Milwaukee vs. GR
I think it's a natural response to compare the places you visit with your home. "Oh cool, we don't have one of those back home" you think, or "this place reminds me of my favorite place to eat." I think that same urge to compare is amplified the more a place reminds you of where you come from. Milwaukee, Wisconsin reminds me a lot of Grand Rapids. It's a bit bigger, slightly more progressive, and has a lot more college students in the downtown area. It has loads more coffee houses, cool architecture, and it sits right on Lake Michigan. In most every way I would have to say Milwaukee wins the prize for cooler city. That is until you want an Internet connection.
I've searched high and low and and I can't find one open network. Even the library, although incredibly beautiful, let me down. To post this to my site at the Milwaukee Public Library I had to visit four desks, show my ID twice, pay $2 (for a week of access - which I probably wont even use), and agree to use only their incredibly out-dated HP computers. The browser is unconscionably out of date, the chairs are uncomfortable, and the florescent lights are depressing.
Off the top of my head I can think of at least four different places that I can hook my laptop up to a high-speed network in Grand Rapids for free, including our library. All of these locations have both 802.11 Wireless connections as well as Ethernet. How can a city as hip as Milwaukee be that far behind Grand Rapids? Well, if anyone wants to prove me wrong please do! I'll be here for a few more days and I have to come back in a couple months. I'd love to know of places I can get a connection.
no1son@superdeluxo.com
http://www.superdeluxo.com
blue dawg coffee shop on farwell has free access. then you can use their cards and use them at Brewd's network on Brady. and plus i have a friend who has his own. mb we should hang out. as long as you're a mac guy. : )
no1son
3 June
Tuesday
Samuel
http://samuel.bowles.es/
Well, I'll have to check that out this morning.
4 June
Wednesday
Samuel Mikel Bowles
http://samuel.bowles.es/
Semi-free internet access in Milwaukee.
Ok, so Blue Dawg's system is interesting. If you walk in you'll note a large sign reading "Wireless Access from WEBbeams now being served" with an SSID for their wirless network. I've actually seen this in quite a few places around Milwaukee. The trouble is if you open your laptop and try to visit any website it asks you for your credit card number to continue. What it doesn't tell you is that if you go up the counter and ask for an "Access Card" they'll give you a card with a "credit card number" on it that you can use to get access.
It says on the card that it's good for a $10 credit which by my calculations should last about an hour and a half. I'm not sure yet if you can ask for another card, use the same one, or what if you want to continue but I'm sure I'll find out.
Oh, I should also note that the address for Blue Dawg Bagels is: 441 N Farwell Ave, Milwaukee, WI 53202 (mapquest). I'm not sure how other web beam enabled shops work at this point (i.e. do they give out cards as well).
4 June
Wednesday
chris
http://www.christineplamann.com/
Or just plug into your friend's neighbors wireless network.
4 June
Wednesday
mark
According to this article, the City of Milwaukee is setting up wireless access in two parks downtown.
4 June
Wednesday
Samuel Mikel Bowles
http://samuel.bowles.es/
Yes! Thank you Mark & Chris for your hospitality! Dinner was wonderful and the network connection was much appreciated.
4 June
Wednesday
no1son
http://www.superdeluxo.com
yes the card from blue dawg is actually free. the credit card number is fake. blue dawg apparently set it up like that because they wanted free access in their shop.
it is unlimited as far as i know. me and ryan were hanging out playing iConquer and updating software yesterday.
4 June
Wednesday
Samuel Mikel Bowles
http://samuel.bowles.es/
The card I was given wasn't unlimited (unfortunately). It ran out in about an hour and a half as expected. However the barista did give me another, no questions asked.
4 June
Wednesday
drew
http://www.cyberdorks.com/drew/
thanks for the blue dawg tip!
anyone been able to connect in the parks yet?
16 June
Monday