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 — in this case, “Free Public WiFi.” Other computers within range of that new ad hoc network can see it, luring other users to connect. Computers with the XP bug that try to connect to the Internet will remember the name, create their own ad hoc networks and entice other users wherever they go. See http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=130451369 for the story of Free Public WiFi

This dataset of Free Public WiFi adhoc networks was scraped from wigle.net a Wireless Geographic Logging Engine that has been making maps of wireless networks since 2001.

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