3 using O2 Wi-Fi in stores to demonstrate phones

wavejockglwwavejockglw Posts: 10,596
Forum Member
✭✭
You have to laugh.....

Went to a local 3 Store to check out handsets and was told they could only connect 6 using their own broadband signal box but they also use the free O2 Wi-Fi from the local McDonalds to provide Internet to additional handsets on display!

That branch also has a pico cell to ensure they have a usable 3G signal as the shopping centre has issues with regular reception.

No surprises really, but a 3 store relying on O2 Wi-Fi from McDonalds is a bit cheeky.
«1

Comments

  • enapaceenapace Posts: 4,303
    Forum Member
    ✭✭✭
    You have to laugh.....

    Went to a local 3 Store to check out handsets and was told they could only connect 6 using their own broadband signal box but they also use the free O2 Wi-Fi from the local McDonalds to provide Internet to additional handsets on display!

    That branch also has a pico cell to ensure they have a usable 3G signal as the shopping centre has issues with regular reception.

    No surprises really, but a 3 store relying on O2 Wi-Fi from McDonalds is a bit cheeky.

    Interesting but certainly not illegal and I thought it was BT Wi-Fi in Mcdonalds.
  • wrexham103.4wrexham103.4 Posts: 3,334
    Forum Member
    ✭✭✭
    Oh its a 3 bashing thread . Funny isnt it, if this had been the other way round with someone knocking O2 you would be in kicking off big time . Practice what you preach you silly man
  • StigglesStiggles Posts: 9,618
    Forum Member
    It's BT wifi in the mcdonalds here anyway, not o2...

    Oddly enough the 2 o2 stores we have didn't get any 3G signal at all normally but recently they do as they have small cells in their shops as well.
  • mogzyboymogzyboy Posts: 6,390
    Forum Member
    "Wavejockglw in irrelvant Three-bashing shocker!"

    Who actually cares? Sves Three a few quid if you ask me. No real issue.
  • enapaceenapace Posts: 4,303
    Forum Member
    ✭✭✭
    mogzyboy wrote: »
    "Wavejockglw in irrelvant Three-bashing shocker!"

    Who actually cares? Sves Three a few quid if you ask me. No real issue.

    Completely agree I doubt BT care and Mcdonalds certainly won't
  • Thine WonkThine Wonk Posts: 17,190
    Forum Member
    ✭✭
    You can have up to 30 connections on the Three pico, but only 6 active at any one time. Store uses open wifi shocker!

    At least they have the greatest 3G coverage of any network and not the least though hey!

    On some networks you'd statistically be stuck on wifi more often than Three.
  • enapaceenapace Posts: 4,303
    Forum Member
    ✭✭✭
    Thine Wonk wrote: »
    You can have up to 30 connections on the Three pico, but only 6 active at any one time. Store uses open wifi shocker!

    At least they have the greatest 3G coverage of any network and not the least though hey!

    On some networks you'd statistically be stuck on wifi more often than Three.

    In fairness EE boosts the same amount of 3G coverage.
  • Deleted_User381237831Deleted_User381237831 Posts: 7,902
    Forum Member
    You have to laugh.....

    Went to a local 3 Store to check out handsets and was told they could only connect 6 using their own broadband signal box but they also use the free O2 Wi-Fi from the local McDonalds to provide Internet to additional handsets on display!

    That branch also has a pico cell to ensure they have a usable 3G signal as the shopping centre has issues with regular reception.

    No surprises really, but a 3 store relying on O2 Wi-Fi from McDonalds is a bit cheeky.

    Ever considered a career with The Daily Mail?

    :rolleyes:
  • paulkerpaulker Posts: 927
    Forum Member
    ✭✭
    Ever considered a career with The Daily Mail?

    :rolleyes:

    :p :cool:
  • mooxmoox Posts: 18,880
    Forum Member
    ✭✭
    Stiggles wrote: »
    It's BT wifi in the mcdonalds here anyway, not o2...

    Oddly enough the 2 o2 stores we have didn't get any 3G signal at all normally but recently they do as they have small cells in their shops as well.

    Down here (south west England) all of the McDonalds have The Cloud WiFi.

    Perhaps it depends on whether it's a McDonalds owned restaurant or a franchise and what they want to do.

    Apart from furthering his own O2 agenda I don't see how this is really newsworthy apart from that they have to use WiFi in general rather than their mobile network. Whether it is provided by O2 is irrelevant. It's not like they share much in the way of infrastructure, just like how O2's mobile network and the (soon to be ex) O2 home broadband network are entirely separate (although both basketcases).

    Don't 3 have adequate coverage where the store is located to not require every phone to be on their picocell anyway?
  • Thine WonkThine Wonk Posts: 17,190
    Forum Member
    ✭✭
    If it's the consumer pico, only a 6 devices can actually use it at any time. Either way, it makes no odds really as Wavejock knows O2 has the least 3G coverage of all the networks, so I'm not sure what point he's making.
  • Everything GoesEverything Goes Posts: 12,972
    Forum Member
    ✭✭
    Ever considered a career with The Daily Mail?

    :rolleyes:


    I think I can help here :D
    The Daily Mail takes on around 20 trainees a year – six reporters and six sub-editors in September, and eight online journalists in February.

    http://www.pressgazette.co.uk/how-get-trainee-job-daily-mail-ask-help-be-cheerful-and-read-papers-every-day
  • mooxmoox Posts: 18,880
    Forum Member
    ✭✭
    Thine Wonk wrote: »
    If it's the consumer pico, only a 6 devices can actually use it at any time. Either way, it makes no odds really as Wavejock knows O2 has the least 3G coverage of all the networks, so I'm not sure what point he's making.

    You'd hope that the 3 store could justify a more industrial picocell like the ones EE advertise.

    I am not sure what his point is either.
    Thine Wonk wrote: »
    As others have said McDonalds wifi is BT anyway I thought, not O2 unless it's different in Scotland.

    I never tried to connect or look at the SSID but the hardware all has Cloud labels on it, in the ones I have been they have been pretty antiquated Cisco Aironet access points (2.4GHz 11g only). If BT has taken over you'd think they would supply their own access points. Maybe they haven't - even O2 use Cisco too (I've seen examples where the AP is just a standard Cisco router with ADSL card and integrated access point)
  • wavejockglwwavejockglw Posts: 10,596
    Forum Member
    ✭✭
    Just to clarify.....

    "O2 Wifi will be coming to all of McDonald's 1,200 UK restaurants by the Olympics this summer. Our service will be installed in all McDonald's outlets meaning that you can now catch up with Facebook over your coffee or the news over lunch. McDonald's have been a pioneer of great wifi and so we're delighted to be able to partner with them."

    https://www.o2wifi.co.uk/news/article?id=4

    http://www.mcdonalds.co.uk/ukhome/Restaurants/Free-WiFi.html

    That article was published before the Olympic Games in 2012 so unless there has been a change of plan all McDonalds should now be providing O2 Wi-Fi access.

    BTW, the 3 store folks made no secret of the use of the O2 public hotspot and stated that it could limit speeds available due to the distance from the restaurant. I found that information quite ironic from a company store displaying posters that their network is built for the Internet! Apparently all the Samsung display handsets only have Wi-Fi enabled and can't use 3G, so the staff stated.......
  • Aye UpAye Up Posts: 7,053
    Forum Member
    Just to clarify.....

    "O2 Wifi will be coming to all of McDonald's 1,200 UK restaurants by the Olympics this summer. Our service will be installed in all McDonald's outlets meaning that you can now catch up with Facebook over your coffee or the news over lunch. McDonald's have been a pioneer of great wifi and so we're delighted to be able to partner with them."

    https://www.o2wifi.co.uk/news/article?id=4

    http://www.mcdonalds.co.uk/ukhome/Restaurants/Free-WiFi.html

    That article was published before the Olympic Games in 2012 so unless there has been a change of plan all McDonalds should now be providing O2 Wi-Fi access.

    BTW, the 3 store folks made no secret of the use of the O2 public hotspot and stated that it could limit speeds available due to the distance from the restaurant. I found that information quite ironic from a company store displaying posters that their network is built for the Internet! Apparently all the Samsung display handsets only have Wi-Fi enabled and can't use 3G, so the staff stated.......

    I don't see your point here..... its an open public hotspot that is available to everyone regardless of home network. O2 have specifically designed their service to be so. So what if a rival operator makes use of their wifi network, it is there to be used. If anything it also allows O2 access to some of the browser data from the handset that is connected to the hotspot. So if anything its a two way relationship which benefits them both. I don't see the story here unless I am missing something? Its no different than me a Vodafone user logging on to an EE hotspot in Asda?
  • StigglesStiggles Posts: 9,618
    Forum Member
    Just to clarify.....

    "O2 Wifi will be coming to all of McDonald's 1,200 UK restaurants by the Olympics this summer. Our service will be installed in all McDonald's outlets meaning that you can now catch up with Facebook over your coffee or the news over lunch. McDonald's have been a pioneer of great wifi and so we're delighted to be able to partner with them."

    https://www.o2wifi.co.uk/news/article?id=4

    http://www.mcdonalds.co.uk/ukhome/Restaurants/Free-WiFi.html

    That article was published before the Olympic Games in 2012 so unless there has been a change of plan all McDonalds should now be providing O2 Wi-Fi access.

    BTW, the 3 store folks made no secret of the use of the O2 public hotspot and stated that it could limit speeds available due to the distance from the restaurant. I found that information quite ironic from a company store displaying posters that their network is built for the Internet! Apparently all the Samsung display handsets only have Wi-Fi enabled and can't use 3G, so the staff stated.......

    I've never seen a display phone in a phone store using the networks 3G signal. They are all on wifi.

    Personally, i don't think this happened at all.....
  • wavejockglwwavejockglw Posts: 10,596
    Forum Member
    ✭✭
    Aye Up wrote: »
    Its no different than me a Vodafone user logging on to an EE hotspot in Asda?

    Well if you are operating the country's 'biggest' 3G data network it is perhaps surprising that to demonstrate it a public Wi-Fi hotspot is used! I doubt if the company have a policy of using other service providers and that this is a local 'workaround' to have as many handsets as possible active in the store. Pretty useful to show off the Internet features of phones but not an accurate example of what one could expect using the service the store owners are selling.

    I already know what the 3 network can deliver in my area so I'm not bothered what they use in the store to show folks phones although if I was unsure about coverage it might have set my alarm bells ringing being told that what was being demonstarted was actually based on a rival network's free Wi-Fi.
  • enapaceenapace Posts: 4,303
    Forum Member
    ✭✭✭
    Well if you are operating the country's 'biggest' 3G data network it is perhaps surprising that to demonstrate it a public Wi-Fi hotspot is used! I doubt if the company have a policy of using other service providers and that this is a local 'workaround' to have as many handsets as possible active in the store. Pretty useful to show off the Internet features of phones but not an accurate example of what one could expect using the service the store owners are selling.

    I already know what the 3 network can deliver in my area so I'm not bothered what they use in the store to show folks phones although if I was unsure about coverage it might have set my alarm bells ringing being told that what was being demonstarted was actually based on a rival network's free Wi-Fi.

    In fairness some display phones haven't got mobile connectivity and just have wifi sure some shops are better equipped then others as well.
  • Everything GoesEverything Goes Posts: 12,972
    Forum Member
    ✭✭
    Its not uncommon to see in store demo mobiles using wifi with no sim inside them.
  • legends wear 7legends wear 7 Posts: 2,102
    Forum Member
    ✭✭✭
    Come on you must see the irony here, a store plastered with adverts claiming to have the best network and be built for the internet, yet having to use a rivals service.

    on a similar note, the EE store here has an awesome in store LTE signal to show of its 4G capabilities, yet there is no other 4G cell for at least 30miles. Has caused a few heated debates in the store as customers try and return the phones as they feel duped.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 1,932
    Forum Member
    ✭✭✭
    Unless all phones in all the various network stores use their own actual SIM card with no wifi access the I fail why this relevant.

    Of course if these phones had an O2 SIM card in them to get access then that might be news worthy. Otherwise it's just another obvious troll against 3 network .... nothing surprising there then !
  • Step666Step666 Posts: 1,284
    Forum Member
    ✭✭✭
    Aye Up wrote: »
    I don't see your point here...
    The point is that it's Three, therefore anything that could conceivably be used against them is 'fair game'.

    Its not uncommon to see in store demo mobiles using wifi with no sim inside them.
    BT@home wrote: »
    Unless all phones in all the various network stores use their own actual SIM card with no wifi access the I fail why this relevant.
    A number of demo handsets in stores can't use SIMs at all.
  • Thine WonkThine Wonk Posts: 17,190
    Forum Member
    ✭✭
    You think they are going to be able to put sims in all the demo units and risk them being abused, stolen or given to friends of staff. It makes sense to use the wifi.
  • RileyMRileyM Posts: 2,070
    Forum Member
    ✭✭✭
    enapace wrote: »
    Interesting but certainly not illegal and I thought it was BT Wi-Fi in Mcdonalds.

    Not anymore, O2 now provide McD's Wifi. the change was announced last year sometime.

    One of the McDonald's here in Cambridge has already switched from BT to O2

    EDIT: I see this had already been posted above
  • japauljapaul Posts: 1,727
    Forum Member
    ✭✭✭
    A few comments.
    There's nothing wrong in using wifi instead of 3G for demo models but they really should provide it themselves with something that has the capacity to support all of the demos. Relying on free wifi from others means that the quality of service is totally out of your control which is not a great idea when trying to sell phones on a busy Saturday afternoon and the wifi is slow as hell because of congestion.

    Also to sign up you normally get a landing page with terms and conditions. I don't know what they say but I would have thought that McDs intend it to be for the use primarily of it's own customers. There's also probably things like fair usage policies and they would almost certainly expect anyone signing up to take responsibility for any other breaches to users they give access to.

    Much better to provide your own wifi.
Sign In or Register to comment.