# Wi-Fi Hot Spots



## raynipper (Aug 4, 2008)

Just been reading (deciphering) my latest sfr newsletter.
It now seems sfr France has teamed up with BT Fon and other servers in Europe to enable sfr clients to access the net when in other countries by prefixing your log on details with (in my case) sfr/etc.

http://assistance.sfr.fr/internet_b...entifiant-fon-et-activer-option/fc-2405-50213

I would assume that BT clients can use the sfr Hot Spots in France just the same.

Ray.


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## Bazbro (May 9, 2005)

I believe you're right, Ray. That's my understanding of the 'Fon' contracts with the various national phone companies (BT in the UK).

For information, if you don't happen to be a BT customer (or customer of any other 'Fon' partner - 'SFR' in Ray's case) you can nevertheless gain FREE access to all the 'Fon' hotspots by purchasing and using a 'Fon' router. These cost about £34, plug in to your ordinary router and give others access to your broadband by making your installation a public hotspot. But don't worry! Your own use of your broadband is prioritised. But the _quid pro quo_ is that you can now use any other 'Fon' hotspot throughout the world, free.

They can be purchased here...
https://shop.fon.com/FonShop/shop/G...A810B86C27E9263980B4B1C682F946.BillingCluster

Not a lot of people know this...


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## ChrisandJohn (Feb 3, 2008)

As a BT customer I've tried more than once to get on-line via SFR 'free wifi', but though it takes me to a BT page to log on it doesn't work and I go round in circles. I'd appreciate any advice about how to make it work for me but I can't remember details of the actual procedural difficulties I go through.



Chris


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## IanA (Oct 30, 2010)

This is what I was trying to do the other week in France - only my FON router was offline, well OK, I'd turned it off.

BT have set the default for BT WiFi to on, so anyone buying BTinternet in the last couple of years - it may be longer - are providing a hot-spot for other users. If you are a BT customer, or have a FON router, you can connect via these routers using your normal login and password for BT.

When trying to find one of these abroad or away from home you will need to get to the 'Connect to a network' page and refresh the routers list. This is where a WiFi extender aerial comes in useful, as some sites will be quite a weak signal.
Experience of a lot of users on this site appears to be poor - great concept, flawed in practice.


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## Koppersbeat (May 10, 2005)

We are currently in France and a couple of hours ago I tried to log on to a SFR Wifi Public hotspot and failed.BUT it came up with a page prior to the one Ray has posted which says "Très prochainement SFR WIFI deviendra SFR WIFI Fon"
It also says all SFR customers will by default become Fon members,and have access to over 8 million hotspots worldwide.

So they are saying it hasn't happened yet but will soon be available.And as the French will not have to opt in we should be laughing,that is if you are with BT or you purchase a Fon,as above.

It has made my day.We are now on a camping municipal with free wifi overlooking the sea at Port des Barques.

Perhaps you can let us know any updates Ray.

Helen


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## IanA (Oct 30, 2010)

There is also a www.fon.com/fr site which you may be able to use


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## raynipper (Aug 4, 2008)

Koppersbeat said:


> We are currently in France and a couple of hours ago I tried to log on to a SFR Wifi Public hotspot and failed.BUT it came up with a page prior to the one Ray has posted which says "Très prochainement SFR WIFI deviendra SFR WIFI Fon"
> It also says all SFR customers will by default become Fon members,and have access to over 8 million hotspots worldwide.
> 
> So they are saying it hasn't happened yet but will soon be available.And as the French will not have to opt in we should be laughing,that is if you are with BT or you purchase a Fon,as above.
> ...


Obviously I don't know the Fon to sfr procedure but reading the newsheet it does say I need to input my user name prefixed by sfr/ 
i.e sfr/raynipper maybe you will need to input your BT user name prefixed by bt/blogs
Haven't tried it yet in UK but as we are over in about a week will see how it works.

Ray.


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## emjaiuk (Jun 3, 2005)

I should really have posted here, but I've started a new subject

http://www.motorhomefacts.com/ftopic-141819.html

I've got SFR FON to work!

Malcolm


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## joedenise (Jul 20, 2007)

calais yacht basin and dieppe aire have fon available


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## McGeemobile (Jun 10, 2010)

Congratulations if you have got FON to work.
A few years ago when we had a BT landline we chose to opt in to FON because we were away so often.
We couldn't even get FON in our own town. I know it has blossomed since then, but the problem we found was that to find FON hotspots you needed to be online.
Has it improved since then?


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## joedenise (Jul 20, 2007)

both times we have got on it was sfr but you had to use the drop down box that says SFR but when dropped down gives the option of Frontera I think

just enter your bt email address and password only had to load it once and the computer remembered it

joe


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## Techno100 (May 8, 2010)

McGeemobile said:


> Congratulations if you have got FON to work.
> A few years ago when we had a BT landline we chose to opt in to FON because we were away so often.
> We couldn't even get FON in our own town. I know it has blossomed since then, but the problem we found was that to find FON hotspots you needed to be online.
> Has it improved since then?


I have found the online hotspot map to be completely inaccurate by at least a 100 yds which is a big search area in a town with narrow streets


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## VanFlair (Nov 21, 2009)

Hi

I got onto a SFR FON in France a couple of weeks ago but could not get onto the SFR free WiFi.

Martin


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## alshymer (Nov 4, 2007)

*SFR FON*

SFR Fon is up and running. When is one of the phone companies in Spain going to join the scheme?
That would e so useful.
Regards
Alshymer


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## GEMMY (Jun 19, 2006)

Anyone have a telephone No. for the Fon shop ?

tony


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## barryd (May 9, 2008)

I think what we need to establish is if all the sfr hotspots are now fon enabled or just the ones that are opted in.


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## leseduts (Jun 3, 2008)

If I look at the networks available on my computer in France, I get 2 SFR options, one is SFR Wifi Fon, the other just SFR Wifi. From what I understand (which is very little), if I buy a Fon Box I would be able to use the SFR Fon Wifi.


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## pmcclure (Dec 6, 2011)

Am currently in Dieppe and it works for me  

Network is SFR WiFi FON


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## alshymer (Nov 4, 2007)

*Fon*

Hi
If you are an SFR subscriber you don't need to buy a Fon. Just sign in with your SFR details.
Regards
Alshymer


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## GEMMY (Jun 19, 2006)

What are the charges to use the 'fon' abroad.

tony


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## alshymer (Nov 4, 2007)

*Fon*

There is no charge if you either have a Fon connected to your home wifi, or are a BT subscriber wo has let BT use 5% of your line.
Regards
Alshymer


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## pmcclure (Dec 6, 2011)

Not to sure. Hopefully none.


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## Morphology (Jul 23, 2010)

barryd said:


> I think what we need to establish is if all the sfr hotspots are now fon enabled or just the ones that are opted in.


I still believe it to be JUST those that have opted in. According to the SFR web site, there are 4 million SFR hotspots in France, and the maps at FON certainly don't look like 4 Million hotspots to me:

http://maps.fon.com/


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## Koppersbeat (May 10, 2005)

I am in France still and logged into SFR WIFI FON.

I am not bothering to look up hotspots in advance.

We are on the free aire at La Riviere St Sauveur,on the outskirts of Honfleur.I stuck my Alfa long range aerial onto the window pointing towards the village and straight away picked up a good SFR signal.

I am not interested which street or house it is coming from just that I can share a bit of their broadband by logging in with my Fonera account,or my son,s BT details.

On the top of the hill at Avranches last night there were loads of choices of SFR to log on to.

At a campsite in the Vendee last week we were parked 250m from the reception where we were told was the only place to get wifi.
With the aerial I picked the campsite wifi up and then joined up an Alfa R36 to create a hotspot and we had wifi connection to the Ipad and Kindle Fire,

The Fon website is still saying "coming very soon all SFR wifi will automatically become WIFI FON"

The French will not have to opt in !

Helen


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## barryd (May 9, 2008)

Good news Helen! Thanks


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## pmcclure (Dec 6, 2011)

Helen

What sort of long range aerial are you using?

Thanks

Peter


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## homenaway (Jul 27, 2005)

Well you are all having more success than I am with Fon in France.

With my rocket antenna and booster I often find Sfrwifipublic but have only once got a log in screen where SFR customers can use fon elsewhere in Europe but no option for me to log in as a Fonero.

Yesterday I picked up an open Orange connection which allowed T-Mobile and BT openzone customers to log in but again no Fon access.

I've only had one working Fon connection at a campsite at Tournai in Belgium this year.

I'm on a free Noodo open connection at a €6 aire outside a campsite at lac Chambon at the moment but they often limit you to two or three hours each day so have to register a different email!

Mostly that's long enough but I'm used to leaving my router on all the time.

A tourist office in Salers still offer internet at €1 for 15 minutes on an old desktop PC.

I would say France is not yet up to speed with free WiFi

Steve


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## hogan (Oct 31, 2006)

*Re: SFR FON*



alshymer said:


> SFR Fon is up and running. When is one of the phone companies in Spain going to join the scheme?
> That would e so useful.
> Regards
> Alshymer


Not sure it will happen. I ordered a Fon router 8 days ago from Fon es in Madrid and it still hasn't been delivered only 150 miles away. To much mañana syndrome.


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## Morphology (Jul 23, 2010)

*Re: SFR FON*



hogan said:


> alshymer said:
> 
> 
> > SFR Fon is up and running. When is one of the phone companies in Spain going to join the scheme?
> ...


My Fonera Simpl took ages to arrive. I ordered it with what I thought was loads of time (2 months?) prior to my next trip abroad and, as the trip got closer and closer I was getting more and more concerned as this was my main reason for buying it.

I complained to Fon in Madrid and they cited manufacturing backlogs but credited my Fonera account with several days' worth of free passes - meaning I'd be able to log into a FON spot even if my Fon Simpl didn't arrive in time (which it didn't).

Mind you, I wasn't able to find one of the bloomin' FON spots, so the whole exercise was fairly academic.

Lets hope SFR do indeed open up all their customers' wi fi points as SFR WIFI FON spots. It'd make a huge difference.

Morph


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## Koppersbeat (May 10, 2005)

Peter,
I am using an Alfa AWUS036NH with panel and stick aerial £31.49 from Amazon.
Now at a France Passion site at Steenvorde in the middle of nowhere,
through the rain and mist I can just see 2 windmills and in the far distance a church and some lights of the town.

I have the panel aerial pointing towards the lights of the town and am on SFR WIFI FON.

Steve,
You will not get onto SFR WIFI PUBLIC,only the Fon ones ,at the moment.
When the forthcoming changeover happens we will be able to log into all SFR sites.

Popping into Belgium tomorrow so will try my luck there.

Helen


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## zappy61 (May 1, 2005)

*FON*

Ordered mine last Saturday being delivered to day according to UPS. I have just got the Solwise USB Access Point with the USB Directional Aerial which works great. I have plans to attach it to the Status TV aerial which I can rotate from inside the van to locate FON spots.

Graham


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## leseduts (Jun 3, 2008)

I am looking to buy a Fonera.
Can any one advise me please, I am on TalkTalk at home and they tell me that they do not support Fon.
Does this mean that it will not work on TalkTalk, or is this TT speak for "we do not know and we are not interested in your question."


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## Telbell (May 1, 2005)

Can't answer it but thanks for posing the question.
Will be interested myself.

edit: could contact the Fon website I suppose?


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## emjaiuk (Jun 3, 2005)

The FON store page isn't easy to find, the obly access as far as I know is via the small text at the botom of the main page (which tries to get you to switch to BT). Basically you buy a replacement/additional router, and that makes you a FON member

the dirext store link is

https://shop.fon.com/FonShop/shop/G...7F483FF2163B0597252FF977E4CC57.BillingCluster

Malcolm


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## zappy61 (May 1, 2005)

leseduts said:


> I am looking to buy a Fonera.
> Can any one advise me please, I am on TalkTalk at home and they tell me that they do not support Fon.
> Does this mean that it will not work on TalkTalk, or is this TT speak for "we do not know and we are not interested in your question."


I have talktalk and myFON works ok
Graham


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## MotorhomeWiFi (Apr 16, 2012)

leseduts said:


> I am looking to buy a Fonera.
> Can any one advise me please, I am on TalkTalk at home and they tell me that they do not support Fon.
> Does this mean that it will not work on TalkTalk, or is this TT speak for "we do not know and we are not interested in your question."


Your FON will certainly work with Talk Talk (as ours does) provided you have a spare network socket on the back of your WiFi router - some of the TalkTalk provided ones have only a single socket which you may already be using.

The only thing to be mindful of is that if you are on a limited package that people using your Fonera will count towards your overall usage. This in most instances isn't a problem as in a residential area people using your FON is likely to be minimal (we've had ours 18mts and only one person has ever used it!) but if you were in a high street that might be a consideration. You can select the bandwidth in the FON interface that you are willing to share with others and I have heard of others taking the aerial off their Fonera and hiding it in a drawer to prevent others being able to connect to it - but that's not really in the spirit of the scheme - especially if you are wanting to use others hotspots.

The device also needs to be left on connected to an active internet connection when you are away from home in order for you to be able to connect to other peoples FON spots.

There is some more information here which might be of use:
http://www.motorhomewifi.com/blog/easier-internet-everywhere-with-bt-fon-motorhome-wifi/

Hope this helps.


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## leseduts (Jun 3, 2008)

Thank you for the answers. 

Now for the next question, I have been on the Fon site, do I need a Simpl or a 2.0N?


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## MotorhomeWiFi (Apr 16, 2012)

leseduts said:


> Thank you for the answers.
> 
> Now for the next question, I have been on the Fon site, do I need a Simpl or a 2.0N?


Simpl. Nobody needs the 2.0N.


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## dalspa (Jul 1, 2008)

We recently bought a Fon router and have been successful in using it in UK in the few instances we have tried it. We are with TalkTalk. Didn't have any luck with the system in France so have been following similar comments on another thread. Hopefully, Fon use will improve over there soon.

iBoost worked well, picking up site wifi from comfort of M/H on some sites when some people were having to sit outside site office in the cold with their laptops. One site, which had free wifi, we couldn't get a signal even though we were not far away. Had to resort to standing outside office (closed in evenings) and even then the signal was very weak when only 3m away from their router. The one thing that I will always remember about this wifi was that their password was 26 characters long - the lady had a job to find it as she could not remember it! Very secure :lol: 

DavidL


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## 91502 (May 1, 2005)

We are back at our house in France and I can now get SFR FON nearly everywhere, in March this was not the case.

James


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## chermic (Feb 15, 2013)

I am just back from France, I managed to log onto SFR free WiFi whilst there using my BT Fon account. Got a very good signal too. I just had to change the SFR box to Fonsa and I was away. It was brilliant.


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## taffman (Jun 15, 2008)

Have been away since 20th June up and down west coast of France and Brittany and having great success with Fon. 

Lots of hot spots. Well happy.


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