I’m in Oxford, nicely ensconced in as 15th century stone tower, but having great difficulty finding a reliable, easy-to-access wireless signal, so connection is intermittent and usually when I’m trying to have breakfast.
Eduroam is pretty widespread in/near university buildings. Tends to bleed into nearby cafes and so on. If UMM gave you an account you’re in luck.
duncanboothsays
Alternatively The Cloud will give you free access in or near lots of pubs and cafes (you have to sign up before the first use but it does work and in most locations it is free). Or buy a local SIM card for your phone (assuming you have a suitable phone that supports tethering).
hillaryrettigsays
madtom1999 beat me to it. :-(
cartomancersays
The King’s Arms on the corner of Parks Road, Broad Street and Holywell Street definitely has free Wifi. Though it’s one of the more expensive pubs in the city, given its prime location. They do nice food though – or at least they did a few years back before I left the city.
Or you could just use 15th century technology and round up a gang of peasant children to carry messages for you. That’s what I used to do…
Of course every McDonald’s over there has WiFi…I think. And it’s free apart from, you know, having to visit a McDonald’s. :-(
katybesays
Costa coffee shops also generally do free wifi, without the need to hand over money to McDonalds, and there’s bound to be several branches in Oxford.
bassmikesays
My University has a ‘Guest’ WIFI system that allows visitors to access the internet. However, the campus is not made up of 15th Century buildings, so it way be easier to provide coverage here.
duncanboothsays
I think we have three main public Wifi networks. BT-Fon is free only for BT customers (though some venues using it may also offer free wifi); O2 Wifi is free (registration required) and is the network used by Costa and McDonalds and many others; The Cloud is also free (registration required) and is the network used by Pret-a-manger, Eat, Ask, WHSmith and so on. Pubs and cafes that don’t run their own wifi generally use one of these three.
Both of these have dozens of hotspots within the Oxford city centre so pick a venue go along and sign up. If you want to try bookshops then Blackwells bookshop cafe is The Cloud, Waterstones cafe I think is now running their own free wifi rather than one of the networks.
blfsays
[I’m] having great difficulty finding a reliable, easy-to-access wireless signal
And this is a problem because……… ?
twas brillig (stevem)says
Starbucks is everywhere! and they all have free wifi! Totes true! All spelled out in that documentary, “The World’s End”, by Simon Pegg (in England even). He even verbifies it: “starbucking”. Starbucks would be totes important in a college town, just follow the crowds of undergrads.
They had wireless in the 15thC but stone buildings and damp thatch put paid to it.
Eduroam is pretty widespread in/near university buildings. Tends to bleed into nearby cafes and so on. If UMM gave you an account you’re in luck.
Alternatively The Cloud will give you free access in or near lots of pubs and cafes (you have to sign up before the first use but it does work and in most locations it is free). Or buy a local SIM card for your phone (assuming you have a suitable phone that supports tethering).
madtom1999 beat me to it. :-(
The King’s Arms on the corner of Parks Road, Broad Street and Holywell Street definitely has free Wifi. Though it’s one of the more expensive pubs in the city, given its prime location. They do nice food though – or at least they did a few years back before I left the city.
Or you could just use 15th century technology and round up a gang of peasant children to carry messages for you. That’s what I used to do…
Of course every McDonald’s over there has WiFi…I think. And it’s free apart from, you know, having to visit a McDonald’s. :-(
Costa coffee shops also generally do free wifi, without the need to hand over money to McDonalds, and there’s bound to be several branches in Oxford.
My University has a ‘Guest’ WIFI system that allows visitors to access the internet. However, the campus is not made up of 15th Century buildings, so it way be easier to provide coverage here.
I think we have three main public Wifi networks. BT-Fon is free only for BT customers (though some venues using it may also offer free wifi); O2 Wifi is free (registration required) and is the network used by Costa and McDonalds and many others; The Cloud is also free (registration required) and is the network used by Pret-a-manger, Eat, Ask, WHSmith and so on. Pubs and cafes that don’t run their own wifi generally use one of these three.
The Cloud hotspots: http://www.hotspotfinder.thecloud.net/
O2 Wifi hotspots: https://www.o2wifi.co.uk/hotspot
Both of these have dozens of hotspots within the Oxford city centre so pick a venue go along and sign up. If you want to try bookshops then Blackwells bookshop cafe is The Cloud, Waterstones cafe I think is now running their own free wifi rather than one of the networks.
And this is a problem because……… ?
Starbucks is everywhere! and they all have free wifi! Totes true! All spelled out in that documentary, “The World’s End”, by Simon Pegg (in England even). He even verbifies it: “starbucking”. Starbucks would be totes important in a college town, just follow the crowds of
undergrads.