Author Topic: Tech: FON Wireless Router  (Read 4422 times)

Offline Raptor

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Tech: FON Wireless Router
« on: March 19, 2007, 02:40:52 PM »

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

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Offline rbcp

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Re: Tech: FON Wireless Router
« Reply #1 on: March 19, 2007, 04:23:57 PM »
Anyone got an invite for me?  I've got quite a few businesses around me so I might actually get some paying customers.  I could buy one of those antenna extension kits/boosters too, maybe stick an antenna on the roof.

Offline gangals

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Re: Tech: FON Wireless Router
« Reply #2 on: March 19, 2007, 04:32:29 PM »
RBCP, I just sent you a link via PM. Remember to register an account before claiming the free router.

Offline rbcp

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Re: Tech: FON Wireless Router
« Reply #3 on: March 19, 2007, 04:38:08 PM »
Thanks!  My SSID will forever be gangals.

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Re: Tech: FON Wireless Router
« Reply #4 on: March 19, 2007, 05:00:16 PM »
gangals, Where did you end up getting that code? Is there some kind of generator out there, or do you happen to own a FON? or hava a Friend who has one? Just wondering.
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Re: Tech: FON Wireless Router
« Reply #5 on: March 19, 2007, 05:27:51 PM »
I have 4 FON routers, I used the Fonero Gets Fonero for Arbie's link: https://www.fon.com/en/main/FGFLandingWeb

There were also a number of giveaways in which all you had to do was agree you were affiliated with X group to get a free one.

I have a router I'm not using that I could give away, but I would want to register it to my account, cuz I'm a bill, and I'm greedy and poor at the same time.

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Re: Tech: FON Wireless Router
« Reply #6 on: March 19, 2007, 05:46:39 PM »
I am ordering the routers with different email addresses and accounts, but can I Register the routers with my main account when they come? I am selling them for around $25-30 in the local paper, pre-configured for idiots so they can just plug them in and have internets. I could change their SSID remotely If I felt like it however heheheh  :D
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Offline PHISH-PHREAK

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Re: Tech: FON Wireless Router
« Reply #7 on: March 19, 2007, 05:57:22 PM »
If anyone wants to give me a free router id be happy to take it. Ive been hoping for something interesting to mod

Offline gangals

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Re: Tech: FON Wireless Router
« Reply #8 on: March 19, 2007, 06:01:16 PM »
Can I Register the routers with my main account when they come?

Yes.

Offline Raptor

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Re: Tech: FON Wireless Router
« Reply #9 on: March 19, 2007, 06:24:13 PM »
damn, I realized that this cycle will work in an endless loop, and the amount of routers I have will increase exponentially. What happens when I get caught?

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Re: Tech: FON Wireless Router
« Reply #10 on: March 19, 2007, 07:01:11 PM »
The accounts that you registered just to claim the free routers won't have the chance to give away routers because they wouldn't have any routers registered to themselves.

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Re: Tech: FON Wireless Router
« Reply #11 on: March 20, 2007, 02:49:36 AM »
I give the routers to myself, and as soon as I sign up a router with them, I can use the 3 invites each has. I don't think I am going to take it too far, but I think I can almost make $200 with the ones I currently have ordered.
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kelsokid18

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Re: Tech: FON Wireless Router
« Reply #12 on: March 20, 2007, 02:46:54 PM »
I got a link where they were giving them out for free:

http://www.fon.com/en/promos/fonbucks

Offline M-26-7

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Re: Tech: FON Wireless Router
« Reply #13 on: March 20, 2007, 02:50:20 PM »
I give the routers to myself, and as soon as I sign up a router with them, I can use the 3 invites each has. I don't think I am going to take it too far, but I think I can almost make $200 with the ones I currently have ordered.
Assuming you can sell them.

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Re: Tech: FON Wireless Router
« Reply #14 on: March 20, 2007, 04:58:25 PM »
craigslist should help, I can allways put an ad for
"Wireless networks installation at home service! Router included! " and charge like $60
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