THE Lowly Peon

For-Pay wireless networks 
06 December 2009, 4:03pm

We've all used them. And we all hate them. Those darn* networks that broadcast that they're open, and then redirect you to a site to pay money. And the hoops you need to jump through make me wish I could tether my laptop to my iphone's network connection.

I just spent over forty minutes trying to log on to this hotel's wireless network. Of course, like so many other hotels, they boast that they provide wireless Internet. When I first got here, I quickly found out it's not free, and it's certainly not cheap.

Depending on the package I get, I can either pay 2 rupees per minute (which is about $2.50/hr), 120 rupees for 12 hours, or 200 rupees for 24 hours. I got the 24 hours and told them to charge it to my room.

Apparently, it's far from that simple.

They gave me a bunch of cards — one for each day — and told me to simply follow the instructions. I did. I may not be a genius, but something like this should not require me to be one.

First, I had to verify something. This requires entering the card serial and the password (a scratch off thing). Then I need to enter my mobile phone number. But of course, my two US and one Chinese numbers all don't work, even though they say it will work in either of those countries. So I needed to borrow the hotelier's mobile. It then sent an SMS text to his phone, which I had to enter. Then I had to enter my email and name. Then I had to, again, enter the card serial and password. And then, at last, I could go on the Internet.

For about ten minutes. Then I had to enter the card and password again.

For 24 hours. Then I had to bother the guy to use his mobile again, and go through the whole ten or so minute process.

Except tonight was particularly annoying. I suppose it could be that my browser has saved all of the existing passwords and got confused. Or it could be that it's simply easier to hack stuff than to be honest.

Tonight, after the first two or three steps, the network would disconnect me and I had to start over. It took several attempts, with this guy being patient but annoyed, looking over my shoulder. After a while I gave up. I wrote down all the passwords and went to my room to try it, prepared to eat the card and just you my — shudder — blackberry.

I finally got it to work. And I'm using it to post this.