Wifi in PA

[PennLady]

I live in Montgomery County, PA, and my cable, etc., provider is Comcast/Xfinity. Does anyone know where the Xfinity wifi hotspots are? When you look on the site, you can find a list, but only addresses. When I searched a few of those, they turned out to be doctors offices and other non-public places.

I know I can go to a couple of Borders and things like that, but does anyone know of some other decent wifi places in this area? When I can I go off for an afternoon (the hub watches the kids!) to do some uninterrupted writing, and was looking for somewhere other than Borders to go.

PL

P.S. Sorry if this is the wrong category, wasn't sure where to put it.

 

[estragon]

Starbucks?

Penn, I thought Starbucks had free WiFi (but of course you'd better make sure you have all the antivirus and anti-sidejacking software you can afford before using). And you can get pretty wired if you have to drink five or ten bucks' worth of their "coffee" every hour. Borders is bankrupt, so who knows if they'll have any stores when the dust settles?

 

[PennLady]

Penn, I thought Starbucks had free WiFi (but of course you'd better make sure you have all the antivirus and anti-sidejacking software you can afford before using). And you can get pretty wired if you have to drink five or ten bucks' worth of their "coffee" every hour. Borders is bankrupt, so who knows if they'll have any stores when the dust settles?

Well, my Borders is still open, at least for now. I don't find Starbucks comfortable, nor do I like coffee. I may go to Barnes & Noble or something like that. I could even, gasp, go to my library but then I can't drink anything, plus their Sunday hours are limited. I suppose I don't really need the wifi, just a place to settle in for a couple or three hours, where I can also plug in the laptop. Battery hardly holds a charge anymore.

 

[PennLady]

Actually it looks like my best bet might be the mall...Thanks everyone!

 

[ABSTRUSE]

Are you near a Denny's??
I'm in Lackawanna county!

 

[Jake Marlow]

Hey Penn Lady,

I live in Montgomery County, PA too. The Xfinity wifi hot spots may be addresses, but they cover a wide area. I've been able to hit it on York Rd in the middle of Hatboro and the Hungtindon Valley Shopping Center on Huntingdon Pike. What kind of place are you looking to sit and write from?

 

[PennLady]

Hey Penn Lady,

I live in Montgomery County, PA too. The Xfinity wifi hot spots may be addresses, but they cover a wide area. I've been able to hit it on York Rd in the middle of Hatboro and the Hungtindon Valley Shopping Center on Huntingdon Pike. What kind of place are you looking to sit and write from?

Hi Jake. I'm just looking for some place kinda quiet where I can be out of the way. It's nice to be able to break and grab a drink or snack. So some place geared toward people sitting a while is a plus. There are a lot of spots, but I was searching addresses and finding places like dr's offices, which isn't very helpful.

 

[kimbalee]

Panera Bread, college campus libraries and some public libraries also have it.

 

[estragon]

In any event, I repeat, of course you'd better make sure you have all the antivirus and anti-sidejacking software you can afford before using any public WiFi site.

 

[TxRad]

Burger King is getting into wiifi down here. You might check up there.

 

[PennLady]

In any event, I repeat, of course you'd better make sure you have all the antivirus and anti-sidejacking software you can afford before using any public WiFi site.

Thanks. yes, I have AVG and AdAware. No problems at Borders thus far.

 

[PennLady]

Burger King is getting into wiifi down here. You might check up there.

Yes, our BK has one. I'd just feel weird staking out a spot at a place like that for a couple of hours. But it's good to know.

 

[PacoFear]

PL,

I'm in your area and feel your pain. These are the perils of living out in the 'burbs. If you're in the middle of the county with me, I recommend the Paneras over the other food-type places. Not nearly as crowded as the book stores that seem hip deep in retirees for some reason.

The Paneras are generally dead on weekday afternoons after their lunch crowd clears out, somewhere between 1:30 and 2 pm. Even their regular seats are fairly comfy and the employees don't mind a patron hanging out. There are a couple of power outlets available in the stores too. You'll be promoted to goddess if you can produce one of those 3-plug doohickies ($2 at a hardware store) for people to share an outlet in a pinch. I received a not-horrible group hug from two adorably frazzled Montco coeds.

G'luck,

-PF

 

[PennLady]

PL,

I'm in your area and feel your pain. These are the perils of living out in the 'burbs. If you're in the middle of the county with me, I recommend the Paneras over the other food-type places. Not nearly as crowded as the book stores that seem hip deep in retirees for some reason.

The Paneras are generally dead on weekday afternoons after their lunch crowd clears out, somewhere between 1:30 and 2 pm. Even their regular seats are fairly comfy and the employees don't mind a patron hanging out. There are a couple of power outlets available in the stores too. You'll be promoted to goddess if you can produce one of those 3-plug doohickies ($2 at a hardware store) for people to share an outlet in a pinch. I received a not-horrible group hug from two adorably frazzled Montco coeds.

G'luck,

-PF

Panera certainly does seem to be the most recommended, and there's one not too far from me. Unfortunately weekday afternoons aren't really an option -- one kid in school, the other not and hopefully napping at that time. I make my "escapes" on weekends and the hub watches the kids. Good idea on the power outlets, though, as I again feel a bit guilty (I was raised Catholic, can you tell?) taking up the socket but would gladly share.

I could do without the coeds' hug, but more power to you.

PL

 

[PennLady]

Just FYI, I tried Panera and it was packed. So I'm now ensconced at Borders. With an outlet.

 

[PacoFear]

I called the stores and told them to keep an eye out for a shifty looking woman with her monitor turned for privacy that growls when someone gets too close to her outlet.

*Excerpt of transcript from marginally successful telephone call, below*

"Aaaand, you say, sir, that you're calling to let me know she's a public menace?"

"Most definitely. She's literate and naughty. Can you think of a more perilous combination? Now, she's a romancey-smut type so be on the lookout for someone who's been swinging between weeping and blushing within the same twenty-minute interval for no apparent reason. Seriously, man, think of the children!"

*click*

"Hello?"

 

[michchick98]

I called the stores and told them to keep an eye out for a shifty looking woman with her monitor turned for privacy that growls when someone gets too close to her outlet.

*Excerpt of transcript from marginally successful telephone call, below*

"Aaaand, you say, sir, that you're calling to let me know she's a public menace?"

"Most definitely. She's literate and naughty. Can you think of a more perilous combination? Now, she's a romancey-smut type so be on the lookout for someone who's been swinging between weeping and blushing within the same twenty-minute interval for no apparent reason. Seriously, man, think of the children!"

*click*

"Hello?"

*snerk*

Thanks, Paco. I needed a good laugh.

 

[PennLady]

I called the stores and told them to keep an eye out for a shifty looking woman with her monitor turned for privacy that growls when someone gets too close to her outlet.

*Excerpt of transcript from marginally successful telephone call, below*

"Aaaand, you say, sir, that you're calling to let me know she's a public menace?"

"Most definitely. She's literate and naughty. Can you think of a more perilous combination? Now, she's a romancey-smut type so be on the lookout for someone who's been swinging between weeping and blushing within the same twenty-minute interval for no apparent reason. Seriously, man, think of the children!"

*click*

"Hello?"

So that explains the hubbub at the table across from me...