Things You'll Need:
- Wireless router
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Step 1
Find out if your local Internet provider is offering municipal WiFi in your San Francisco neighborhood. Most providers will have this information available on their website, or just call and talk to a representative. Many local Internet providers in San Francisco are now offering municipal WiFi in your area--just ask and find out how to sign up.
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Step 2
Log on to EarthLink (see Resources below). EarthLink and Google are jointly responsible for maintaining municipal WiFi in San Francisco. EarthLink has tons of information available on their website about how municipal WiFi works and they could help you find out if it is available in your area.
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Step 3
Get on campus. Most of the local schools and universities have free WiFi on campus for students and guests. Just find a bench on campus or check in to the library at UCSF, San Francisco State University or one of the other local colleges or schools.
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Step 4
Log onto Wifinder (see Resources below). This website has a list of all the WiFi hotspots in your San Francisco area. You can log on to private WiFi networks at your favorite coffee shops, restaurants and stores while you are away from your local municipal WiFi network.
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Step 5
If municipal WiFi is not available in your area, check out some of the community wireless networks started by Meraki (see Resources below). Meraki (a startup by Google) provides a new kind of network that involves individual cooperative members sharing their bandwidth rather than a central service. It has become the dominant wireless community network in San Francisco.
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Step 6
Call your city department and ask what the plans are for installing municipal Wi-Fi in your neighborhood. Ask for the provider details, the coverage area, and sign up details. If there are no existing plans for WiFi in your area, just put in a request.
