How To Get Free Internet (At Home and in Public)
Let’s face it; it’s hard to get through our daily lives without access to the internet. This internet access can cost quite a bit of money. Many people are not aware that there is free internet access both at home and in public. If you have been wondering how to get free internet, then you are in the right spot.
Can You Get Free Internet Access Legally?
Absolutely. There are lots of great methods to get free internet access legally. Most of these ways are going to be out in public when you are at a Mcdonald's or a Starbucks; however, there are still ways to do it from the comfort of your own home. All of the ways we explain how to get free internet at home are legal.
How To Get Free Internet Service
There are a few ways to get free internet service. The first is to see if your internet service provider offers any discount programs. Many internet service providers offer discounts for low-income families, students, and seniors.
You can also check with your local library or community center to see if they offer free internet access. Lastly, there are a number of government programs that provide free internet access for qualifying families. These include the Affordable Connectivity Program and the Lifeline program. If you need help paying for internet service, contact your internet service provider or one of these program administrators to learn more.
Let's look at some internet service providers that offer free wifi or low-cost internet access. Here are our top ten ways to get free internet access.
1. Freedom Pop
Have you heard about Freedom Pop? Freedom Pop is a cellular phone plan that can be free. There are different levels to the Freedom Pop plans and at the bottom of their list of choices is a plan that is entirely free.
Now, if you are running a business from your phone or talking to family on the other side of the world, the free plan may not be for you. However, many people could benefit from this plan. The free plan includes unlimited WiFi calling, 10 Text Messages (unlimited when on Wifi), and 25MB LTE of data.
Twenty-five megabytes of data will not get you all that far, but you can certainly check your email or get directions if you find yourself lost. Freedom Pop is probably not a perfect solution for all consumers, but who can complain about free cell and wireless service.
2. Wi-Fi Free Spot
In case you didn’t already know this, there are lots of areas all around the country that have free wireless internet. Depending on where you live and where these places are located, you may end up with access to free internet both in public and at home.
This website Wi-Fi Free Spot gives you locations of free internet service all over the country. You can narrow down the location by your state and then filter it to your local area. If you are working remotely and don’t have the internet at home, there are lots of places that will help you support your career.
3. Netzero
NetZero has many different cell phone data plans for you to choose from. If you are going to watch long movies and stream lots of information, you will undoubtedly need a large data plan on your phone.
If, however, you just need something basic that gets you connected to the internet for free, NetZero has the plan for you. The NetZero 200MB a month plan is going to probably save you quite a bit of money over your current carrier. One of the great things about NetZero is that there are no contracts or overage fees either.
If you use up all of your data, they will just let you know and give you the option to upgrade. Although 200MB per month is not a large amount of data, it is free, and no commitments are tying you to anything else.
4. WiFi Map
Sometimes the most challenging part of getting free internet at home and in public is simply finding it. With the WiFi Map website, you won’t have to worry about finding free internet. All you need to do is type in your address, and a list of available locations will pop up.
What we love about the WiFi Map is the fact that you can use this both at home and when you are out. Once you learn your local spots for free WiFi, you may think that you don’t need this map anymore, but the truth is, you still do!
The location of free internet is continually changing. If you are having trouble finding locations for free wifi near your home, we suggest checking the website often to see if anything has improved or changed. Many local businesses will add free wifi to get customers to frequent their establishments.
5. Instabridge
Have you ever visited a friend’s house and asked if you could log on to their wireless internet? When you do this, your friend has to try and remember the password, and chances are you will end up with a few unsuccessful login attempts.
InstaBridge is a Swedish company that realized sharing internet wifi passwords was a bit of a nuisance. Instead, they created a way for people to share internet passwords and make logging in wherever you may be that much easier.
With InstaBridge, you won’t need to worry about remembering or entering passwords; it simply connects to the internet for you. Another great thing bout Instabridge is that you can set it to automatically connect to the internet so that you can use free data wherever you are.
The InstaBridge app is free, and it a great way to make sure that you always have access to free internet without having to work hard to find it or connect.
6. Municipal Wireless Network
A municipal wireless network is a bit different than accessing wireless networks around your town. An internet provider will come in with a municipal wireless network and give an entire area wireless internet.
With a municipal wireless network, there is free internet for people and businesses in the general area. The only problem with this solution is that you may need to move to take advantage of it.
7. Turn Your Phone Into a Hotspot for Free Internet
If you are already paying for the internet on your phone, you may find it a bit frustrating to pay for the internet in your home as well. Luckily you can tap into the internet in your home quite easily by setting your phone as an internet hotspot.
This also works as a great option if you are on a road trip and need some internet in the car. Most of the time, this requires a slight change in your cell phone plan, and that is usually it. All you would have to do is turn your cell phone on and connect your other devices to the internet on your phone.
It’s smart to keep an eye on where you stand as far as internet usage each month. You will go through the data a bit quicker when it is all coming from your phone. If you have unlimited data on your phone, verify that when you start using your phone as a hot spot that this unlimited usage still remains in place.
For most carriers, there will be additional rules and regulations applied. Still, this is a good solution and one you may already be paying for.
8. All Free ISP
When you start researching the different internet plans in your area, things can get somewhat overwhelming. There are so many options out there and the time it takes to research and compares all the figures is more time than we want to spend!
Luckily there are websites like All Free ISP. This will break down the internet costs for your region and give you options. There are choices for free internet service providers and also those that have low-cost plans as well. Sometimes the low-cost plan may make more sense than the free one if it gives you lots of speed or data.
9. Ask a Neighbor for Free Internet
This is not a guaranteed way to get free internet, but if you have a great relationship with your neighbor, it may be worth a shot. Your service will probably not be all that great because it will be stretching a long distance. This is an option that can be good if your neighbor agrees or if your internet just happens to be down for a few days at a time.
For people who live in multi-family housing, it can make sense to have one person get the internet and the rest of the people in the home chip in towards the bill. Although this will not be a completely free internet, it certainly will come at a reduced cost.
The one thing you will want to make sure you don’t do is to hack into your neighbor’s internet. As you may remember in the beginning of our article we explained that there are lots of legal ways to get free internet. Stealing from your neighbors is certainly not a legal way to get internet access. You are much better off having a conversation and seeing if you can work out a deal that may save you both money in the long run.
10. How To Make Your Own Internet for Free
For those that love a DIY project, the following video will give you an idea of how to make your own internet for free. You will need to be pretty handy and decent with some electrical connections to get this project to work. However, with over 35 million views on this video clearly, some people have found success.
Go to a Location With Free WiFi Near You
As you probably noticed, many of the options on our list gave you ideas as to how to find free internet near you. There are a number of choices out there for you to utilize; you just have to find one that makes you most comfortable.
Aside from finding an environment where you like to spend time using the internet, it’s very important to make sure you stay safe while using public wifi. When you are on a public network, you leave yourself a little less secure than a password-protected home internet connection.
How To Stay Safe When Using Public Wi-Fi
Free internet is all fun and games until someone finds a way to hack your computer. If you want to make sure that you stay safe while using public wi-fi, there are a few key steps that you can take.
Verify It’s a Legitimate Wireless Connection
Hackers will take some very unique steps to set up a fake internet connection. When you join a fake internet connection, it gives hackers the ability to get into your computer, phone, or device and get information.
If you want to verify if you are joining a legitimate wireless connection, you can always look for a sign or ask an employee of the establishment if they know the network’s name. If you are in Starbucks and see a network with a very odd name, it could be a hacker.
It is not hard to ask a few questions and make sure that you get something legitimate when you sign on. Also, with an app like InstaBridge in place, you may get additional information from other people who have attempted that same internet connection.
Use a Vpn (Virtual Private Network)
A VPN is a virtual private network, and it is used to keep your information safe while you browse a public network. When you use a VPN, it will encrypt your IPN so that your location will also be kept private.
There are both free and paid versions of a VPN. This is one of those situations that spending a little more money makes sense. The better VPN (paid versions) are going to do a better job of protecting your information.
The free versions will work, but you will also need to take some additional steps to ensure that your information stays protected. Remember that anything that looks a bit odd on your screen or something asking for personal data is probably not a good idea to fill out when you are on a public network.
Protect Your Device Against Cyberattacks
The last step to make sure that you stay safe when using a public network is to make sure that your antivirus is up to date, your firewall is enabled, and your sharing is turned off. When you are on a public network, there is really no reason to be sharing information from your device. This is a simple thing to do to help protect you.
When it comes to an anti-virus most people have an outdated subscription on their device. It is a good idea to keep the subscription up to date and download any updates that have come out. Unfortunately, the world of hacking computers is ever-changing, and if you want to protect against cyberattacks, the anti-virus has to be ready to handle them.
Keeping your firewall enabled when working or browsing on a public network is a smart idea. If you enable the firewall, it almost acts as a barrier against hackers and their malware. A firewall is not complete protection against cyberattacks, but it is effective, and there is no reason to turn it off.
Summary
If you were one of those people who have been complaining about how expensive the internet is, you can now rest assured that there are free ways to enjoy internet browsing. Although some of these options for free internet for home and public use are not going to be quite as fast or high-powered as other choices, it is hard to complain when things are free.