Thread Rating:

Beethoven9th
Beethoven9th
  • Threads: 75
  • Posts: 5072
Joined: Jul 30, 2012
February 15th, 2014 at 8:20:33 PM permalink
Since I keep forgetting where exactly I can find free WiFi on/off the Strip, I've decided to start a list of locations. It's starting off small since I'm trying to list current, verified locations, but I will add as I verify more places.

Feel free to add locations too (along with the date of verification), and I'll update the OP as necessary. Also, try to be as specific as possible about locations within each casino.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Strip Casinos
Aria: Casino floor (2/16/14)
Bellagio: Casino floor (2/4/14)
MGM Grand: Casino floor (2/17/14)
Monte Carlo: Casino floor & Starbucks (2/16/14)
New York, New York: Casino floor & Il Fornaio (2/17/14)
Paris: Café Belle—in the walkway between Paris & Bally's, closer to the Paris end (2/7/14)
Planet Hollywood: Planet Dailies near the front of the casino floor & Earl of Sandwich toward the back (2/12/14)
Venetian/Palazzo: Casino floor (2/4/14)
Wynn: Casino floor, although I found it to be slow & spotty (2/15/14)

Off Strip
Hard Rock: Ainsworth—a bar right off the casino floor near Vinyl (1/31/14)
Palms: Earl of Sandwich in the food court (2/14/14)
Fighting BS one post at a time!
AxiomOfChoice
AxiomOfChoice
  • Threads: 32
  • Posts: 5761
Joined: Sep 12, 2012
February 15th, 2014 at 8:23:41 PM permalink
Quote: Beethoven9th

Since I keep forgetting where exactly I can find free WiFi on/off the Strip, I've decided to start a list of locations. It's starting off small since I'm trying to list current, verified locations, but I will add as I verify more places.

Feel free to add locations (along with the date of verification), and I'll update the OP as necessary. Also, try to be as specific as possible about the locations within each casino.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________


Bellagio: Casino floor (2/4/14)
Hard Rock: Ainsworth—a bar right off the casino floor near Vinyl (1/31/14)
Paris: Café Belle—in the walkway between Paris & Bally's closer to the Paris side (2/7/14)
Planet Hollywood: Planet Dailies near the front of the floor & Earl of Sandwich toward the back (2/12/14)
Venetian/Palazzo: Casino floor (2/4/14)



MGM Grand definitely has it. Not sure about the other MGM/Mirage hotels, but I think they all do. It works all over the casino.
Beethoven9th
Beethoven9th
  • Threads: 75
  • Posts: 5072
Joined: Jul 30, 2012
February 15th, 2014 at 8:26:33 PM permalink
Quote: AxiomOfChoice

MGM Grand definitely has it. Not sure about the other MGM/Mirage hotels, but I think they all do. It works all over the casino.


Some MGM casinos require payment. I will check out MGM Grand the next time I'm there though. Thx for the tip.
Fighting BS one post at a time!
AxiomOfChoice
AxiomOfChoice
  • Threads: 32
  • Posts: 5761
Joined: Sep 12, 2012
February 15th, 2014 at 8:29:49 PM permalink
Quote: Beethoven9th

Some MGM casinos require payment. I will check out MGM Grand the next time I'm there though. Thx for the tip.



MGM Grand is definitely free (although you can pay for more bandwidth)

Not sure if the policy is consistent across MGM/Mirage properties or not.
Beethoven9th
Beethoven9th
  • Threads: 75
  • Posts: 5072
Joined: Jul 30, 2012
February 15th, 2014 at 8:34:18 PM permalink
Quote: AxiomOfChoice

MGM Grand is definitely free

Awesome. I'll add it to the list right now.

BTW, when were you there last? (Not that I don't believe you or anything, I just want to list a date of verification for each place)
Fighting BS one post at a time!
Mission146
Mission146
  • Threads: 142
  • Posts: 16832
Joined: May 15, 2012
February 15th, 2014 at 9:03:50 PM permalink
My understanding is that there is a public Internet freely available that is somehow associated with the Fremont Street Experience. I'll try to remember to mention if I can get it this trip, but I recall that it was just strong enough from the fourth floor of The D for my computer to pick it up, but not really to do anything with it. I imagine it could probably be accessed in some parts of The D.
https://wizardofvegas.com/forum/off-topic/gripes/11182-pet-peeves/120/#post815219
AxiomOfChoice
AxiomOfChoice
  • Threads: 32
  • Posts: 5761
Joined: Sep 12, 2012
February 15th, 2014 at 9:21:56 PM permalink
Quote: Beethoven9th

Awesome. I'll add it to the list right now.

BTW, when were you there last? (Not that I don't believe you or anything, I just want to list a date of verification for each place)



Within the past month. They have had free wifi there for a while.
EvenBob
EvenBob
  • Threads: 441
  • Posts: 28576
Joined: Jul 18, 2010
February 15th, 2014 at 9:52:18 PM permalink
Free Downtown and the Plaza has it in their lobby and
hotel free. I used it DT and it worked very well. How
they keep it out of the casinos yet its on the street is
above my understanding.
"It's not called gambling if the math is on your side."
FleaStiff
FleaStiff
  • Threads: 265
  • Posts: 14484
Joined: Oct 19, 2009
February 15th, 2014 at 11:09:20 PM permalink
Stratosphere has it, I'm told.
The M resort seems to have a variable signal, perhaps depending on leakage from areas that feature events.
beachbumbabs
beachbumbabs
  • Threads: 100
  • Posts: 14260
Joined: May 21, 2013
February 16th, 2014 at 7:42:02 AM permalink
Quote: EvenBob

Free Downtown and the Plaza has it in their lobby and
hotel free. I used it DT and it worked very well. How
they keep it out of the casinos yet its on the street is
above my understanding.



I read somewhere (IOW have no verification to post) that, long before wifi (20-30 years ago), many if not all casinos put a lining into their walls to block RF signals in order to defeat cheats bouncing info from CC minicams and/or spotters on radios using a relay from a van or room in the building. I would think that would interfere with or defeat altogether most wifi signals if true.
If the House lost every hand, they wouldn't deal the game.
AxiomOfChoice
AxiomOfChoice
  • Threads: 32
  • Posts: 5761
Joined: Sep 12, 2012
February 16th, 2014 at 1:04:34 PM permalink
Quote: beachbumbabs

I read somewhere (IOW have no verification to post) that, long before wifi (20-30 years ago), many if not all casinos put a lining into their walls to block RF signals in order to defeat cheats bouncing info from CC minicams and/or spotters on radios using a relay from a van or room in the building. I would think that would interfere with or defeat altogether most wifi signals if true.



If this was true cell phones wouldn't work either.
sodawater
sodawater
  • Threads: 64
  • Posts: 3321
Joined: May 14, 2012
February 16th, 2014 at 1:30:14 PM permalink
Quote: beachbumbabs

I read somewhere (IOW have no verification to post) that, long before wifi (20-30 years ago), many if not all casinos put a lining into their walls to block RF signals in order to defeat cheats bouncing info from CC minicams and/or spotters on radios using a relay from a van or room in the building. I would think that would interfere with or defeat altogether most wifi signals if true.



wouldn;t that have interfered with their own security radios?
1BB
1BB
  • Threads: 18
  • Posts: 5339
Joined: Oct 10, 2011
February 16th, 2014 at 2:10:13 PM permalink
Only if they pump in too much oxygen.
Many people, especially ignorant people, want to punish you for speaking the truth. - Mahatma Ghandi
beachbumbabs
beachbumbabs
  • Threads: 100
  • Posts: 14260
Joined: May 21, 2013
February 16th, 2014 at 2:21:02 PM permalink
Quote: 1BB

Only if they pump in too much oxygen.



Lol....too true. Like I said, I don't know the truth of it. But as to the cell phones, if they have a repeater somewhere in the casino with an antenna leading outside it, their cells can work without everyone's working. Although I see them mostly on corded phones, not cells in the pits, and radio-phones if they're security/slots, on different freqs.
If the House lost every hand, they wouldn't deal the game.
AxiomOfChoice
AxiomOfChoice
  • Threads: 32
  • Posts: 5761
Joined: Sep 12, 2012
February 16th, 2014 at 2:26:17 PM permalink
Quote: beachbumbabs

Lol....too true. Like I said, I don't know the truth of it. But as to the cell phones, if they have a repeater somewhere in the casino with an antenna leading outside it, their cells can work without everyone's working. Although I see them mostly on corded phones, not cells in the pits, and radio-phones if they're security/slots, on different freqs.



The frequency wouldn't really matter, I don't think. If you are surrounded by a faraday cage, nothing is going to work.

This sounds like urban legend to me.
kenarman
kenarman
  • Threads: 28
  • Posts: 966
Joined: Nov 22, 2009
February 16th, 2014 at 6:24:51 PM permalink
Quote: beachbumbabs

I read somewhere (IOW have no verification to post) that, long before wifi (20-30 years ago), many if not all casinos put a lining into their walls to block RF signals in order to defeat cheats bouncing info from CC minicams and/or spotters on radios using a relay from a van or room in the building. I would think that would interfere with or defeat altogether most wifi signals if true.



When I first started taking a cell to the strip in the 80's it would work everywhere with no problem, although roaming charges were pretty steep they weren't attrocious and just showed up on your cell bill. Then the casinos decided they could make money on the technology. They started jamming your cell (not sure if this was true for local cell phones). If you tried to make a call out you got redirected to a provided that wanted a credit card number and cost about $3.00 / minute. You could still receive calls and pay standard long distance rates on the incoming calls through your provider.

When I was at Caesars last month I could make calls on my cell no problem but could not seem to access the internet with it. I kept getting redirected to the WIFI that wanted $10 / day. Pissed me off since it was free in my room because of the resort fee but not on the casino floor. Once I was outside I had no problem accessing the internet via the cell carrier.
Be careful when you follow the masses, the M is sometimes silent.
Beethoven9th
Beethoven9th
  • Threads: 75
  • Posts: 5072
Joined: Jul 30, 2012
February 16th, 2014 at 7:09:10 PM permalink
Quote: kenarman

I kept getting redirected to the WIFI that wanted $10 / day.


I was at Caesars a few days ago and could access the internet via AT&T just fine. Did you get redirected to the WiFi page even when you turned WiFi off? I have a feeling your device may have had both connections on, and since most devices usually default to WiFi, you may have gotten that page if your device was set to automatically connect to a WiFi signal.
Fighting BS one post at a time!
kenarman
kenarman
  • Threads: 28
  • Posts: 966
Joined: Nov 22, 2009
February 16th, 2014 at 7:48:35 PM permalink
Quote: Beethoven9th

I was at Caesars a few days ago and could access the internet via AT&T just fine. Did you get redirected to the WiFi page even when you turned WiFi off? I have a feeling your device may have had both connections on, and since most devices usually default to WiFi, you may have gotten that page if your device was set to automatically connect to a WiFi signal.



No I tried it with WiFi off. What protocol does AT&T use maybe my phone wasn't compatible with their signal.
Be careful when you follow the masses, the M is sometimes silent.
Tomspur
Tomspur
  • Threads: 28
  • Posts: 2019
Joined: Jul 12, 2013
February 16th, 2014 at 8:10:23 PM permalink
Beethoven,

When I left MGM (Mandalay Bay) in 2012 they were going to do the following, in fact they were busy implementing the system at all their properties (as far as I was told).

They would have free wifi across their entire property however the speed would be limited to about 1MB I believe. If you wanted a larger amount of bandwidth you would have to upgrade to a pay as you go system that would cost you some money. I don't know what the amounts were as I left before the system went live.

I was privvy to some test results in both Mandalay Bay and Monte Carlo and it seemed as if the coverage was very good but obviously the connection would be quite slow.

So I believe MGM was looking at installing free wifi with the ability to upgrade at all their Vegas STRIP properties.

I will endeavor to find out if this is still the case or if they have changed.
“There is something about the outside of a horse that is good for the inside of a man.” - Winston Churchill
Beethoven9th
Beethoven9th
  • Threads: 75
  • Posts: 5072
Joined: Jul 30, 2012
February 17th, 2014 at 5:17:16 PM permalink
Quote: kenarman

No I tried it with WiFi off. What protocol does AT&T use maybe my phone wasn't compatible with their signal.


I just had a regular 3G connection. (My phone doesn't support 4G LTE, so I don't know if that works inside Caesars)
Fighting BS one post at a time!
Beethoven9th
Beethoven9th
  • Threads: 75
  • Posts: 5072
Joined: Jul 30, 2012
February 17th, 2014 at 5:24:28 PM permalink
Updated the OP to include:

Aria: Casino floor (2/16/14)
MGM Grand: Casino floor (2/17/14)
Monte Carlo: Casino floor & Starbucks (2/16/14)
New York, New York: Casino floor & Il Fornaio (2/17/14)

*Hat tip to AxiomOfChoice & Tomspur
Fighting BS one post at a time!
aluisio
aluisio
  • Threads: 19
  • Posts: 293
Joined: Sep 15, 2010
February 17th, 2014 at 5:37:30 PM permalink
You can also update the Paris, since they have free wifi at Madeleine Café
No bounce, no play.
  • Jump to: