In 2006, a company in spain received over 25 Million Dollars (from google and other contributors) to develop a product that would "revolutionize WiFi" and create a new standard for wireless internet sharing. They developed this nifty product, the La Fonera Router
It's really small, easily fitting in the palm of your hand. The almost "apple" like design, makes this product have a sleek appearance. This unit sends out 2 Wireless Signals, having 2 separate SSID's. One, is meant to be your private SSID, defaultley encrypted with WEP. This part works just like any other router. The other, is the "Public Signal, with automatically redirects you to FON's website, and wants you to pay $3 or something for a 24 use pass of the router. Part of the agreement of owning a FON, is that you have to allow people to be able to connect to this, and pay to use it, if they don't already have their own FON router. The catch is that if you share your internets at home, you can connect to anyone else's fon for free.
Aliens: are people who don't have a router, and come by your house late at night and want to use your fon router (even though there are 20 or so more across the street, that are totally open)
Linus's: are people who have a FON at home, and share their public network
Bill's: have a fon, but get to keep 50% of all revenue generated from people paying to use it.
What I did, is just took the WEP protection off the private network, and took away the name of the public one. (My laptop doesn't seem to recognize networks if they have no name)
The range on the FON is pretty good, I can get Wifi from a couple hundred feet away while its on.
(Outside and across the street) The Router is 802.11G, so it is pretty fast too. In the box comes a LAN cable, power adapter, and Instructions. Several of the routers settings can be accesed via the FON website, wich the router connects to every hour or so to download the new settings. For more complex opperations, you must connect directly to the router, and enter the "management console" Setting up the router can be tricky, and you need to "activate it" using your FON user account
When I bought my router, it was $5, including shipping. Either some serious inflation of US currency has occored, or there is more demand (im not sure) but now they are $40. Around December or '06, they started a campaign called "Fonero gives Fonero", where you could give away 3 free routers to anyone, shipping included. Apparently if you wait a few months, you get more "invitations" to send out. I sent one to altalp, and a couple to myself, (using new email addresses and FON accounts) which I configured similarly to mine (open SSID) and sold them in the paper, to unsuspecting grandmas. Hopefully I can make a few bucks before the Spanish FBI comes and arrests me.
If you own a public business, a FON router might be a great way to make some money off customers who are willing to spend $3 on WiFi, otherwise, I reccomend haggling someone into sending you one of thier precious "invites" and get one for free.
Pro's:
Small,
ability Bring it along when traveling
Costs less than (or now, around the same) as other routers
they look cool,
Get free Wifi access from other peoples Fon's (Problem is no one has one)
Sign up to be a bill, and make $ from your FON
Con's:
Can be a bother to configure
People can HAXER UR INTERWEBS from the Public SSID (not really)
Price- $0-$40
Recommended?
-Yes,If you can get it free
Rating- 8-10
