AT&T 8525 & WiFi, do I need a Data plan?

So I bought a HTC 8525 & it is great. But one of the reasons I bought it was the WiFi connection. Well I have tried at home & at "WiFi hot spots" around town & sometimes it says I'm connected but then I try to access the internet & get nowhere. Is it something I'm doing or does AT&T have a lock on me requiring a data plan & some money. If this is the case does anyone know if there is anything I can do to "unlock" the WiFi feature. Ant time anyone puts in to this is greatly appreciated!

at&t cannot regulate wifi from your phone...there's no charge to use "free" wifi services. Unfortunately most places around town are not free. (Starbucks charges $10/hr) Find a local hotspot you know is free, and try to make a fresh connection there.

The above post is totally bogus, the only thing they charge you for is connecting the GPRS/EDGE/HSPDA. WiFi is free, unless the WiFi HotSpot requires you to pay...but even then you have to register with a credit card or pay at the counter with the hotspot provider, not at&t.