I still say they could make it free, make you enter a code which then lets you on for 2 hours or whatever.
April 24, 2009 at 12:14 pm
asudduth
@Patric Good idea. On your cup there should be a code or something that is good for x hours once activated. (Also still allowing AT&T;customers to use it for free also.)
April 24, 2009 at 2:05 pm
y0mbo
I’ve always been very aware of my time at a coffee shop, and try to buy something every few hours if I’m there for a long time.
Starbucks actually loses money on me, because there’s only so much I can limp along on without internet access. So I always leave after 1 cup.
April 24, 2009 at 2:45 pm
Patric Welch
@asudduth: OMG, I love that idea. Wi-fi codes on every coffee cup!!
April 24, 2009 at 2:46 pm
Patric Welch
@y0mbo: And I thought I was the only one that tried to maintain a positive “coffee purchase to Internet use” ratio. :)
April 28, 2009 at 6:18 am
Ken
To me the wi-fi should be free to all customers at starbucks, mcdonalds or wherever they offer it. When I go and visit my son, the hotel offers wi-fi service and I use it, its already set in my pc for when I visit again I dont have to set it up. There are more cities going wi-fi and its free. I can sit in the parking lot at my library or go in and use it for free. Make it free people, these big companies can afford it .
April 28, 2009 at 7:59 am
Patric Welch
@Ken: I couldn’t agree more.
April 28, 2009 at 8:03 am
asudduth
@ken @Patric the thing you said is “free to all customers” and there IS a difference between free for ALL (passerby with a laptop) and a customer (someone who just ordered a Grande Caramel Macchiato and a lowfat blueberry muffin). I agree with the free part, however from a business perspetive I also see wanting to limit it to customers… Otherwise they could have a full parking lot of people and no one buying anything. (Not that I see it happening, but I understand)
April 28, 2009 at 8:08 am
Patric Welch
@asudduth: I think that *most* people have enough ethics not to go sit in a coffee shop using the free wi-fi without buying anything. Sure, there will be some people that abuse it but for the most part, I think people will buy something every few hours. If not, we’ll just go back to your coffee cup code idea!
April 28, 2009 at 8:08 am
Audrey
I live in a college town and see students on computers all of the time. I had no idea you had to pay to use their internet.
I was overseas visiting my daughter. We traveled the country and she brought her laptop. They don’t have Starbucks there, but they have a chain called Aroma. All of the hotel owners tell you to come to the lobby with your laptops and connect to Aroma from the lobby. The hotels don’t offer free connections, just instructions to connect to Aroma LOL.
April 28, 2009 at 3:55 pm
bnpositive
I’m an ATT U-verse customer and getting access to SBUX wi-fi is very easy in my opinion. I’ve never had to worry about trying to use another SBUX card or certificate for access. I like the codes on cups idea. I’m not sure many people would abuse it if it were completely free, but I think it would be abused. The question remains how to maintain that balance.
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