FON-tastic: SMC wifi phone now works with FON wifi hotspots

For those who haven’t seen it yet, there’s now an update available for anyone with an SMC wifi Skype phone. The update will allow you to use your SMC phone when you’re out and about, wherever a FON hotspot is available.

This adds a whole new dimension to this phone; whilst it doesn’t have a browser built in, and so can’t access other wifi networks that require you to sign in using the web browser, now there is an international network of hotspots that Skype users can access using this phone. Especially, ahem, around some outlets of a well-known chain of coffee stores.

All you need to do to get the update is download the FON version 1.0.0.17 phone update here, and follow the on-screen instructions.

What’s FON when it’s at home (or not at home, as the case may be)??

For the uninitiated, FON is a kind of ‘open source’ wifi network, meaning that FON users - or ‘foneros’ as they are apt to be called, let you piggy-back onto their wifi networks when you’re out and about. In exchange, you can either pay them via Fon for using their bandwidth, or alternatively share your home wifi using the unique ‘Fon’ router, and then get free access to their wifi! “Where are all these lovely free hotspots?” I hear you cry. Check out the FON Maps for details.

Technorati tags: FON, Skype, Wifi phone, hotspots, wifi hotspots, free calls, internet calling, internet telephony, VoIP, Skype certified, firmware update

Comments

Do not believe anything that you may read about this company. They repeatedly lie, they fail to supply goods even when they have been paid for and then try to avoid their responsibilities. I have emailed both Skype and FON customer services about this appalling business practice, yes FRAUD springs to mind but no one take any notice. Perhaps a blast from the media might get them to take notice. Paul Gallini

I just purchased the SMC phone, and at initial blush it looks good, feels good in your hand. the buttons are illuminated, and the display is fine.

Wifi recognition capabilities are great...but I have yet to log on to anything even my own router...I'll play with it more, as I just received it today (charging battery)..will update soon.
vince320

This phone loses all the settings after the battery is gone. It's a big hassle to re-input them again.

Using this phone like working with Windows 3.11. After a month this massage coming up 'WiFi connection cannot connect to Internet'. I didn't change anything. So the phone is here and I can't find any help to fix it.

I have just spent a whole day trying to log onto a Fon hotspot with this phone... it just crashes and reboots... The Fon enabling firmwear download from the Fon website just gives me a Fon Logo before it crashes...
However it will work with secure networks. Which is not good because I can't access any network where I don't have the WEP key (ie everywhere except home..)Sort of makes it pointless really.
I will repost if it is possible to use in FON public hotspots and Skype via FON around town. I have seen no proof of this so far...

OK... now I have proof ! See previous post.
After days of head banging over this FON thing I think I have cracked it. My SMC phone works on the old first generation Fonera routers. I made a call in the street using a FON hot spot to a cellular phone this afternoon using skype. Fantastic sound, a fantastic experience. A dream come true.

However it would appear to me that these phones do NOT work with the second generation Fonera+ routers which FON started selling recently. There are not many of these out there as they are expensive (I bought one, duh...) so it should not be a problem yet.

Or is there something you have to do to the Fonera+ to make it work with the SMC phone ? Advice welcome !

3rd Post...

OK, a couple of weeks ago (just after they signed with BT...)FON updated the firmware for their Fonera routers in the night. Since then my SMC phone has stopped working on public FON hotspots crashing and rebooting each time. All my friends with this phone have the same problem. Numerous emails to FON support have remained unanswered. Posts on this issue I have made on FON blogs have not been put up ! And my SMC has become a very expensive housephone... at least for me that is.

TrackBack

» Skype SMC WiFi phone and FON router bundle from VoIP & Gadgets Blog
Joanna Stern, a staff writer over at LAPTOP, forwarded me astory she wrote on a Skype (SMC) WiFi phone and FON router bundle being offered by Skype, which is similar to the SMC/Skype bundle I recalled seeingon Skype's blog a... [Read More]