We support the open wireless movement

This is a quick note that for our premises we provide open and free internet access through an open wifi hotspot which joins the openwireless.org movement.

Usage considerations

Currently the network is backed by a basic network connection provided by our building (taloyhtiönetti) which offers a 10 Mbps symmetric speed. Clearly this is very little!

Be considerate of usage by others around you. Don’t engage in heavy usage such as streaming a movie while others are trying to use the network for immediate needs such as email, messaging or watching an instructional video on how to repair their bike. When alone, the speed is generally sufficient for audio/video calls with most software we’ve tried.

Security considerations

Are open wifi networks without a password insecure to use? That’s an outdated fear from a time when most of your browsing was unencrypted. If you only browse over HTTPS and you have a reasonably trusted device, the open wifi in itself should not be a problem.

That said, it doesn’t hurt to reduce the chances of information leaks by using the Tor Browser, especially on untrusted networks and untrusted devices (like Windows computers).

For more tips see the EFF’s Surveillance self-defense documentation.

Why support open wireless

The EFF itself notes that it is «not currently working on promoting the Open Wireless Movement, as of 2024».

However it’s still valuable to support open wireless, for the simple reason that in our age internet access is a human right: people should not be cut off from the internet just because they refuse to be subjected to abuses from the state or telcos.

Concretely speaking, even someone who runs a fully freedom-respecting laptop or a Replicant phone should be able to have internet access on the go, even if they’re undocumented. This is not possible without open/accessible wifi networks, as connection through the cellular network generally requires proprietary software and often identication through state-provided documents or state-licensed payment systems.

We refuse to ask about someone’s passport or bank account before sharing our internet access with them. (Finland is arguably in a better state than most places: at least in Helsinki, it’s possible to get a good connection in any library, and 180 locations in total, no questions asked.)

How to help

The current speed is sufficient for basic browsing and basic calls. We’d like to improve the speed but we need at least one participating project or individual to help by covering the costs.

You can also run an access point for the open wireless network at your own place. Make sure that your wifi router is up to date and use its facilities for a guest network (to which you should not connect any of your devices, especially if they have lax firewall rules or if you’re not sure what firewall settings you’re using).

If you are not sure whether your router can be trusted, it probably helps to replace whatever software it’s running with OpenWrt, if supported. This is easy with a simple router (which just gets an uplink through ethernet) while it may be impossible with a modem/router (such as most cable internet modem/routers in Finland). If you can’t change your modem, you can add a simple wifi router supported by OpenWrt in front of it: you can probably get a decent one second-hand for less than 20 € in the usual places (but consider that they can consume 20 W or more idle).