Free wireless while travelling?

Question

While deep in Mexico, in a private home, I found my laptop would automatically go on line with my wireless, using any of two or three wireless external (not via modem) providers whose names meant nothing to me. What, if anything, will I be billed for this? How can they tell who's gaining access? If this is free, how do these "open access" companies get their income? Thanks!

Answer 1

Hi,
I don't know in Mexico, but I can talk of Canada! To my knowledge, there is no such company providing free wireless internet. So, to your question how they earn their incomes, there is no way to make money by giving free access internet without having contrats with people or at least trying to sell them something while they surf!
When you found a free wireless connection it is most probably one of the following;
- An unsecured private network
- A commercial free network paid by owner as a customer service like an Internet Coffee, University, etc.
- Or a public access gived by a non-lucrative organism like a school.
If one of your neightboor have an Internet access, or an Internet coffee, and that they do not set any securty on their wireless router, their internet connection could be simply used by anyone in the wireless range. You could not be charged unless you have a login and password or a contract stating this.
It look to me that you probably use the internet connection of one of your neightboor. Until he realize that someone else is using its connection and set a security, you will probably still have access to it.