Aliant WiFi at Atlantic Technology Centre

As I type this, I’m online from the Atlantic Technology Centre, using the Aliant “free” WiFi connection that has been much-touted by the company (approximately 3 years after the rest of the world “got” WiFi, mind you).

Others have reported problems accessing the WiFi here, and that may be because it’s only “free” in the sense that you don’t have to pay money, not in the sense that you don’t have to chant special Aliant legal voodoo to get online.

If you’re having problems, simply point your web browser at any old website; you’ll get auto-redirected to the Aliant WiFi sign-in page (geek note: you’ll be talking to a Apache/1.3.28 server running on Solaris 8), where you have to enter your name, email address, password, and agree to a lengthy set of terms an conditions that covers everything from agreeing not to send spam to agreeing not to check your email every 5 minutes, 24 hours a day.

Once you jump through this hoop, you’ll have “free” access to the Internet as you might expect.

As I type this, however, a chap who works in the building, who has a Compaq computer, reports that he’s been here a month and has only been able to get access to the WiFi once, and after that he’s never been able to do it again. Interestingly, his solution to this quandry has been to go across the street to Cedars Restaurant and use their free WiFi. The Internet always routes around problems!

By the way, if you live in the block bounded by Prince, Richmond, Hensley and Grafton, you can probably pick up the free WiFi beaming out of our back window at 100 Prince St. We’ve moved the WiFi access point to the back of the house, so reception will be better inside the block than outside. No sign-in or acceptance of terms and conditions required.