Can we talk about the free coffee shop wifi in Boise?

I was working there last month and got a fake 'network update' pop-up that looked real. Now I always use my phone's hotspot for banking stuff in public. Has anyone found a good free VPN for basic stuff like that?

4 comments

4 Comments

paul_taylor211mo ago

Honestly, that's a smart move switching to your hotspot. Tbh I see this everywhere now, not just coffee shops. Public wifi feels like a free invitation for sketchy stuff, even at nice looking places. I've started treating all open networks like they're already messed with. For a free VPN, ProtonVPN has a decent free tier that's okay for basic browsing. It's slow sometimes but better than getting your info snatched.

emmaclark3d ago

Yeah, it's funny how we all just accepted public wifi as normal for years. Now it feels like you're taking a risk just checking your email.

hernandez.mark1mo ago

Wait, doesn't a free VPN still send your data through their servers though? I get what you're saying @paul_taylor21, but I'm not sure a free service is much better than the public wifi itself. They have to make money somehow, usually by selling your info. Honestly, I just stick with my phone data if I can. If I really need a VPN, I pay for one I trust.

lilyp371mo agoMost Upvoted

Used to think a free VPN was better than nothing until I read their privacy policy. The amount of data they collect for "analytics" was way worse than I imagined. Now I just use my phone data like you, or I don't connect at all.