Free (and Not So Free) Wi-Fi at McDonald's

Your independent and complete guide to McDonald's Wi-Fi.

The Wi-Fi isn't free at most US McDonald's. However, nearly 10 percent of US households can log on without paying. Most AT&T DSL and fiber optic subscriptions include McDonald's Wi-Fi at no extra charge.

Apple iPhone owners may soon get free Wi-Fi at AT&T hotspots, including McDonald's.

For the rest of America, McDonald's wireless Internet is cheaper than most hotspot networks and is sometimes free. But finding the best deal can be tricky. Choices range from single sessions to various monthly subscriptions, free Wi-Fi coupons to franchises giving it away free. It helps to have a guide.

McDonald's began offering its customers Wi-Fi in 2003, making it a pioneer among its competitors. Five years later, nearly two-thirds of its locations feature it and McDonald's is still the only big fast food chain offering company-wide wireless Internet. But not for long.

Jack in the Box is rolling out free wireless at its stores. Carl's Jr. and Del Taco say they are considering free Wi-Fi too. Independent franchises have been setting up their own hotspots for years. McDonald's has Wi-Fi competition and most of it is free.

How do you log on free as an AT&T customer? How else can you connect? What kinds of problems might you encounter on McDonald's Wi-Fi network? What happened to free Wi-Fi for Nintendo DS users?

Let Knowzy guide you through the maze of Free (and Not So Free) Wi-Fi at McDonald's.

 

Contents

• Highlights of McDonald's Wireless
• Connecting to McDonald's Wi-Fi Network
• McDonald's Wi-Fi Sign-In Options
• Downsides to McDonald's Wi-Fi
• Subscription Plan Comparison
• Nintendo DS Wi-Fi No Longer Free at McDonald's
• Talk About It

 

 

Highlights of McDonald's Wireless

Nearly two-thirds of US McDonald's locations are Wi-Fi-enabled. Unless you're out in the boonies, inside a Wal-Mart or visiting a hold-out franchise, you're likely to find wireless Internet at the next McDonald's you visit.

Here's an overview of the McDonald's Wi-Fi experience:

• Pricing:
  • Free to AT&T DSL Customers
  • Nintendo DS no longer free
  • Ask cashier about free Wi-Fi coupons!
  • $2.95 for two hours
  • Subscriptions from $7.95 to $84.95 per month
  • Some franchises don't charge
• Fast: High-speed broadband Internet connection.
• Sign-In Options: An abundance of choices. A few are free.
• Pervasive: 9,300 of 14,000 of US McDonald's offer Wi-Fi.
• No Porn Filter: Parents beware. Teenagers be good.
• Consistent: Wireless network name is always "Wayport_Access"
• Pioneer: First fast food chain to roll out Wi-Fi.

 

 

Connecting to McDonald's Wi-Fi Network

As you enter the McDonald's Wi-Fi zone, your laptop or other Wi-Fi-capable device will detect a wireless network. Follow the prompts to connect to the "Wayport_Access" network (see Windows screenshot).

Once connected, call up any web page. Instead of visiting that page, your web browser pulls up the McDonald's Wi-Fi welcome page.

From here, you need to decide how to you are going to get on the Internet. Select the "Connect" button just below the McDonald's logo for a complete menu of choices.

The next section takes you through these choices, including the possibility of free access to McDonald's Wi-Fi.

 

 

McDonald's Wi-Fi Sign-In Options

The number of ways to connect to the Internet at McDonald's is almost bewildering. Additionally, some franchises work differently and are more generous with their Wi-Fi than the corporate-owned stores.

This section helps you wade through your options: Free, single use and subscription.

With any luck, you won't need to whip out your credit card to get on McDonald's Internet.

 

Free Options

Your free options boil down to this: Be an AT&T DSL or U-Verse subscriber, get a free Wi-Fi coupon, find a generous McDonald's franchise owner or be a AT&T Wireless LaptopConnect customer.

If none of these work for you, the Wi-Fi is gonna cost you. But not very much.

Nintendo DS was once free on McDonald's Wi-Fi. Today, DS users need to choose one of the connection options described in this section.

For a brief time, iPhone customers had free Wi-Fi access at McDonald's. The privilege has been revoked. AT&T declined to comment on both the appearance and disappearance of free iPhone Wi-Fi at AT&T-branded hotspots.

Will iPhone users soon get the same free Wi-Fi benefits as AT&T DSL customers? Only time and AT&T Wireless will tell.

 

AT&T Broadband Subscribers



Log In Free with Your AT&T E-mail Address

Whether you use it or not, AT&T DSL comes with at least one e-mail address. Don't know it? Call tech. support at 1 (877) 722-3755.

Most AT&T DSL and all U-verse subscribers have free reign on McDonald's Wi-Fi network. Only the lowest speed (and lowest price) DSL accounts miss out on the AT&T Wi-Fi access. For the remaining 75% of AT&T broadband subscribers, a "Basic" AT&T Wi-Fi account is included with their service.

If you are a AT&T broadband subscriber, all you need is your AT&T e-mail address and password to log on.

Here's how to connect using your AT&T log in:

1. In the bottom right corner of McDonald's Wi-Fi welcome page, click on the AT&T logo. This takes you to the login page.
2. In the "Username" field, enter the part of your e-mail address before the "@" symbol. For example, if your e-mail address is john.doe@att.net, enter john.doe.
3. Click the "AT&T Domain" field, and find the last part of your e-mail address, past the "@" symbol.
4. Enter your password in the "Password" field and click the "Log in" button. You are now on the Internet.

Don't remember your e-mail address and/or password? Unsure if your DSL account qualifies? Get in touch with AT&T. DSL and U-verse subscribers can call 1 (877) 722-3755 for help.

In addition to McDonald's, your AT&T Wi-Fi account works at many other places, including Starbucks, Barnes & Noble and Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf. See the AT&T Wi-Fi Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) to learn more about your account.

 

Free Wi-Fi Coupons



Enter Coupon Code Here

If you're lucky enough to get a coupon for free Wi-Fi at McDonald's, look for the "Use a Coupon" connection option.

Occasionally McDonald's has a free Wi-Fi promotion. When it does, McDonald's distributes free Wi-Fi coupons good for a two hour Internet session to its restaurants. Often, these coupons sit behind the counter many months after the promotion.

In addition, some restaurants reportedly keep a supply on hand to compete with its free Wi-Fi neighbors. Freelance writer Susan Breidenbach interviewed a McDonald's franchise owner in the Austin, Texas area who instructs his employees to hand out free Wi-Fi coupons to laptop-toting customers.

It's worth asking your cashier if he or she has free Wi-Fi coupons behind the counter. You may get lucky!

 

McDonald's Franchises with Free Wi-Fi

McDonald's franchisees aren't required to install the type of Wi-Fi described here. Among McDonald's franchises, you'll find a mixed-bag of no Wi-Fi, free Wi-Fi and the Wayport-based Wi-Fi that corporate McDonald's use.

Much like the free Wi-Fi coupons, it pays to ask your cashier about their wireless Internet policy when you visit. With persistence and a little luck, you may find an always-free Wi-Fi at a McDonald's near you (and we love hearing about such locations).

85% (about 12,000) of US McDonald's restaurants operate as franchises, according to McDonald's spokeswoman Danya Proud. Those are excellent odds for finding a free Wi-Fi McDonald's.

 

AT&T Wireless LaptopConnect



Have One of These? You Have Free Wi-Fi (Maybe).

AT&T's LaptopConnect subscribers who pay top dollar ($60/mo.) have free Wi-Fi at McDonald's.

If you're an AT&T Wireless LaptopConnect customer and subscribe to the top-tier DataConnect plan at $60 per month, you recently got free Wi-Fi at McDonald's and many more places. Like AT&T DSL subscribers, "Basic" AT&T Wi-Fi is included with your service.

Only a small percentage of AT&T Wireless customers qualify for free McDonald's Wi-Fi. Perhaps this explains why AT&T isn't making a big publicity splash.

McDonald's Wi-Fi is free to LaptopConnect customers who meet these requirements:

• Must have a laptop card or USB device. You must have a device similar to those shown in the photo. This is not a service for SmartPhones. At least not yet.
• Must subscribe to unlimited DataConnect plan. LaptopConnect customers have nine DataConnect choices at different monthly rates. Only the $60 per month, unlimited DataConnect plan includes free AT&T Wi-Fi.
• Windows only. The only way to login for free with your LaptopConnect service is through AT&T's Communication Manager software. It is Windows-only (Windows 2000, XP and Vista, specifically). While Mac users can get LaptopConnect, the Mac software doesn't support the free Wi-Fi login. Linux users, forget about it!
• Wi-Fi capable laptop. Your computer must be Wi-Fi capable. The cards provided by AT&T only pick up cellular phone signals. Most laptops built in the last five years have a Wi-Fi device built-in. If your laptop doesn't have Wi-Fi, it can be added for about $20.

AT&T Wireless plans to offer AT&T Wi-Fi to its SmartPhone customers later this year, according to a leaked internal memo. It's not clear if AT&T SmartPhone customers will need the same $60 plan as LaptopConnect customers. It's also not clear if the iPhone will be eligible.

Logging on at McDonald's is fairly automatic:

1. Make sure your DataConnect card plugged in to your computer.
2. Run AT&T's Communication Manager program. It should discover the McDonald's Wi-Fi network (called "Wayport_Access").
3. When prompted, click "Connect." After a short delay, you are welcomed to the Internet.

AT&T's isn't the only company offering a cellular/Wi-Fi Internet plan that includes McDonald's Wi-Fi. iPass offers a similarly priced plan with more Wi-Fi hotspots and different terms.

 

 

Single Connection and Single Day Options

There are two options for accessing McDonald's Wi-Fi on a given day. One gets you a two-hour connection at McDonald's for $2.95. The other lets you access McDonald's Wi-Fi and many other pay Internet connections (perhaps the one in your hotel room) for $7.95 per day.

Buying a single connection or a day pass only makes sense if:

• One of the free choices isn't an option
• You don't use Internet hotspots more than a few times a month

If you find yourself frequently paying for Wi-Fi hotspots or hotel Internet connections, a subscription may work out better for you. But if you just want to hop on McDonald's Wi-Fi every now and then, a single connection is probably the best deal for you.

 

Wayport Two Hour Connection: $2.95



2 Hours of Internet for $2.95

Just enter your credit card number (it's secure) and you're on the 'net.

The only way to purchase a single Internet session at McDonald's is through Wayport using your credit card.

At $2.95, Wayport's single connection is a good deal among paid Internet hotspots. For example, T-Mobile HotSpot connections (available at Starbucks, Borders and many hotels and airports) are $6 for the first hour and 10 cents a minute thereafter. AT&T connections at Starbucks (where available) are $3.99 for two hours.

However, fast food restaurants seem to be trending toward free Wi-Fi, which may someday make McDonald's paid Wi-Fi less attractive.

Wayport accepts these credit cards: Visa, MasterCard, American Express and Diner's Club. Sorry Discover Card and PayPal users!

Here's how to purchase a single Internet connection through Wayport:

1. On the McDonald's Wi-Fi welcome page, click the "Connect" button below the McDonald's logo. This takes you to the "Connection Options" page.
2. Select "Buy a connection with a credit card."
3. Enter your name and credit card information (don't worry, it's securely encrypted).
4. Click the "Continue" button. After several seconds, Wayport welcomes you to the Internet.

 

Boingo All Day Internet: $7.95



Sign In with Boingo

From the "Roaming Partners" page, select Boingo. Be sure to keep the "boingo/" before your user name!

You may be thinking, "Wayport is $2.95 for two hours. Why would I spend more than 4 hours at McDonald's in a day?"

The answer: Boingo's AsYouGo day pass offers access to more than just McDonald's Wi-Fi. Your day pass may work in your hotel room, at the airport, at coffee houses, even at some Disneyland-adjacent properties like ESPN Zone.

Signing on with Boingo at McDonald's is a little tricky unless you already have a Boingo account. You must call them at 1-800-880-4117 to set up your account. Alternatively, you can set it your Boingo account at another location, such as your hotel room.

The inability for new users to sign up at McDonald's was news to the Boingo customer service representative that Knowzy talked to. Boingo's relationship with McDonald's is only months old and apparently they have some kinks to work out!

Once you have established a Boingo account, you can log on at McDonald's anytime. Each time you log on, your credit card is charged $7.95. Download Boingo's software to make signing on simple and finding the nearest Wi-Fi hotspot easy.

Here's how to log on with a Boingo AsYouGo day pass:

1. Don't yet have a Boingo account? Call 1-800-880-4117 to get one.
2. On the McDonald's Wi-Fi welcome page, click the "Connect" button below the McDonald's logo. This takes you to the "Connection Options" page.
3. Select "Connect with a Roaming Partner."
4. Select "Boingo Wireless" from the Roaming Service Provider page.
5. Enter your Boingo user name and password (you must leave the "boingo/" in front of the user name).
6. Click "I Agree" and Boingo welcomes you to the Internet.

 

Subscription Options

Do you need constant Internet access where ever you go? Several providers offer unlimited Internet access at hotels, airports, coffee shops and restaurants (including, of course, McDonald's). Each plan has its advantages and disadvantages. Prices start at as low as $7.95 per month and go as high as $84.95 per month.

Skip ahead for an in-depth comparison of each company's offerings.

 

Downsides to McDonald's Wi-Fi

There's not much dirt on McDonald's Wi-Fi. After five years of offering its customers wireless Internet powered by hotspot heavyweight Wayport, McDonald's has a mature and smooth-running Wi-Fi network.

Then again, nobody's perfect. Here are the shortcomings Knowzy found. Please write in if you have others to report.

• It's not free (usually)

  McDonald's started offering Wi-Fi in an era when wireless hotspots were less common and free Wi-Fi was even more rare. Today, free Wi-Fi isn't difficult to find. Jack in the Box is rushing free Internet to its restaurants. Even McDonald's Wi-Fi in the UK recently became free. While there are opportunities for free Wi-Fi at McDonald's, in general, you need to pay for it.

• Many sign on choices make picking the best one difficult

  The main "Connection Options" page has six choices. The roaming partner choice leads to four more choices. Which ones will save you money? Are any of them free to you? Your food is getting cold while you try to decide. Luckily you found this guide!

• Must have a web browser

  Your laptop, iPhone, PSP or PDA should work fine. Your Nintendo DS works too with some extra hardware (though not for free anymore). However, some Wi-Fi enabled devices like VoIP phones, digital cameras or Zunes will not work. None of these devices have a web browser to sign on to McDonald's Wi-Fi.

 

 

Subscription Plan Comparison

Four different companies can get you unlimited Internet access at McDonald's (and many other places) for a fee. Plans vary widely in price and locations and services offered. From a mobile phone only plan for $7.95 per month to an $84.95 per month plan that includes global Wi-Fi, dial up and US 3G Internet access.

These plans are suited for people who find themselves paying for Internet access at least a couple times every month. Whether it's coffee shops, hotels, airports or McDonald's, the right plan offers savings for frequent away-from-home Internet users.

Like in real estate, location is very important in picking a plan. The number of locations isn't as important as picking a plan with the right locations. Do you visit Barnes & Nobles or Borders? Do you go to Starbucks or Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf? Different plans cover different stores.

The iPass 3G plans are noteworthy. For an additional $40 per month, they set you up with a laptop card capable of receiving Internet access anywhere you have a cell phone signal.

Keep your on-the-road Internet access charges manageable with a subscription and pop in to McDonald's anytime for a Wi-Fi fix.

 

Wi-Fi Subscription Plans with McDonald's Access

Plan	US Loc.	Intl. Loc.	2 Hr.	Day	Month	Year
Wayport	12,000	0	$2.95		$49.95	$359.40
AT&T Wi-Fi Basic1	10,000+2	0			Varies
AT&T Wi-Fi Premier	10,000+2	71,000			$19.993
Boingo Unlimited	18,065	0		$7.95	$21.95
Boingo Global	18,065	100,000+		$9.95	$39.95
Boingo Mobile	17,315	40,000+			$7.95
iPass North America	20,0004	0			$29.95
iPass Global	20,0004	90,000			$44.95
iPass North America/3G5	20,0004	0			$69.95
iPass Global/3G5	20,0004	90,000			$84.95
Eye-Fi Explore6	12,000	0				$19.007
Notes 1 This plan is only available to AT&T broadband and select AT&T Wireless customers. It is included free with most AT&T DSL and all U-verse plans. $4.99 per month on low-cost DSL plans. 2 AT&T is rolling out Wi-Fi at Starbucks. This number is literally increasing daily. By the end of the year, AT&T claims they will have 17,000 US hotspots. 3 $9.99 per month for AT&T broadband customers. 4 Includes Canada and Mexico (though there are only 5 hotspots in Mexico!) 5 Includes cellular wireless Internet through a laptop card. Get Internet access anywhere you have a cell phone signal. 6 Access to all US Wayport hotspots. Membership is limited to Eye-Fi Explore, a digital camera memory card that automatically uploads photos to flickr and other sites. 7 Wi-Fi hotspot access is free for the first year. $19 per year thereafter.

 

Wayport

Honored at
• McDonald's
• IHOP (Applebee's soon?)
• Hertz Rental Cars
• Nearly two dozen hotel chains
• HealthSouth
• San Jose International Airport
• Austin-Bergstrom International Airport

This company is McDonald's Wi-Fi provider. All other companies listed here (Boingo, AT&T, Nintendo and iPass) must go through Wayport to give their customers access to McDonald's Wi-Fi.

With Wayport essentially owning McDonald's Wi-Fi network, you'd expect them to have the best price for accessing it. And for a single, two hour session at $2.95, they are the cheapest.

However, if you want regular access to McDonald's Wi-Fi, Wayport at $49.95 per month (or $29.95 with a one year contract), is the most expensive option.

Wayport is touts itself as a kind of wholesaler of hotspot locations- allowing companies like Boingo and iPass to resell Internet access to their own customers. As a "neutral host," it's not in their best interest to undercut the prices of their primary customers: The Wi-Fi resellers.

 

AT&T Wi-Fi

Honored at
• McDonald's
• Starbucks (where available, can get Wi-Fi free)
• Barnes & Noble
• Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf
• Raley's and Nob Hill
• Hospitals
• Many Hotels
• Many Airports
• Many State Parks

At $19.99 per month, AT&T's Premier Wi-Fi is the cheapest way to access McDonald's hotspots. This subscription does require a one year contract, though it has a very reasonable $20 Early Termination Fee (ETF).

The Basic version of AT&T Wi-Fi is included with about 75% of all AT&T broadband accounts and a small number of AT&T Wireless accounts. AT&T Wi-Fi Basic includes free McDonald's Wi-Fi.

Only the bottom-of-the-line DSL accounts don't include the Basic plan. If your DSL account account is one of them, you can add AT&T Wi-Fi Basic for $4.99 per month. All U-verse fiber optic broadband accounts include the Basic plan. Call 1 (877) 722-3755 if you're unsure whether your account qualifies.

The difference between the Basic and Premier AT&T Wi-Fi plans are:

• Basic is only available to AT&T broadband subscribers and is typically free.
• Premier offers access to Wi-Fi hotspots across the globe. Basic is US only.
• Premier offers more US hotspots through its roaming partner locations.

AT&T Wi-Fi was formerly known as SBC FreedomLink. Their name changed after gobbling up SBC and other "baby Bells."

 

Boingo

Honored at
• McDonald's
• IHOP
• Barnes & Noble
• Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf
• Avis Rent-a-Car
• Hertz Rental Car
• Raley's and Nob Hill
• Hospitals
• Many Hotels
• Many Airports
• Many State Parks

Boingo is the newcomer to the McDonald's Wi-Fi family. Its selling points are:

• Most hotspots globally (more than 100,000)
• Low-cost mobile-only Wi-Fi plan
• Day passes as well as monthly subscriptions
• Software for finding and connecting to nearest hotspots

Most unique to Boingo is their low-cost mobile phone plan at $7.95 per month. The list of supported phones is small and not all Boingo locations support mobile users. But if it's right for you, Boingo Mobile can save money on your cell phone bill. It saves money on data charges and can save minutes using Voice over IP (VoIP) software such as Skype.

Using Boingo's Wi-Fi software (Windows, Mac and mobile compatible), it's easy to find the nearest hotspot no matter where you are in the world. Once you arrive at the hotspot, this same software makes connecting and logging in simple.

At 100,000 globally Boingo has the most hotspots of any Wi-Fi provider listed here. iPass has a slight edge on Boingo in the US.

 

iPass

Honored at
• McDonald's
• Starbucks (can get Wi-Fi free)
• Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf
• FedEx Kinkos
• Borders
• Barnes & Noble
• IHOP
• Hertz Rental Cars
• Raley's and Nob Hill
• Hospitals
• Many Hotels
• Many Airports
• Many State Parks
• Post Offices and Government Centers

iPass offers more ways to connect to the Internet than simply Wi-Fi and its basic plan covers North America, not just the US. iPass connection options include:

• Wi-Fi: Most locations iPass offer wireless Internet. All McDonald's locations are wireless.
• Ethernet (Network Cable): You may have been to a hotel with a cable showcased on the desk promising Internet access. This is an Ethernet (or "RJ-45") cable and your laptop likely accepts it.
• 3G Mobile Broadband: For an extra $40/month you also get cellular Internet access through a laptop card. This is far more flexible and convenient than searching for the nearest Wi-Fi hotspot. Anywhere you have a cell phone signal, you have Internet. iPass relies on a CDMA network (possibly Sprint's). While the network is available in most cities, rural coverage is spotty. Also note that the mobile Internet comes in two speeds, depending on the area you're in: 1xRTT (roughly twice the speed of dial up) and EVDO (broadband speed).
• Dial Up: When all else fails, iPass has phone numbers all over the world where you can use your modem and a phone line for dial up Internet access. It's not fast, but it's better than no Internet access in a pinch.

Their basic iPass plan is $8 more expensive than Boingo's but has more hotspots and includes Canada and Mexico, not just the US.

 

Eye-Fi Explore

Available in "limited numbers" starting June 9th


23 Photo Sites

Upload camera photos on McDonald's Wi-Fi.

It looks like a ordinary digital camera memory card. However, this SD card has a very unique feature: It has built-in Wi-Fi. And you can use it free on McDonald's Wi-Fi for the first year and $19 per year after that.

With an Eye-Fi Explore card simply turn on your camera at a compatible hotspot and your photos begin automatically uploading to flickr, Facebook or one of the other 21 supported sites.

Eye-Fi Explore is compatible with most digital cameras that use a SD memory card (see photo). The Wi-Fi subscription is honored at all US Wayport Wi-Fi hotspots. The card works on home wireless networks and many free hotspots as well.

The company makes three different Wi-Fi camera cards. Only the top-of-the-line "Explore" card, which retails for $129, has the McDonald's compatible Wi-Fi subscription. Eye-Fi Explore is due to hit stores "in limited numbers" starting the week of June 9th.

The card has no built-in indication of the upload progress. Eye-Fi compensates for this in two ways. First, it can be configured to send a cell phone text message (SMS) or e-mail when the upload starts and completes. Second, if the upload is interrupted, it will continue where it left off the next time it connects to a wireless network.

The Wayport subscription included with Eye-Fi is good only for the card. You cannot share the subscription with your laptop or cell phone.

If you need to get your digital camera photos online quickly and effortlessly, this innovative card fits the bill! And McDonald's Wi-Fi is free for the first year and, at $19 per year, is very reasonable afterward.

 

 

Nintendo DS Wi-Fi No Longer Free at McDonald's

To much fanfare, Nintendo began offering Nintendo DS owners free McDonald's Wi-Fi access on November 14, 2005. When that offer ended two years later, there was dead silence.

Nintendo made no announcement. The press didn't cover it. DS users simply lost the ability to connect and McDonald's and didn't know why.

To clear up this confusion, Knowzy caught up with Dan Lowden, VP of Business Development & Marketing at Wayport, McDonald's Wi-Fi provider. He called the partnership "very successful" while confirming the two-year agreement with Nintendo ended in November 2007. The Orange County Register's Nancy Luna got a similar confirmation from McDonald's.

Other ways of connecting to McDonald's Wi-Fi require a web browser, which the DS does not have. This makes connecting difficult but not impossible.

If you own a Nintendo DS, you can still log on to McDonald's Wi-Fi, perhaps even for free. However, your DS no longer "just connects" on McDonald's Wi-Fi. Logging on takes more work and requires extra hardware.

 

Connecting at McDonald's in the Post-Free Wi-Fi Era

Today, you need one of two hardware add-ons from Nintendo to connect to McDonald's Wi-Fi (and most other public hotspots). Ironically, Nintendo discontinued both of these add-ons about the same time free McDonald's Wi-Fi ended. Fortunately, this hardware is still plentiful thanks to sites like eBay and Amazon.

Here are your hardware choices:



Nintendo Wi-Fi USB Connector. This device shares your laptop's Internet connection with your Nintendo DS. In this scenario, the laptop first connects to McDonald's Wi-Fi. Then the DS connects to the laptop.

Pluses: You can play Wi-Fi-capable video games on your DS at McDonald's.

Minuses: Must lug your laptop along with your Nintendo DS, making it much less portable!

 



Nintendo DS Opera web browser. This Option Pack gives the DS web surfing capabilities. Once installed, the DS can connect to the McDonald's Wi-Fi welcome page and log on through one of the available connection options.

Please Note: Knowzy received error 53000 when connecting to McDonald's Wi-Fi using Opera. We are working with Wayport to try to resolve it.

Pluses: Surf the web on your DS. Connect to McDonald's Wi-Fi directly from your DS. Fits in your pocket.

Minuses: Can't play video games; web surfing only. The Opera browser is occupying your game slot.

 

Other Free Hotspots for Nintendo DS Owners?

Nintendo's Wi-Fi Hotspot Finder can help you find other free Wi-Fi locations. However, most require you to agree to terms of service through a sign-in page.

The sign-in requirement puts you in the same boat as McDonald's Wi-Fi: Clicking that "I Agree" button requires a web browser, which the Nintendo DS does not have.

Your best bet is to find a business where the owners installed a simple, home wireless router. Unfortunately, Nintendo's hotspot locator doesn't distinguish between locations that require a web browser and locations where you can simply connect.

The free ride is over for Canadian DS users as well. Nintendo made an agreement with Fatport to provide free Wi-Fi at several thousand locations in Canada (none of them McDonald's locations). This deal appears to have ended when the free McDonald's Wi-Fi deal ended.

 

 

Talk About It

Still have questions about McDonald's Wi-Fi? Have a tip on a McDonald's serving up free Wi-Fi? How about a clever way to connect your Nintendo DS at McDonald's?

Talk about McDonald's Wi-Fi on our Feedback page.

And, for your own good, keep that Super Size Coke at least a foot away from your laptop at all times! Tip: Iced Tea isn't sticky when it dries (unless you drink it Southern style).

 

 

 

 

Originally Published:  Monday, April 28, 2008

Last Updated:  Friday, July 18, 2008