Will there be Wifi at nationals?

Does anyone know if there will be wifi provided at nationals?

Don’t count on it.

You’ll almost certainly find an open wireless network or ten if you look in the Georgia Dome or World Congress Center, but few if any of them will give you access to the Internet, and those that do probably won’t be very reliable. You can indulge in emailing, IMing, and general web browsing (and the Chief Delphi forums in particular) while you relax at your hotel.

NO

Do you have Verizon? I recently discovered that w/most plans you can use your cell phone as a modem and get pretty good reliable access on their 3g network. The trick here is that you have “unlimited” data but the time you are online is deducted from your voice minutes. I’ve yet to determine if you unlimited nights and weekends work with this but I am leaning towards they don’t. If I make it to nationals though you can probably find me in the stands using this service.

Fellow net addict :wink:

Justin

Two years ago the VEX area had Wifi access. Really slow and unreliable, but a gathering spot for CD members nonetheless. At least, that was where I met Billfred, Tytus and Arefin in person for the first time. Not surprisingly, they were on CD:p .

You could always wrap your cell phone in an Ethernet cable to boost your wifi reception.

I have it on good authority that FIRST will be issuing salad bowls and tin foil in the pits, too. :slight_smile: :wink:

Unfortunatly, I dont have verizon.

ha ha our team gave Billfred a ride last year

Net Stumbler (or Mac Stumbler) is your friend. :slight_smile:

If there are free and open wifi networks that do exist in the GWCC or GA Dome, these programs can help you find out where they are originating from, so as to help you try to get a better signal.

Doubt it you can latch onto lingering signals but don’t expect to get anything from the dome itself and FIRST stresses that you do not arrange to have the internet setup at the dome. I suggest wait till you get back to the hotels (Which most if not all have Internet there for free or for a low price) and surf the net there.

I found this info on the GA World Congress Center (pits) web site: “Our Wireless Web connections are available in many locations within the GWCC, especially at restaurant areas and other common areas.”

Wireless is also available at Centennial Olympic Park, where the wrap party will be and about an 8 min walk. Check this thread: http://www.chiefdelphi.com/forums/showthread.php?t=52009&highlight=wireless

You can check this thread from 2 years ago concerning the Dome or search for “wireless” in the Championship forum: http://www.chiefdelphi.com/forums/showthread.php?t=36737&page=2&highlight=wireless

Dave

There is a cyber-cafe type place with free public computers and internet access in the GWCC, near the Starbucks.

Sprint Connection Card bay beee! :yikes:

I kinda like it… I feel like i’m sticking it to the man when i use skype in the car over the connection card instead of talking on the cell phone :smiley:

-q

But your using your Sprint card to use the skype that your paying Sprint for plus you phone so how are you sticking it to the man again? :confused:

I suspect you may want to read under the competition restrictions (3.12) where it very clearly states that you shall NOT attempt to connect to the internet while at the First Competition Venues. This would include through your cell phone or any other system - at least the way it is written. Perhaps someone should run it through First Q & A.

I would also suggest that using any of the Wifi at the venues without having explicit permission to do so is a seperate issue that we really shouldn’t have to discuss.

Heh. I actually have a decorative salad bowl +tinfoil above my computer desk. But I’m not wasting a cell phone.

I’m curious as to why, of all the rules and regulations, there seems to almost universal disregard to section 3.12 of the manual?
Particularly:

• Do not arrange for Internet access on the site or attempt to connect to the Internet.

It seems, that since they are not providing it to all teams, that some teams may have an advantage… Advantage for what? I have no idea… But oh well…

It seems kind of weird that Wifi is not allowed in the rules however at VCU it was specially setup so that teams could get Wifi with temporary login IDs

At the St. Louis regional, they didn’t restrict access at all