GoogleWiFi

Happy Labor day long weekend. I am bored and nowhere to go but library. Here I am at Mountain View Public Library. Turn on my laptop and wireless connection. Now I am on GoogleWiFi which is provided for free by Google to its hometown Mountain View of California.

Here are the tests I did:
1) Wireless network speed:
It is a 802.11b/g connection and according to the windows network connection tool, the signal inside the library is pretty strong (48Mb - 56Mb).

2) Intenet access speed: tested through http://bluefield.speedtest.frontiernet.net/
Download Speed: 998 kbps (124.8 KB/sec transfer rate)
Upload Speed: 864 kbps (108 KB/sec transfer rate)

3) Network address discovery: run ipconfig and got the following address

Connection-specific DNS Suffix . : googlewifi.com
IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : 64.9.238.79
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.248.0
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 64.9.232.1

I was surprised to find that I actually got a public IP address 64.9.238.79. I guess that Google won't be responsible for any malicious intruder since my computer is open to the public. However, I can also easily to invite others to access my computer while I am on GoogleWiFi.

To find a IP2Location map: go to http://www.ip-to-location.com/free.asp



Here is the coverage map for GoogleWifi : http://wifi.google.com/city/mv/apmap.html

I did see the Wireless access point hanging on the roof of the library and on top of the road lamp pole. Unfortunately, I forgot to take my camera with me today. Next time, I will took some pictures to share.

Overall, the experience to Access the GoogleWiFi is satisfying. I wish that it can expand to its neighbor cities, such as Sunnyvale where I lived :). Furthermore, I wish that it could be accessed indoor also.

"Will Google WiFi work inside my home or office?

Google WiFi will be strongest when a user is outdoors. It is unlikely that a WiFi enabled laptop or a computer with a conventional WiFi card will work indoors in most locations. If you want to use the service indoors, we suggest purchasing a WiFi modem. An exception to this is the Mountain View Public Library, where we have installed WiFi access points inside to ensure good coverage throughout the building."

Update: After library closed, I sat on the bench outside of the library. I could still get the weaker wireless signal (24MB). To my surprise, quite a few people passing by ask me about the access to the free wifi and seems that lots of people are interested about using the free internet access :)