Computer Talk

Jack in the Box Wi-Fi Spotted in Thousand Oaks, CA

RAD Moose, June 16, 2008

Thanks for the article about JITB WiFi.

The JITB in Thousand Oaks has the Ripple TV WiFi enabled. I am writing to you via a JackWiFi connection.

JITB #261
484 N. Moorpark Road
Thousand Oaks, CA  91360
(805) 495-7874

No customer usable plugs (they are on walls that are across walkways).

I will let you know about any more that I find.

I was kinda surprised that they didn't promote this on their site that is why I was searching when I was in the JITB in Thousand Oaks.

There were a few articles, but your site was on the google page and I thought you might have a list =)

Thanks again for the information!

Re: Jack in the Box Wi-Fi Spotted in Thousand Oaks, CA

Jeff (Editor), June 20, 2008

Thanks so much for the tip. I added it to the location list.

It seems like most Jack Wi-Fi locations are found south of Oxnard. That make sense with JBOX HQ'ed in San Diego and Ripple in El Segundo.

Yes, Knowzy broke the story about free Jack in the Box Wi-Fi just before Valentine's Day this year. To date, Jack in the Box has only issued one public statement about it.

It may be too early for a full promotion blitz but you would think they would at least mention it somewhere on their web site, perhaps with a list of locations. Knowzy is currently the top result on Google for terms like "Jack in the Box Wi-Fi." The Jack in the Box web site doesn't even appear in the top 100 results.

I think I'll follow up with the companies again on the 6 month anniversary of the story. Maybe they'll be more willing to talk this time. All three companies (Jack in the Box, Ripple and Sputnik) declined to comment before I published the story.

Once again, thanks for sharing your find. Knowzy's readers thank you too!

Why Would Anyone Pay for McDonald's Wi-Fi? Stealing is Cheaper.

Harry, June 30, 2008

McD's wireless is a friggin' joke. Why charge for something when, in most areas, all you have to do is go into the parking lot and log into a close by hotel or coffee shop.

They really need to get on the bandwagon. It's already a multi-billion dollar company so why charge???

And finding a plug in the restaurant??? Forget it!!!

Re: Why Would Anyone Pay for McDonald's Wi-Fi? Stealing is Cheaper.

Jeff (Editor), July 2, 2008

It's hard to deny that McDonald's paid Internet access stands out more each day in contrast to other free Wi-Fi locations. Even Starbucks is free these days as long as you make one purchase per month.

While you can find free Wi-Fi all over the place, McDonald's is still the only coast-to-coast fast food chain (officially) offering Wi-Fi. As long as Taco Bell, Burger King, Wendy's and other national fast food chains aren't serving up Wi-Fi, McDonald's isn't under serious pressure to go free.

Sure, you can lurk in the parking lot outside a free hotspot location. But there are several problems with that:

• Illegal "Borrowing" Wi-Fi from someone else without permission is a misdemeanor and people have been prosecuted for it. While I don't want to use Knowzy to condone illegal activity, I'd be lying if I said I hadn't done this myself. This week.
• Poor signal When the Wi-Fi signal must travel through the store's wall and then through your engine block, the connection is often unreliable.
• Wrath of the barista Coffee shops are often sensitive to people mooching off their free Wi-Fi. They are very social and outgoing group who have no qualms about calling BS when they see it. If you're a laptop screen is above your steering wheel, don't be surprised if one of them goes out to your car.
• Uncomfortable I don't know about you, but when I sit down for some Wi-Fi, it's usually a half hour minimum. If my laptop is on my passenger seat, my neck gets sore from looking right. If I rest it on my steering wheel, my arms are cramped and I sometimes accidentally blow my horn.

I would gladly pay $2.95 to avoid the issues above (though I don't need to since I get McDonald's Wi-Fi free with my AT&T account).

In my own town, I know all the local restaurants with free Wi-Fi and I usually visit them over McDonald's. I suspect anyone averse to paying for Wi-Fi can develop a similar "home town advantage" and support those shops offering a valuable service for free.

DIY Hotspot at Camarillo, CA Jack in the Box

RAD Moose, July 10, 2008

I am in Camarillo today and was just randomly looking for WiFi. Knowing that the Motel 6 here has WiFi. (They charge $2.95/day for guests.)

I didn't notice the small black and white "Free WiFi" signs in the front or side windows of the Jack In the Box across the street, but my computer picked up the signal.

It is completely open, no sign-in or PIN needed. It is run on a Covad connection.

Below is information about the connection, location and owners.

Hope this is helpful.

Sincerely,

R. Moose

SSID:
"Jack In The Box (FREE WiFi)"
IP Address:
Not published
Reverse DNS:
Not published
Hardware:
Sonic Wall

I found a table with a outlet (which is better than the Thousand Oaks location).

Jack In The Box #3259
1650 Daily Dr
Camarillo, CA  93010
(805) 484-9443

Operated by Herrick Foods, Inc.

Note: They also operate the Qdoba in Westlake Village where I wrote to you last time. (Qdoba is a JITB company). Independently owned and operated as a franchise of Jack In The Box, Inc.

Re: DIY Hotspot at Camarillo, CA Jack in the Box

Jeff (Editor), July 12, 2008

The Moose strikes again! Thanks for the location and for going above and beyond by getting the info on the franchisee.

It looks like I have some homework to do: Herrick Foods owns seven JITB's. With your tip, that makes two out of seven locations known to feature free Wi-Fi (not to mention the Qdoba). What do you want to bet that the other five are serving up Wi-Fi as well?

As I told you privately last time, the Do-It-Yourself (DIY) hotspot locations are a part of the Jack Wi-Fi story that needs expanding upon.

When you look at the Wi-Fi location list, you'll see "1" footnotes next to a number restaurants. These are franchise stores that set up their own wireless access point, independent of the corporate initiative.

Some of these franchises got the free Wi-Fi idea years before their corporate antenna ball-headed masters. The Azusa, CA franchise has been listed in the Wi-Fi FreeSpot directory since 2005, according to the Internet Archive.

The Camarillo location (and probably the rest of Herricks Food's locations) appear to have been professionally installed, unlike many independent coffee shops and other DIY hotspots. I say this because you mentioned SonicWALL, which is enterprise grade equipment starting at $250 and climbing as high as $7,200 on Amazon. This is not the kind of wireless gear a consumer would normally encounter!

As always, much gratitude for sharing your insights. Thanks to you, the list has one more location today and up to five more once I get in touch with the Herricks'.