FON_ wifi

CIMG1493.JPG
Originally uploaded by kippster.

I'm wondering if this is the proper configuration for a network -- I'm pretty sure the interference is better if you stack all 3 routers together, right?

So I received my $5 (actually something like $13) Linksys router from FON today (it's the one on top with the cool sticker). It's a standard Linksys WRT54GS router with the special FON firmware pre-installed.

Just a couple of details from my 15 minutes of installation:

- SSID: FON_linksys
- Channel: 6

The router was shipped from FON US INC, 1001 Technology Way, LIbertyvill, IL 60048.

I have earned nothing as yet, but I'll be watching closely. I also found out you can change your splash screen, even sending incoming users to a different web site.

I also updated my SSID, but it hasn't updated my router just yet...We should be able to see how many FON routers are out there, it appears that you can't change the FON_ prefix on the SSID...in fact, it appears that we only have 34 FON APs in our database right now. There are several other self named fon aps, these are likely named by somebody who downloaded and installed the firmware on their own box, but that's just a guess.

Right now, we are showing .0003% of the access points are FON, however the frequency of them is beginning to increase.

I'll keep playing with it and see what it looks like as somebody else..


UPDATE: Using the wife's computer, I connected to the FON network (after I rebooted the router, it now shows up as FON_kippster). The modified splash screen shows up whereby I can navigate to the one URL that I was able to specify in the FON interface. This provides some information to a user, even if they don't have/want a FON account. I had given my wife a guest account, so using that infromation, I logged in and was able to surf enough to verify that it really does work.

I was unable to view any other network resources once connected to the FON network, which is a good thing!