FON - Free internet and free router

Posted by: morrisdl

FON - Free internet and free router - 07/02/2007 18:35

Anybody seen this?

Google video explanation

The 1st 10,000 folks get a free router w/free shipping using
Promo Code - 350536244364355

Get Router Here


It looks like its financially backed by Google and skype to promote wi-fi sharing.

Anyone already a user?
Posted by: Schido

Re: FON - Free internet and free router - 07/02/2007 18:54

Aww, why only us, uk and canada?
Posted by: andym

Re: FON - Free internet and free router - 07/02/2007 19:04

Think Cris has one, not too sure, looking at the number of hotspots available in Manchester I doubt it would be much use to me. Of course if everybody thinks like that then it'll be doomed to failure. I just don't like the idea of someone connecting to my Fon router and downloading kiddie pr0n over my ADSL.
Posted by: Cris

Re: FON - Free internet and free router - 07/02/2007 19:48

I've got one yea. Never had one person log onto my router, in fact I have unplugged it now. I have never had much sucess getting onto other peoples either.

Good idea, but it's far from perfect yet.

Cheers

Cris.
Posted by: frog51

Re: FON - Free internet and free router - 07/02/2007 21:12

A couple of us in my area were midway through setting up a wisp anyway when we first heard of fon - so far no-one else has really tried to use it...
Posted by: Cris

Re: FON - Free internet and free router - 07/02/2007 21:22

The major problem seems to be that you can't easily find hotspots when you are out and about, if they were built into tomtom it would be great.

I have the feeling there will be lots like me who just end up leaving them turned off as I am paying electric for something that never gets used.

Cheers

Cris.
Posted by: julf

Re: FON - Free internet and free router - 08/02/2007 08:29

Quote:
Aww, why only us, uk and canada?


Had no problem subscribing (and getting a router) in Amsterdam.
Posted by: g_attrill

Re: FON - Free internet and free router - 08/02/2007 08:46

Quote:
The major problem seems to be that you can't easily find hotspots when you are out and about, if they were built into tomtom it would be great.



There is a "POI" tab on the maps service which dumps the list into various formats?
Posted by: Schido

Re: FON - Free internet and free router - 08/02/2007 08:48

I meant the free router with free shipping for their 1st year birthday.

Tried the promotion code on the dutch shop page, says: 'Invalid promotionalCode'
Posted by: Cris

Re: FON - Free internet and free router - 08/02/2007 15:17

Send me your email on a PM, I'll send you an invite to get a free one

Cheers

Cris.

PS - I only have one invite to use.
Posted by: morrisdl

Re: FON - Free internet and free router - 09/02/2007 12:59

Thanks for the feedback. Ill report back after I get it installed. I am basically doing this already at home with two wifi routers in line. One open and the 2nd wep. This will replace them both, and hopefully I can get them to become bridges now.
Posted by: FireFox31

Re: FON - Free internet and free router - 13/02/2007 02:14

Google video explanation?! Terrance and Phillip, seriously people.

I wouldn't mind sharing my unnecessarily large amount of cable bandwidth, but I wonder if that's against my terms of service and customer agreement with my provider.
Posted by: Schido

Re: FON - Free internet and free router - 19/02/2007 10:05

Cool, received the fonera router today, connecting it now.
Thanks again chris
Posted by: Schido

Re: FON - Free internet and free router - 19/02/2007 12:07

Well, that wasn't as easy as it should be, when connecting the fon router, my adsl router would loose its connection to the internet.
Apparently it didn't like seeing two dhcp servers and would just change the external ip address. Solved it by manually entering the ip address in my adsl router.
Posted by: g_attrill

Re: FON - Free internet and free router - 19/02/2007 12:09

Quote:
Cool, received the fonera router today, connecting it now.
Thanks again chris


<aol>me too</aol>
Posted by: RobotCaleb

Re: FON - Free internet and free router - 19/02/2007 16:14

http://www.dd-wrt.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=9011
Posted by: Cris

Re: FON - Free internet and free router - 19/02/2007 19:39

Quote:
Thanks again chris


No problems

They have given me another invite, so if anyone else isn't able to get a free router at the moment because they live outside the regions included in the free router promo please send me a PM.

Cheers

Cris.
Posted by: Schido

Re: FON - Free internet and free router - 22/02/2007 17:33

Woohoo! had my first guest login yesterday. He used a whopping 3.25Mb

Edit: Oh, and i have one of those invites to give away now too
Posted by: Cris

Re: FON - Free internet and free router - 25/02/2007 05:31

Quote:
They have given me another invite, so if anyone else isn't able to get a free router at the moment because they live outside the regions included in the free router promo please send me a PM.


Just to straighten something out. This invite is for active members of this board, will people please stop registering for this BBS, sending me a short and quite frankly rude messages and expect me to send them something for free, it just isn't going to happen!

So, if there are any other current members of this BBS who would like a Fon router then let me know.

Cheers

Cris.
Posted by: Schido

Re: FON - Free internet and free router - 25/02/2007 07:48

Same for me, zero board postings = zero invites
Posted by: andym

Re: FON - Free internet and free router - 25/02/2007 09:27

Quote:
will people please stop registering for this BBS, sending me a short and quite frankly rude messages and expect me to send them something for free, it just isn't going to happen!


Come on Cris, you can't say that and then not name and shame people! An example message wouldn't hurt either.
Posted by: Cris

Re: FON - Free internet and free router - 25/02/2007 15:14



JPPais - Hi, could you, please, send a Fon inviation?? If you could send to [email protected] .Thanks

Eypeon - (3rd message!) Sorry Cris, I just saw your post and thought I'd ask because I'd really like to receive one. You're right that coming out of no where wasn't the best thing, I will be active on the forums though. Hope that will be sufficient enough for the request. Thanks.

I just think it's a cheek!!! A bit like walking up to a house in the summer and asking if they can have a burger from your BBQ.

Cheers

Cris.
Posted by: andym

Re: FON - Free internet and free router - 25/02/2007 16:43

Quote:
I just think it's a cheek!!! A bit like walking up to a house in the summer and asking if they can have a burger from your BBQ.


That happened to me when I was at Uni, I'd dropped one in the floor about 5 mins prior so I gave them that one. I remember my back yard was a 'dumping ground' for the local bird population so you never know, it might've made him blind!
Posted by: FireFox31

Re: FON - Free internet and free router - 25/02/2007 18:50

We could be like a radio station and make people do stupid tricks to get a router. "You can have it if you drink 12 Liters of water!"
Posted by: Schido

Re: FON - Free internet and free router - 05/06/2007 13:26

Anyone need one of their directional antennas? Not sure if this only works in the netherlands, or only for delivery to myself though.

I got this mail today:

Quote:

In the next weeks, we are going to launch the La Fontenna, a directional antenna that sends your FON WiFi signal further, boosting the coverage of the FON Community and improving your WiFi experience.

The new La Fontenna powers your FON Spot by improving its coverage up to five times and making FON even cooler for all of our Foneros.

As one of our top Foneros, we want to thank you for supporting our Community by directly involving you in this good news. Therefore, we are offering you the new La Fontenna for just $/€ 2! (Regular price: 19,95 $/€ + shipping costs)

Just visit the Fon Shop, enter the Promotion Code below, and order your La Fontenna. FON will even pick up the delivery costs and taxes!


'As one of our top Foneros'

Who me? Only 1 guest ever connected

Oh, and the get an invinte for a free fonera changed to get an invite for a fonera for 20€/$ incl. shipping and tax.
Posted by: hybrid8

Re: FON - Free internet and free router - 05/06/2007 13:43

Hmm, the host in that video is clearly Canadian as anyone can plainly tell from his flappy jaw line. However, I've not once ever heard anyone in this country, or any other, refer to a router as a "rooter."

There also don't appear to be any subscribers in Canada at all.
Posted by: Schido

Re: FON - Free internet and free router - 05/06/2007 13:56

I was wondering about the pronooncement of rooter before, when i heard some other native english speaker pronoonce it like that, in some vodcast (don't remember which one)

Quote:
There also don't appear to be any subscribers in Canada at all.


Sure there are: ( http://maps.fon.com/ )

* 167 CHURCH STREET 0, TORONTO, M5B1Y6, CA
* 123 BLOOR ST W, ON, TORONTO, CA
* 222 Spadina Ave. 0, Toronto, M5T2C2, CA
* 445 Jones Ave 0, Toronto, M4J 3G7, CA
* METRO BREMNER BLVD, ON, TORONTO, CA
* METRO BREMNER BLVD, ON, TORONTO, CA
* METRO BREMNER BLVD, ON, TORONTO, CA
* METRO BREMNER BLVD, ON, TORONTO, CA
* 165 Cherokee Blvd. 0, Toronto, M2j4t7, CA
---cut, there's too much of them---
Posted by: hybrid8

Re: FON - Free internet and free router - 05/06/2007 14:04

Hmm... When I go to the map it says there are none. Weird. It pops up window where you can select continent and when clicking North America is says there are no Foneros. Then I look at the map and can see most countries in Europe with flags shown and in NA none.

When I tried just now I got the same results but then after clicking a couple of times on the map of Canada a little flag appeared. And one for the US and another for Mexico which were also not showing up before.
Posted by: peter

Re: FON - Free internet and free router - 05/06/2007 14:11

Quote:
I was wondering about the pronooncement of rooter before, when i heard some other native english speaker pronoonce it like that, in some vodcast (don't remember which one)

The problem with "router" is that it's the gerund of two different verbs. In British English at least, "rout" (the thing you do to woodwork, or to opposing armies) rhymes with shout, and routing and router in that sense rhyme with shouting and shouter. Meanwhile "route" (the thing you do to packets, or to PCB traces) rhymes with shoot, and routing and router in that sense rhyme with shooting and shooter. I'll check in OED when I get home (if I remember) but my guess would be that "route" was verbed from the noun relatively recently, and in the US before the UK.

Peter
Posted by: frog51

Re: FON - Free internet and free router - 05/06/2007 15:16

Yes - we always crack up on conference calls with the states when people discuss routing (rhymes with shouting) as for us we picture them working in their garage with hand tools creating furniture and the like.

Conversely, we seem to generate a laugh when talking about routing (like shooting) which apparently has some scurrilous associations in North America:-)
Posted by: tfabris

Re: FON - Free internet and free router - 05/06/2007 15:25

Quote:
Conversely, we seem to generate a laugh when talking about routing (like shooting) which apparently has some scurrilous associations in North America :-)

Really, only due to one national chain, and their irritatingly earwormy jingle.
Posted by: peter

Re: FON - Free internet and free router - 05/06/2007 15:33

Quote:
Conversely, we seem to generate a laugh when talking about routing (like shooting) which apparently has some scurrilous associations in North America:-)

Australia, I thought. You can't sell hormone rooting powder there, either -- or, at least, not to gardeners.

Peter
Posted by: wfaulk

Re: FON - Free internet and free router - 05/06/2007 16:17

I'm not sure what you're saying. Is it that "route" is derived from "router" rather than the other way around? Certainly in US English, "route" as existed as both a verb and a noun since before the Internet, usually referring to roads and directions.
Posted by: wfaulk

Re: FON - Free internet and free router - 05/06/2007 16:20

Quote:
Conversely, we seem to generate a laugh when talking about routing (like shooting) which apparently has some scurrilous associations in North America

Really, it just sounds silly. There are two homonyms, both spelled "rooting", one which means to support by encouragement, as in a sports team, and the other means to dig around in search of something, like a pig might be rooting for a truffle.
Posted by: JBjorgen

Re: FON - Free internet and free router - 05/06/2007 16:37

Peter's correct. Rooting is more scurrilous in Australia.
Posted by: peter

Re: FON - Free internet and free router - 05/06/2007 17:02

Quote:
I'm not sure what you're saying. Is it that "route" is derived from "router" rather than the other way around?

No, just that "route" the verb was derived from "route" the noun relatively recently (OED has no reference before 1893 for the verb, whereas the noun is C13th). Once "route" became a verb, there was nowhere for its gerund to go except "router", a different pronunciation of which was already in use as the gerund of the much older verb "rout", also C13th.

Quote:
Certainly in US English, "route" has existed as both a verb and a noun since before the Internet, usually referring to roads and directions.

Before the Internet, yes. Before, say, the telegraph -- no.

Peter
Posted by: wfaulk

Re: FON - Free internet and free router - 05/06/2007 17:19

Quote:
No, just that "route" the verb was derived from "route" the noun relatively recently

Oh, duh. Gotcha.
Posted by: peter

Re: FON - Free internet and free router - 05/06/2007 17:19

Quote:
gerund

I keep using that word. It turns out it doesn't mean what I think it means.

The gerund is "routing" (or, as OED would prefer us to write, "routeing"). "Router" is something else.

Peter
Posted by: wfaulk

Re: FON - Free internet and free router - 05/06/2007 17:20

I couldn't come up with a term any better than "verbal noun", so I decided not to correct you.
Posted by: g_attrill

Re: FON - Free internet and free router - 05/06/2007 17:48

A year or two back I read a news article where a Lady Somebody was visiting Australia/NZ and met a rugby team who were playing another country the following day. She spoke to the captain and said "we're all rooting for you", to which he replied "I think we are capable of doing that ourselves, thanks".
Posted by: tman

Re: FON - Free internet and free router - 05/06/2007 18:00

Quote:
A year or two back I read a news article where a Lady Somebody was visiting Australia/NZ and met a rugby team who were playing another country the following day. She spoke to the captain and said "we're all rooting for you", to which he replied "I think we are capable of doing that ourselves, thanks".

It is similar to the brand Durex. What it is in the UK and what it is elsewhere are totally different. Asking for a roll of Durex may cause some odd looks if you did it in the UK...
Posted by: wfaulk

Re: FON - Free internet and free router - 05/06/2007 18:04

Odd. I'm familiar with the SSL brand Durex, but I've never heard of the 3M brand Durex.
Posted by: Schido

Re: FON - Free internet and free router - 10/01/2008 14:17

I got some more to giveaway, had to have them sent to my own address though:

Quote:
It´s the season of sharing, and in that holiday spirit we at FON want to thank you for sharing your WiFi all year round.

We thought you might enjoy playing Santa by inviting someone you care about to join our WiFi Community. To make it easy we will send you THREE FREE FON ROUTERS.

Put a few bows and some mistletoe on them and you are good to go with a present of global WiFi. And if you´re really in the spirit, you might even help them install it:-)



I guess i get to play Santa in January, they arrived today:
Yours for the postage fee from the Netherlands.
(Again only for members that been here for a while)

Posted by: frog51

Re: FON - Free internet and free router - 10/01/2008 21:51

Hey Schido - I have been trying to persuade a colleague to go Fon (I already have one). I'll happily pay postage to get him hooked up if you can let me know how much that will be to Scotland?
Posted by: Schido

Re: FON - Free internet and free router - 11/01/2008 04:41

Probably it's €12,45, although i'm not completely sure until i'm at the post office sending it. (They fooled me once before)

http://www.tntpostpakketservice.nl/en/consumer/sending/international/insideeu/index.aspx
Posted by: frog51

Re: FON - Free internet and free router - 11/01/2008 12:49

PM sent :-)