WiFi Directory is a Cool Way to Find Hotspots

WiFi Directory — You can never have too much Wi-Fi, which is what makes WiFi Directory (Wireless Hotspots Finder) as appealing to me as a medium-rare steak is to my dog Henry, who will eat anything other than dog food.

Whenever I’m out at the mall, a restaurant—anywhere—I check for Wi-Fi access whether or not I need it. You just never know when you might need to get on the Web.

Launch WiFi Directory and you’ll see right away a screen with a slider to adjust your search radius from under a mile to 50 miles and two buttons, one for finding nearby hotspots (within 10 miles) and the other to search for hotspots by Zip Code.

WiFi Directory works best with 3G iPhones, thanks to GPS, but it also works with cell tower triangulation. Within 11.4 miles of my location, my search returned more than 200 results, filtered by those closest to me. The search for Wi-Fi hotspots took maybe 20 seconds. Had I chosen a smaller search radius, my search would have been faster.

In results, I can quickly scan a list for free hotspots—my local library and a Starbucks, for instance—and a bunch of “ possibly free” hotspots—mostly hotels and restaurants.

I tapped the first item on the list, which happened to be my library, 1.15 miles from my house, with free Wi-Fi access, and opened a page of details: category, protocol used and an indication that access is free. I decided to enter that one into WiFi Directory’s Favorites list.

I also searched by Zip Code and turned up only three places close by (no surprise, I live in a small town). WiFi Directory uses a good-sized number pad to enter the Zip Code and I was pleasantly surprised to see that. Apps that require entering codes and other numbers that rely solely on a QWERTY keyboard aren’t fit for human consumption.

WiFi Directory, developed by Mike Shilinski, offers flexibility and potential to find a greater number of hotspots.