FAQ hotspot usage

How do I connect to a hotspot?

1. The internet surfer chooses the hotspot. In Windows you can use the function "Choose a wireless network".
2. Initially access to the internet is denied. After trying to connect to a website for the first time, the surfer is redirected to the hotsplots server. This connection is always secured by SSL-encryption. All information about the user is stored only on the servers of hotsplots.
3. The user authenticates himself to the hotsplots server with his username and password. If successful he is authorized for internet access. Usually the user has to pay in some money to his user account before that. The billing works on a prepaid basis. Some hotspots can be used free of charge.
   Alternatively at many hotspots you can buy our so called Location-Tickets. These tickets provide a username and password, so no registration at our website is necessary.
4. Every few minutes and at the end of the session the hotspot sends information about traffic and duration time to the hotsplots server. This data is used to calculate the session's costs, which are then withdrawn from the user account.

Why am I logged out after xx minutes?

As long as new users haven't confirmed their email address, they will not be redirected to the originally accessed website after login. Instead we show the following note:

"Welcome,

Please note, that your email address has not been confirmed yet. Please click on the link in the email we sent to you after your registration. You can request a  new registration email anytime from "Personal data" in your customer area.

You can confirm your email address anytime within the next 60 min. After that time the internet connection will be closed automatically.

Please click here to get to your requested link: www.orignally_accessed_website.com"

The time until automatic logout will be shortened further down to 15 minutes with every new login.

How do I order the FlexiFlat?

You do not need to order the FlexiFlat. When start using hotspots with FlexiFlat you pay the normal price until you reach the FlexiFlat-Limit. After that you can continue to use the hotspots for free until the end of the calendar month.

 

This is valid at all FlexiFlat locations. Where you can use the FlexiFlat can be seen in advance at our map. Additionally it is is written in the tariff information in the login screen of all these hotspots. When you have used a hotspot with this option the FlexiFlat will be at least valid until the end of the calendar month.

How do I make sure, that only that time is accounted I'm actually online?

You will automatically be logged out if you are disconnected
from a hotspot for longer than 10 minutes, for example if you
leave the reception area or switch off your laptop.

However the most exact and safest way is to actively logout on our server:

Please click on “Logout from Hotspot” in the pop-up window that appears when you login.

If your browser has blocked this pop-up window, you can logout via http://logout.hotsplots.de.

Is the WLAN traffic encrypted?

Normally WLAN hotspots work without encryption. Nevertheless at HOTSPLOTS you can encrypt the wireless traffic. At all our hotspot runs an OpenVPN server. With the according OpenVPN client software, that you can download directly from the HOTPSLOTS homepage, you can encrypt your wireless traffic in a simple but very secure way. More information is given at our help sites. OpenVPN uses the same secure 128 Bit SSL encryption, that is used for online banking.

WLAN scanners list our hotspots as unecrypted, because they recognize only WEP and WPA encryptions, which are typically used for normal wireless networks. The old WEP encryption can be cracked extremely fast due to a systematical error that was discovered in the meantime. WPA is about as secure as SSL but optimized for the low computing power of WLAN routers. Nevertheless HOTSPLOTS chose OpenVPN because it saves a lot of hassle of client configuration - everything is done by the authority of the HOTSPLOTS server. The SSL encryption speed of common hardware routers ranges from about 3 to 15 MBit/s. This should be enough for most hotspots, others can use our HOTSPLOTS aplliance with x86-hardware with higher computing power.

Do I get a regular invoice?

Yes. At the moment we offer pdf files to download. The implementation of an electronic signature according to german law is planned. Until then we offer to send prints by post to addresses in the EU for free. Just send an email to info@hotsplots.de if you need a version that was printed by us.  info(at)hotsplots.de

How long does bank transfer take?

In Germany bank transfers between two german banks may take up to three working days between debit of the customer's account to the credit on hotsplots' account.

Our bank does the final accounting over night. In the morning we process all incoming payments - even on Saturdays.

Since he customer's bank may take one more day to process the debit, the total time from giving the bank transfer order to the customer's bank to the credit on the customer's HOTSPLOTS account varies between one and five working days.  This depends on the banks not on us.

To prevent unnecessary delays, please use exactly the note to payee that is given in the customer area. It is composed of the customer number, a minus sign and a random number that shall pevent the automatic credit entry on someone else's account in case of a typo. Since we have more than 100,000 registered customers, the booking of incoming payments with notes to payee like "HOTSPLOTS" or "internet august" to the right customer is not an easy task and takes some additional time.

What about paying by direct debit?

The comfortable direct debit is offered to registered customers who have charged their hotsplots account at least once by bank transfer. At the moment (Oct. 2006) it is available only for german bank accounts.
If the direct debit fails, e. g. because of wrong bank data or a lack of credit balance, hotsplots has to pay a fee for the return debit note. Hence hotsplots charges 9,80 € per return debit note.

What information is stored at hotspot usage?

With every login or logout at a hotspot, time, name of the hotspot, MAC address of the hotspot router and client computer, public IP address of the hotspot, local IP address of the client, transfered amount of data and depending on the type of authorization username, ticket number or MAC address are stored.

HOTSPLOTS does not record content or visited URLs. These data are protected by the secrecy of telecommunications in german law.

During a session stored data are updated every ten minutes. The interim information of finished sessions is deleted daily.

After logout data that is not needed for billing purposes is temporarily stored for technical maintenance and support. In an effort to reach an optimum between privacy protection and quality of service we go clearly below the legal limit of seven days [July 2010]. At the moment [July 2010] we delete these data after three days.

All data that is needed for billing purposes is deleted monthly if it is older than five months and the bill is paid without objection.

Until these data are deleted the hotspot operator can view some usage data of his hotspots in the customer area. He has access to the data of his own sessions or those of the location tickets he created. Data of other sessions is shown anonymised, i.e. without username or even real name.

You find further information in the data protection policy of our website.

What information is stored at usage of HOTSPLOTS VPN?

After connecting to or disconnecting from the HOTSPLOTS VPN server timestamp, username, IP address of the VPN server, the user's public IP and VPN IP address are saved together with the amount of transfered data volume.

After logout data that is not needed for billing purposes is temporarily stored for technical maintenance and support. In an effort to reach an optimum between privacy protection and quality of service we go clearly below the legal limit of seven days [July 2010]. At the moment [July 2010] we delete these data after three days.

All data that is needed for billing purposes is deleted monthly if it is older than five months and the bill is paid without objection.

Please notice the data protection policy of our website too.

What happens if I forget to logout?

We implemented a security mechanism to prevent the user from needless costs. In case one stops using the hotspot without logging out, e. g. by shutting down the computer just going away, only the time till the next update of the network is accounted. These updates are done every 10 minutes. Clients that are not connected any more are automatically logged out.

Do I need a special SMTP address to send emails?

You should use the SMTP server of your email provider and your email provider should accept smtp connects from you from all over the world with authorization via username and password. Additionally this connection should be encrypted by SSL (or TLS).

Everything else is not secure and possibly an invitation to spammers. We do not offer an open SMTP(-spam)-relay.

If your email provider does not offer such service you can get a decent account at any major email provider like google, yahoo etc. for free.

What can I do to get a better connection?

The signal strength is mainly determinded by the positions of the WLAN hotspot's access point and your WiFi client respectively its antenna.

On your site you can find the optimal position with special software that shows continuously the exact signal strength. The according information of operating systems, e.g. the five columns of Microsoft Windows, are mostly too imprecise and static. Furthermore these special programs give infomation about other networks in range and background noise.

Good freeware programs are netstumbler for Windows XP and InsSIDer for Windows Vista and Windows 7.

If you want to use the hotspot stationary for a longer period of time, we recommend to use a good USB WLAN client with USB extension cable. This way you can place it where signal strength is best.

Alternatively or additionally you can contact the hotspot operator to ask whether there is anything he can do to improve your wireless connection. At some hotspots you find contact information on the login page of the hotspot or at our hotspot map. Otherwise you can send an email to us with the request to forward it to the hotspot operator.

How can I delete my account?

To cancel your membership, please log in to the Customer login and choose "Click here to delete your membership." on top of the page of the top menu item Personal data.

Your account will be immediately deactivated after pressing the confirmation button "Yes, delete account". Please consider, that remaining balance you might have on your account, will be lost.

In case you have running contract, such as HOTSPLOTS FreeRate, Postpaid or DSL, probably because you are not just a user but a hotspot operator, please read the according answer in the FAQ for hotspot operators.