T-Mobile Dash and WiFi?

hey i read online somewhere that T-Mobile Dash has WiFi built in. Im not a tech person, so what exactly does that mean? can i connect to wireless internet with it like my PC or laptop? for example to use the Wifi do i need to pay t-mobile 20$ a month to use internet, or can i just pickup the wireless signal i have at home from RCN just like my computers do? thanks for the advice in advance!

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T-mobile wifi as you considered in the other thread is the hotspot addon with the total internet package at 29.99 a month. It entitles you to have open access at fed-ex kinkos, starbucks etc....considering that Starbucks alone costs 19.95 a month its not a shabby deal. The better answer to your question is NO, you DO NOT need the package to access wifi. What you do need however is the password or the "network key" to access wifi at particular points, e.g. your library at school. While you may be able to pick up the wifi signal you won't be able to access it without having that network key and how and where you get that from is up to you.

Home wifi is easier, you should have the network key lying around somewhere and should make accessing the internet at home a synch. The total internet addon also gives you edge access for those times when you are away from wifi availability. The short answer to your question is no, you don't NEED anything in particular. The answer becomes more complicated when you consider exactly where you want to use the phone.

thanks for the quick response. the internet i have at home does not have a network key, it does not have the encrypted 128bit protection, will the dash be able to connect without the network key? also i have seen with my laptop that i can pickup wireless signals around me and connect to them without having the netowrk key because i think some of these wireless networks are not "protected" or "blocked". will the dash pickup these "free" signals like my laptop does? cause i dont want to pay tmobile for internet if the dash can pick it up free, thanks

Yes and yes. Any open or unprotected wifi networks are going to be accessible by your dash. Use them at your own discretion though, open networks tend to be less secure so be careful what information you are transmitting. Work at your own risk.

The whole point of the internet add on again is not only to give you a "free" subscription to access points you might otherwise have to pay for but to also give you the ability to fall back on the national network of "edge" at any given point. Your call though.

thanks again for the advice man!

Of course bro!

hey what about the tmobile SDA, can it also pick up open wifi networks to go online?

Yes it can...both phones work under the same premise that they can access open wi-fi networks.

great!