McDonald's WiFi: Is it Really Worth It?

On a recent visit to McDonald's, I noticed a WiFi sign. Clearly a tactic to bring in the workaholic, who wants to work right through their lunch break, I decided to test this WiFi to see if it really worked.

The signs on the outside of McDonald's all over Las Vegas, claim to be WiFi spots. With integrated play places, I immediately thought of killing two birds with one stone. I could take the kids to play for a while and get some work done in the process. The plan seemed like a win win situation. So off to McDonald's I traveled with laptop in hand. I was not happy with the outcome of my visit.

The first thing you notice about the WiFi offered by McDonald's is that it is not FREE. That is right. You actually have to pay to use their WiFi spot. The cost is $2.95 per two hour session. While this is not a huge amount of money, over a weeks time, the total cost would add up to more than $15.00 with tax. That is a pretty expensive hobby, when most of us have Internet access at home.

The second difficulty I encountered with the McDonald's WiFi was the fact that it was an unsecured system. They want you to pay for the service with a credit card, but do not offer a secure network from which to do so. Things were not getting any better as I went along.

Once connected to the WiFi system, I tried to download a small file. I was astounded at the slow bit rate. The WiFi Internet service at McDonald's will enable you to search the Internet just fine, but if you want to download a file, watch a video or listen to a song, you will only end up with slow progress and broken videos and songs.

The McDonald's WiFi system was advertised to read it was a free service. As if to say, "Come on in and use our WiFi while you eat!". Instead, I found a slow wireless Internet connection that was not only unsecured but pay based as well. If you really want to multi-task your day, try looking for a business that offers free Wi Fi connectivity, not one for pay that is not worth the money. Shame on McDonald's, I expected better customer service!