When "Free Public WiFi" is an XP Bug

When a computer running an older version of XP can't find any of its "favorite" wireless networks, it will automatically create an ad hoc network with the same name as the last one it connected to, including "Free Public WiFi."

Other XP ccomputers within range of that new ad hoc network can see it, and will remember the ad hoc connection, in turn.

Microsoft has eliminated the network in more recent versions of Windows. It also created a fix to the problem for the older version of Windows XP — Windows XP Service Pack 3 — but many people still haven't updated their computers.

The point is that there isn't quite so much "free public Wi-Fi" available as some might think, but that is just a bug that requires a patch.

The Zombie Network: Beware 'Free Public WiFi' : NPR