1. NYCwireless.net
Run by a nonprofit volunteer group whose goal is to carpet the city with free Wi-Fi access, this site keeps track of hotspots in the five boroughs via a constantly updated map.
2. jiwire.com
There’s no charge to search the country using this massive online directory, but for $25 per month, you can also protect yourself from hackers by encrypting all of your inbound and outbound Internet traffic.
3. wififreespot.com
Frequent travelers should bookmark this Web address: From college campuses to shopping malls, it catalogs public locales for complimentary Web surfing around the globe.—Louis Ramirez