What is WOW Fi, and how does the Fastweb service work to share your connection and use that of others around Italy. From September-October 2018, a major expansion was started: all the details.
The WOW Fi service was launched by Fastweb almost three years ago.
In short, it is a mechanism that allows Fastweb subscribers to access the network of the Milanese telecommunications operator even on the move, currently in over 800 Italian cities, large centers, and less populous municipalities.
Moving from one city to another, you can access a broadband connection, safe and reliable in WiFi mode, simply by accessing the hotspots recognizable by the name (SSID) WOW FI – FASTWEB.
The WOW Fi hotspot is automatically activated on the modem routers of Fastweb users holding a fixed network subscription who reside in one of the municipalities where the service is made available.
The receipt of an SMS containing the credentials for accessing the WOW Fi service on the mobile telephone number indicated in the contract stipulation phase confirms the activation of a WiFi hotspot intended for the Fastweb customer community.
WOW Fi, let’s take stock of the Fastweb solution to connect for free on the move
This means that using the credentials received via SMS; other Fastweb subscribers will eventually be able to connect, on the move, to the user’s modem router and take advantage of a part of the available bandwidth both downstream and upstream.
The additional WOW FI – FASTWEB WiFi network is activated only on the modem routers of the subscribers residing in one of the 800 locations reached by the service and is completely isolated from the main WiFi. The WiFi marked by the SSID WOW FI – FASTWEB is, therefore, in fact, a guest network whose use by authorized users (Fastweb subscribers in possession of access credentials) does not allow access to the user’s main network and therefore does not allow for visibility on connected clients and shared resources in the LAN.
It is obvious that the available bandwidth will be primarily intended for the subscription holder, especially when the connection is in use and there is traffic on the main interface. In other words, if the Fastweb subscriber was actively using the connection, the other members of the community connected to the WOW FI – FASTWEB hotspot will have little bandwidth at their disposal. Conversely, if the subscription holder is away from home and has not left any data transfer active, users connected to the WOW Fi service will be able to surf at or near-maximum speed.
Starting from September-October 2018, Fastweb has extended the coverage of the WOW Fi service in thousands of Italian municipalitiesenormously expanding the possibilities of free access, in mobility, to the broadband and ultra-broadband network.
The WOW Fi slogan is “the more we are, the more we connect “, underlining that the more Fastweb subscribers on a fixed network there are around Italy, the more likely you are to connect to the Internet at no cost. Going to this page, you can check the exact location of all access points to the Fastweb network.
WOW Fi has no particular limitations: the most important restrictions are essentially three:
1) Only Fastweb subscribers who have an active WOW Fi hotspot on their users will be able to use the credentials received via SMS to connect for free to the WOW Fi WiFi throughout Italy.
2) The WOW Fi WiFi hotspot can be deactivated: in this way, however, not only will you no longer allow third parties to use a part of your network connection, but you will no longer be able to connect to WOW Fi Fastweb networks during a trip.
3) Fastweb allows simultaneous connection of up to four devices to its WOW Fi networks. In other words, with the same credentials received via SMS, it will not be possible to connect to the Internet using the WOW Fi service, more than four devices at the same time.
On the official website, Fastweb declares that it does not apply any type of restriction on the traffic conveyed through WOW Fi hotspots, nor does it make any mention of any time limitations regarding the duration of the connections. However, some users report disconnections after 15-30 minutes or the inability to make data transfers with some types of protocols. We are carrying out checks in this regard.
Select the WOW network on the go
During a trip, you can scan the WiFi networks available nearby using your device (you can also help yourself with software or an app that acts as a WiFi analyzer) in search of the SSID that distinguishes the networks reserved for Fastweb subscribers.
At this point, depending on the type of device in use and the operating system installed, you can follow the instructions on this page to establish the Wi-Fi connection.
In all cases, it is essential to enter the username and password received via SMS in the appropriate fields in the properties of the Wi Fi connection.
The procedure is instead very simple for those wishing to connect to a WOW Fi network from a smartphone equipped with a 4G Fastweb SIM card. In this case, it is not even necessary to type in username and password, as explained at this address.
By purchasing a mini router like those presented in these pages, a Fastweb subscriber who has a house by the sea or in the mountains and wants to take advantage of a nearby WOW Fi hotspot to connect all their devices (even more than four, therefore) will be able to do so without problems. For maximum security, these mini routers also allow you to automatically establish connections to remote VPN servers or enable automatic use of the Tor network.
By accessing the MyFastweb app, tapping the main menu, and then choosing the WOW Fi item, users can know in detail the coverage of the entire Fastweb WOW Fi WiFi network in all the cities currently covered by the service.
Pay attention to the WiFi network you are using.
After configuring the access to WOW Fi on your devices (notebooks, convertibles, smartphones …) upon returning home, you must check that the connection is established, not with the network marked by the SSID WOW FI – FASTWEB but with the main WiFi.
WiFi client devices have a tendency to automatically connect to the last used wireless network. Upon returning home, therefore, the connection could be established with the guest network reserved for other Fastweb users, which therefore does not allow to obtain the best performance.
How to disable WOW Fi
If you reside in one of the many cities reached by the Fastweb network and are included in the list of those affected by the WOW Fi service, the WiFi hotspot that allows you to share will usually be activated automatically.
By accessing the customer area with your username and password through the official Fastweb website, you can still disable the WOW Fi service.
In fact, just access the Subscription menu, go to the WOW Fi section, and then press the Disable button located inside the Configurations area.
As already highlighted above, it should be borne in mind that by deactivating the service on your subscription, you will no longer be able to use Fastweb hotspots on the move by accessing the WOW network.
A tech-savvy writer with a knack for finding the latest technology in the market, this is what describes John Carter. With more than 8 years of experience as a journalist, John graduated as an engineer and ventured soon into the world of online journalism. His interest includes gadget reviews, decoding OS errors, hunting information on the latest technology, and so on.
