From today, around 3,000 of our Wi-Fi enabled payphones across Australia will offer free Wi-Fi access to anyone, with work already underway on the rest of our 12,000 payphones to provide free Telstra Wi-Fi over the next few years.
After you connect to a Telstra Wi-Fi network for the first time, your device should automatically connect to other Telstra Wi-Fi hotspots too.
*wifi enabled advertising billboards
Be careful with these free wifi's
Can easily be a having a number of hackers in that wifi network too, So remember VPN or dont use such free services
Lots of close to free VPN deals on here so no reason not to use it!
Should be careful using free or close to free VPNs too, check the fine print. If something is free you are often the product.
Yep, make sure to access the cheap VPN via a more expensive and well reviewed VPN service.
Close to free VPNs are fine if it's a well known VPN with 90%+ cashback and definitely worth it. Free VPNs are a no go.
Yep.. Proton also has a free tier that ought to be good enough for an email check. And they're trustworthy
Endorsed by the ABC -
https://www.abc.net.au/mediawatch/contact/
"You can also contact us via secure, encrypted email at [email protected]"
Also a reminder for those subscribed to Google One (drive) 2TB and over, you get access to google VPN for free (end to end encrypted)
You really sure Google's VPN does not go straight through Pyramid and NSA? Don't trust anything US for privacy.
I can sue Telstra then
so you got funds to sue a million dollars company
but no funds to get your own mobile data ??
No win no fee
@Stopback: I can't tell if you're serious or just trolling but wth I'm bored so I'll bite.
@Ozpit: Uh what do you mean? It's not like buying a product of the shelf.
That's just like saying "how much does it cost to paint a fence". Depends on how big the fence is, how many painters, what paint used, how many coats applied etc.
They do have to calculate their cost and let you know an estimated amount (excluding disbursements etc) before providing services if it's over $750 and if it's under they need to say that too (there are exceptions to this, like if you need immediate legal assistance but the cost is disclosed at the earliest possible opportunity).
disclaimer: not our fault if u get hacked
and the lawsuit is gg
Ahh so there's no encryption unless a password is used?
I don't think your assertion regarding VPNs is fully correct, while the network may be unencrypted, if you visit a HTTPS page, that itself is encrypted and from what I've read is definitely not easy to break into. Most banks, web based emails and even most sites use it.
Using mail/FTP or other things may be a bit more of a danger.
People still use free wifi? 😅
If I was in range of it then I'd use it. I've stayed in hotels which had metered internet and spent for too long searching for a free option (because I don't want to blow through a few GBs of mobile data when I fall asleep watching netflix).
Most unreliable and unsafest things is using free wifi.
Even more dangerous than skydiving without a parachute. Before you’ve even had a chance to hit the ground, your identity has been stolen from your outstretched arms
@tharlow: I rather do skydiving than waiting for page to load when searching for skydiving with free wifi 😉
Telstra is now competing with your local library
Almost. Telstra specialise exclusively on works of fiction
Is it easy to hack through major public wifis like this?
Just don’t connect to FBI_Surveillance_Van_5 by mistake
oh wow that's what my home wi-fi network is called. or is it? lol
Flowers
By
Irene
The advice that public Wi-Fi is something to be scared off unless you have a VPN isn't really true anymore. Majority of websites are end-to-end encrypted with HTTPS, so hackers can't gain login info, etc. Worst someone can do is see what website you visit. See this great video from Tom Scott about it.
Thanks, I was hoping to see a comment addressing this. I've got some concerns around company emails and stuff too (particularly if it isn't setup by people who know what they're doing like me) and any use of old protocols like FTP. Otherwise though it's not too bad.
I'd love for there to be an implementation of encryption over open wi-fi in the future (if there isn't already).
As far as I know, even if you know the password to a wifi network, it's still harder to read the packets of other wireless devices on the network than it is for an open network due.
Look up Opportunistic Enhanced Encryption aka Enhanced Open; it prevents open wifi users from reading eachother's packets. It's not completely secure as it won't stop eg a man-in-the-middle wifi attack, but it's a massive improvement, and arguably better than a cafe with WPA2 but the password written on a blackboard. It isn't required by WPA3 and is a separate standard that could technically be used with WPA2, but if the hardware isn't new enough to support WPA3 then I think it's unlikely to support Enhanced Open. How long it'll take to get widespread support will depend on how long it takes for manufacturers to adopt it at most price points and for new hardware to filter into people's hands. Devices tend to be updated far more frequently than access points; I know one cafe near me that's still running an old Linksys WRT54GL router for their free wifi, so it could take a long time.
Some more info: https://wlan1nde.wordpress.com/2019/02/13/enhanced-open-same…
I'd love for there to be an implementation of encryption over open wi-fi in the future (if there isn't already).
It already exists and it's called Connect To A VPN 🤷🏼♂️
@Nom: No lol I'm talking about between the wifi network and the client, something underneath the application layer. VPNs are quite inefficient and not necessary in every scenario. Someone shouldn't need to have to connect to a VPN to not have their packets sniffed. You also need internet access for a VPN which may sound counter intuitive if you're trying to access the internet but there's plenty of other applications for it. It's about security by default rather than relying on someone knowing what they're doing
Does this work with other providers that use the telstra network like boost?
If I’m understanding you correctly then I don’t really understand. Call up Boost and ask for a free public WiFi unlock code — and if they say they can’t do it don’t take no for an answer!
If I'm understanding you correctly, then I don't really understand. Awesome haha.
It's literally free for everyone. Just connect to “free Telstra Wi-Fi” in your Wi-Fi settings, accept the T's & C's in the portal which loads, and you're in. No credentials or prerequisites required (other than a device with wifi).
And figuratively free for no one
It fast, except it kicks you off once every 5 or 15 minutes.
I have a Telstra Air Booth right next door at work place, and it so frustrating to use it, i just bought a half priced data plan from Optus, which also offered half arsed Signal service.
You’re right — that’s incredibly frustrating. I would ask for a full refund, and if they give you any trouble then threaten them with the ombud
Tightarse can probably get you a better signal
Wonder if the reconnection process can be automated. What do you have to do to reconnect it?
Reloggin page, most time it doesn't even automatically pop up, and can't manually be popped up.
Just tried Telstra Free Wifi, 1 minute in, and I got kicked off. My Genshin Impact loading screen hasn't even started.
or you can go to a library…
Not everyone has the means to simply walk to a library
Free weekend of online COD Vanguard! SWOIT!
I live next to one of these wonder if they have limits on how much data you can use
If you can stay connected long enough I mean sure go nuts. But it will kick you off every few minutes.
This, Jen, is the Internet.
I live next to one of these wonder if they have limits on how much data you can use
I’m surprised nobody has asked this question before. And especially surprised that you didn’t
Must have gotten disconnected from the free Wi-Fi just as he submitted the comment. It submitted again when he reconnected
Please check and let us know
Torrent time?
Or just use a watch
Telstra used to completely sub contract the maintenance of the payphones to one company for 10+ years and they dealt with all of them and they made a profit from the contract. Telstra in their wisdom put the contract out to tender and an offshore company came in and underbid them. The offshore company used visa holders and other cheap workers and the maintenance in remote areas went to mush.
never user free wifi services they are always rubbish and unsecure.
I was in the Parramatta CBD back in May and there were about 6 booths there all in a row. All were missing their handsets/
Good on you Telstra ! Thanks.
+
As a Telstra customer, I would much prefer if they'd make their phone plans cheaper rather than spending money on something so useless that barely anyones going to use… side note, they've increased my plan price twice in the last year AND notified me that my plan discount was going away.
For Telstra, the payphone footprint is now valuable advertising space. Councils are starting to get really upset that Telstra is stating to put digital signage on them, especially in built up urban areas - and the councils can't remove them because they are protected infrastructure.
By offering it as a wifi hotspot, Telstra is trying to continue justify retaining the footprint by delivering a low cost service to the public under it's telco licence - thus protecting its footprint when payphones eventually get shut down.
It is actually a really smart move if you are an ex-incumbent with legacy infrastructure.
https://mumbrella.com.au/jc-decaux-and-the-city-melbourne-in…
Now need deals on sheltered seats with 240V outlets within wifi range of Telstra payphones.
The ones in Perth Murray St Mall run nearly 1Gb/s speed tests.
I have a payphone across the street and can confirm it is not broadcasting a ssid.
My pay phone is still asking for Telstra ID.
Edit. My mistake. Was trying to connect to Telstra Air instead of Free Telstra WIFI.
so much politics in this comment, somehow I learn a lot
Do we have to register with an email address and personal details before we can use the free wifi?
Wow.