I was in Dallas a few weeks ago for a few sales call, and I met my sales guy in local McDonalds parking lot. I needed to jump online real quick (still can’t get a broadband card OK’ed), and I noticed that the McDonalds had a AT&T WiFi sign on their front window. I decided to try it since I have AT&T broadband at home, and I’ll be darned if it didn’t work. Had a nice sign on page where I could input my broadband user name and password. Very nice.
Of course, there are not a whole, whole lot of Micky Dee’s that have WiFi. So I usually find myself in a Panera Bread because, unlike Starbucks, they have free WiFi. However, Panera’s are not near as prevalent as Starbucks, which often leaves me in a quandry (in my not-so-humble opinion, Starbucks should pay for my Internet access if I buy a coffee and a scone – believe me, I very rarely leave a Starbucks without at least having a tall non-fat no-whip mocha).
But a few months ago I heard that AT&T was getting in on the action at Starbucks as well, and they supposedly were offering free WiFi to AT&T broadband customers. SWEET. So I went to few Starbucks over the last few weeks, but I never saw an AT&T WiFi sign. Oh well. I figured it was taking them a while to get it all in.
Well, being the dumba&& that I sometimes am, I never just tried to see if they had it going by simply connecting to wireless and seeing if I saw an SSID out there. So a couple of weeks ago I decided to give it a go. And there was not an AT&T SSID anywhere. Dang! Oh well, I guess I’ll have to wait some more.
But I really needed to get on the Internet (I had a proposal that was due, and I was about to be on the road for 4 hours), so I hooked up and prepared to shell out some money to T-Mobile. And then, what did I see up in the top right-hand corner of the T-Mobile page (kinda small and inconspicuous, BTW)? There was a AT&T Broadband image that beckoned me. I clicked, signed on (just like McD’s), and I was on. OH HAPPY DAY!!
Now, I have not tried this at any other Starbucks yet, but my assumption is that it was not just this little Starbucks in Ennis, TX (25 miles south of Dallas on I-45). So I am happy. Now I can go to Starbucks, buy my mocha, and then surf to my heart’s content.
Vet
