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zub3qin

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Apr 10, 2007
1,314
2
Not sure if it is a glitch or not but for the first time my ipad connected to wifi for free in starbucks. No logging into to AT&T wifi or having to pay. Just like my iPhone does.

Anyone else noticing this?
 
Are the Starbucks wifi hotspots maintained by ATT? Because I believe that Wifi hotspots from ATT are supposed to be free for iPad 3G subscribers so could they be mistakenly thinking you are one of those people even though the 3G isn't out?
 
Are the Starbucks wifi hotspots maintained by ATT? Because I believe that Wifi hotspots from ATT are supposed to be free for iPad 3G subscribers so could they be mistakenly thinking you are one of those people even though the 3G isn't out?

I would have to agree with your thought. That makes the most sense.
 
Nope, they tried to make me pay or buy a card yesterday.

Try today- I think the AT&T wifi hotspots are thinking iPad is the same as iPad 3G. Actually, will the network even know the difference between an iPad and iPad 3G? I know they can detect an iPhone which is why my iPhone gets free wifi but my Macbook doesn't. But maybe an iPad is an iPad is an iPad as far as the AT&T wifi service is concerned. Maybe whatever identifier that is being sent from an iPad doesn't differentiate iPad 3G from Wifi.


Does anyone know if an iPod touch gets free wifi in Starbucks?
 
Makes sense to me that an ipad the network would see as just an ipad with do difference between the wifi and the 3g. I'l l try mine tomorrow :)
 
I was in star bucks yesterday and it was free for me. It connected thru AT&T with no problems.
 
Hmm, this would be nice if true. I spent some time trying to figure out how to do their card thing but apparently I was too dumb. I'm usually in starbcuks about once a week with Mom, so i'll keep an eye on this thread and try again next Saturday.
 
That would be cool, but I bet it's a glitch and only meant for iPad 3Gs. The iPod touch doesn't get free access. It'd be awesome if this were really the case though!
 
I have seen it login for free as well as prompt me for my ATT credentials. I believe their network is confusing the ipad for the iPhone (which gets 30 free mins at any Starbucks).
 
I have seen it login for free as well as prompt me for my ATT credentials. I believe their network is confusing the ipad for the iPhone (which gets 30 free mins at any Starbucks).

iPhone gets 2 hours free....

I know that there is a hardware "signature" of sorts that gets sent out from a device.
This is how those rumor sites always tall us that an iPad (before it was released) was noted to be visiting a particular website, based upon some sort of logs.
Or how we know Steve Jobs is sending an email from an iPhone 3GS running OS 3.1 or whatever it is.

What exactly is this signature, and can anyone confirm that the one coming from iPad says just iPad, or does it say iPad Wifi?

If it is saying just iPad, then I suspect Starbucks and AT&T cannot tell the difference between an iPad and iPad 3G and we will be able to surf for free.

Anyway, what if you had a microSIM from some other company like Tmobile, not AT&T. I don't think the AT&T router at Starbucks would know. Yet you would be getting free wifi even though you aren't an AT&T customer.
 
I have seen it login for free as well as prompt me for my ATT credentials. I believe their network is confusing the ipad for the iPhone (which gets 30 free mins at any Starbucks).

Actually, the iPhone gets unlimited free wifi access at Starbucks.
 
Not sure if it is a glitch or not but for the first time my ipad connected to wifi for free in starbucks. No logging into to AT&T wifi or having to pay. Just like my iPhone does.

Anyone else noticing this?
I have, but I just assumed that the iPad was remembering my credentials and connecting me again - just as it does when I go back home and it re-joins my home network.
 
Because it run iPhone OS, maybe it gets free wifi like the iPhone does at Starbucks? Just a thought.
 
Because it run iPhone OS, maybe it gets free wifi like the iPhone does at Starbucks? Just a thought.

That's not it. For the last 2 weeks, iPad did not register at Starbucks any differently than a PC or Macbook.
Only today it started.
 
Because it run iPhone OS, maybe it gets free wifi like the iPhone does at Starbucks? Just a thought.

I used my iPad at a Starbucks the other day and it made me log in using my AT&T Wifi account. Not a big deal as you get 2 free hours with a registered Starbucks card.
 
Not only has my wifi only iPad not gotten wifi for free, I find their card system to be incredibly annoying. I had money on the starbucks card today and used it for coffee. Then I tried to log in for the AT&T wifi. It just kept saying my login was rejected. Not that my password was wrong, just that my login was rejected. And an 800 number I could call. I get that they don't want people to sit around all day taking up tables and not buying anything, but this is fn ridiculous. I can get on the wifi easier at chick fil a.
 
Not only has my wifi only iPad not gotten wifi for free, I find their card system to be incredibly annoying. I had money on the starbucks card today and used it for coffee. Then I tried to log in for the AT&T wifi. It just kept saying my login was rejected. Not that my password was wrong, just that my login was rejected. And an 800 number I could call. I get that they don't want people to sit around all day taking up tables and not buying anything, but this is fn ridiculous. I can get on the wifi easier at chick fil a.

That is a glitch on their end. I am at a Starbucks now, and it took me forever to get online. It kept rejecting my account, until it said it was going to lock my account. At that point it asked for my email address, when I did I validated and it let me online without ever logging in.


Posted from my iPad
 
Try today- I think the AT&T wifi hotspots are thinking iPad is the same as iPad 3G. Actually, will the network even know the difference between an iPad and iPad 3G? I know they can detect an iPhone which is why my iPhone gets free wifi but my Macbook doesn't. But maybe an iPad is an iPad is an iPad as far as the AT&T wifi service is concerned. Maybe whatever identifier that is being sent from an iPad doesn't differentiate iPad 3G from Wifi.


Does anyone know if an iPod touch gets free wifi in Starbucks?

It probably recognizes iPhone OS.
 
It probably recognizes iPhone OS.

I wonder if setting atomic browser to identify as safari iPhone would circumvent this whole issue. I'm not a big star bucks fan but my mom enjoys going there when we go out on Saturdays.

And thAnks jaymysterio, at least it wasn't just me.
 
it was still free for me at a starbucks yesterday. I actually went there to disable my AT&T wifi account too :-/
 
it was still free for me at a starbucks yesterday. I actually went there to disable my AT&T wifi account too :-/

For folks that have been there previously and authenticated, the authentication information is remembered for subsequent visits.

If you recall when you first connected, you got the Wi-Fi login screen as a webpage overlay with only a cancel button at the top right - this is part of that feature that authenticates for you automatically.
 
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