Google Cooking Up App That Will Auto-Log You Into Wi-Fi

How come they need to create an app to do this? the optimum wifi access points auto login to all their wifi access points when you set it up on first connect. How does cablevision do it ?

It's to automate those browser-based authentication sessions using Boingo, Starbucks, or similar services. Not sure, does Cablevision install software? Haven't used those hotspots so I can't say.

You sign into a webpage on first connect to the network. you select the remember me checkmark box and assign a name to your device. Then after that any optimumwifi access point will automatically connect you.

Wait you mean this app bypasses the WiFi password and just simply log you on to any password protected network automatically???

My company uses iPass, which allows me to use hotspots around the world, but it operates like a VPN. You have to fire up iPass first, let it negotiate the connection and then you can use any other app.

This sounds a little less complicated, but also less capable. Sort of like a proxy server - useful for browser sessions only.

Better tracking of users, I'm sure their NSA friends will be happy with this new feature.

McDonalds offers 'attwifi'/'Wayport Access' at virtually every restaurant although it does require browser based authentication.

A logon takes less than a minute as its been working properly for years.

If they really wanted to be helpful they'd offer/create a vpn service so people can't sniff your packets on unencrypted wifi access points.

and then people would suggest that Google is sniffing the traffic anyways.

i actually like wifi the way it has worked from the beginning. i look around for an open hotspot and than consciously make a decision to log in or not. wifi has been a good counter weight against the paid commercial services offered by cellular carriers. i want to see it kept that way and not turned into a commercial money maker operated and controlled by big corporations just like cellular.

honestly it would be a good thing for the FCC to prohibit unlicensed spectrum from being used for commercial services. give us free unlicensed spectrum we can use in our home and anyone can use to deploy a free hotspot but carriers/operators should be paying for there spectrum.

Unlicensed means anyone can use but you must work together if you are interfering with one another.

If licensed spectrum could only be used for this, new radios would have to be installed at all the hotspots and in all of our devices. Just like what happens on the top of a cell tower and our current devices.

802.11 a,b,g,n, and ac work because it is free and primarily used for small networks. And all of our devices already have those radios in them.

my real objection is that profit making carriers(and yes google is becoming a carrier appear to be taking over a technology that was once for people to use in there own homes or often small business would use to offer free service to there guests/customers. wifi in smartphones was great as a way to break free from the carriers offerings. lately carriers are trying to takeover control of this feature which is still often used to 'bypass' them. i don't like it. i want wifi as a back door alternative to carriers not a part of the subscription offering

Is it really free if it's part of your cell or cable package?