For those crew who travel with a laptop, iPad or wi-fi-enabled smart phone, Ft. Lauderdale’s yachting district has an abundance of free wi-fi hotspots.

Here are a few places to connect that might not necessary pop up on a Google search, along with what’s new this season.

First, the basics. Connecting to a free wi-fi hotspot can be as simple as opening your Internet browser. Once you do that, the hotspot’s splash screen often pops up. Agree to the standard service terms and click connect. 

Sometimes, you’ll need to choose a wi-fi site manually. Just open your wireless network connections and search through the list of networks within range. 

Before logging onto a free wi-fi hotspot, ask your host for their wireless network name, such as “attwifi,” and for any log-on passwords that may be required. You should never be prompted to enter your e-mail address or any personal information.

“Using wireless in public locations is convenient but it can be extremely insecure,” said Kit Koenig, managing director of The Technology Garage in Ft. Lauderdale. “Always use encryption when possible through your web browser and, if you are using e-mail software such as Outlook or Thunderbird, make sure to configure the software to encrypt your e-mails using SSL or TLS.” 

Encryption is the simple act of changing clear text to unreadable information so an eavesdropper cannot read any of your information that is being transmitted to the Internet. Web sites that begin with https:// are encrypted; on sites beginning with http://, information is transferred in clear text.

One way to secure your web surfing is to use Mozilla Firefox’s and Internet Explorer’s built-in encryption by typing an “s”  into the web address so that http:// reads as https:// instead. This only works with Web sites that support https, which includes sites such as Google, Facebook and, most importantly, banks. 

Some e-mail hosts such as Gmail always send e-mail encrypted over an https site, while others such as AOL do not. Make sure you have your computer’s firewall turned on and don’t allow exception if prompted. 

It is important to understand that by logging onto a public wi-fi site you are joining a shared network. Some hotspots allow communications between users on the network. You may also want to disable file and print sharing before logging on so that other users on the hotspot cannot view your shared files.

At the show

The options for free wi-fi at the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show later this month have expanded.

* New this year is the Captain’s Den, a private crew lounge at Bahia Mar Yachting Center behind the Yachts International Pavilion on the face dock. It will feature free wi-fi but only captains and crew working the show can get in. Invitations will come from Show Management.

* Just outside the show’s main gates at Bahia Mar is the Captain’s Hideout, which also offers free wi-fi to yacht captains and crew (working the show or not).  

* The Java Breeze Cyber Café at the convention center across from Hall D has 10 computers where crew can go online and check e-mail for free. 

Yachtie Downtown 

Yachtie downtown -- Southeast 17th Street between US1 and the bridge -- hosts more than 30 free wi-fi hotspots and business services where crew can go online. Most are within walking distance of each other. 

* New to the Southport shopping center and broadcasting a strong, unlocked wi-fi signal is Panera Bread bakery and café. Employees have a casual attitude toward customers who linger and have no time limit on wi-fi use. 

* Many restaurants and pubs offer free wi-fi to customers, including several yachtie hangouts such as Southport Raw Bar, Quarterdeck, Waxy’s, H&E Marina Deli, Village Well and Duffy’s Sports Bar. In a few cases, you will need to request a log-on password from your server.

All FedEx Office, Starbucks and McDonald’s broadcast as “attwifi”. I found the sites to be open and free to log onto without a password.

* Four crew agencies kindly extend online courtesies. The most complete range of services are offered at the Crew4Crew office, located behind Waxy’s. Four work stations loaded with business software are available for crew to use, free of charge, while working on employment documents. Crew are welcome to hang out in a comfortable lounge environment and log onto the Crew4Yachts wi-fi network. 

* Crew Unlimited, also behind Waxy’s in its new location at 1069 S.E. 17th Street, has four computers in the reception area that crew can use to access e-mail and update their profiles. The agency also allows crew to log onto its wi-fi account.

* Luxury Yacht Group, across from Waxy’s at 1362 S.E. 17th St. in South Harbor Plaza, has three work stations with Internet access and attached scanners in a quiet room. Yacht crew are welcome to drop by and use the computer’s as they wish. 

* Elite Crew International, located at bit west of Waxy’s at 714 S.E. 17th St., offers free wi-fi and computer use to crew registered with the company in a roomy lounge. Prints of job-related documents and resume assistance are complimentary.  

* Students and alumni of International Yacht Training, 910 S.E. 17th St., can use to the school’s wi-fi network and facilities.

Downtown Ft. Lauderdale

The heart of Ft. Lauderdale lies north of the New River straddling the railroad tracks.

* The New River, Riverwalk and downtown business district offers a variety of places to connect online.

New this season: Floating, day-use docks have been installed along Riverwalk Park. Boats up to 26 feet may dock for free, while you go ashore into downtown. The floating docks are located on the New River near the Southeast Third Avenue, South Andrews Avenue and Southwest Fourth Avenue bridges and are available on a first-come basis. For more information, contact the city’s downtown dockmaster. 

* Located along the New River and offering free wi-fi are the Downtowner Saloon, Pirates Republic Seafood & Grill and Briny Irish Pub. The Publix super market on Andrews, two blocks south of the bridge, has free wi-fi and picnic supplies.

Broward County broadcasts an outdoor, free public wi-fi signal along Second Avenue in the area between the IMAX theater and South Andrews Avenue. Several restaurants and pubs offer outdoor seating within range of “BCPublic”.  

* A local favorite for coffee is Brew Urban Cafe, which also has free wi-fi, or find a space outdoor and log onto “BCPublic”.

* The Broward County main library is an excellent place to go online and is now accessible by dingy. The library’s free wi-fi “MN-BLC-NET” is unlocked and open for unlimited use with no registration required.

The 7th floor has been transformed into a computer center, including a designated cell phone area where you may Skype from your laptop. More than 60 computers with Internet access and Office 2007 are available; use is limited to 2 hours per day.

Visitors, including international, may obtain a free computer card by filling out an application and showing a picture ID. Free computer classes are offered and open to all.

The main library is at the corner of South Andrews Avenue and Southeast Second Street, one block south of the Broward Boulevard central bus terminal. The library is open Tuesday and Wednesday from noon-8 p.m. and Monday, Thursday and Friday from 10 a.m.- 6 p.m. The main library is closed weekends.

Get thee outside

If anything, Ft. Lauderdale means sunshine, and it doesn’t disappoint with outdoor, free wi-fi signals.

* By far, the strongest outdoor wi-fi signal I could locate is “attwifi” on the southern end of Ft. Lauderdale beach near the picnic tables and BBQ grills across from Bahia Mar Yachting Center. This is a perfect spot to start the day with a morning cup of coffee and catch up on e-mails.

* Bahia Cabana, a casual Key West-style patio bar and restaurant, is a longstanding local favorite. It is located on the southern side of Bahia Mar and has a dingy dock for use while dining. To access the free wi-fi you must obtain a password from the hotel’s front deck.  

* Victoria Allman, yacht chef and author of “Sea Fare”, recommends a favorite hotspot where she wrote most of her second book “SEAsoned”. 

“I head to a quiet, out-of-the-way place, Riverside Market, that has over 500 microbrews,” she said. “They have a great deli and free wi-fi. It is super cool there, as it is set in an old convenience store and decorated with old-Lauderdale pictures from a Miami Herald photographer. I ride my bike there with computer in backpack.”

Find Riverside Market at 608 S.W. 12th Ave., near the swing bridge and Riverside Park, which has tennis and basket courts open to the public free of charge.

24-hour hotspots

Sometimes, you need free wi-fi when everything is closed. 

* The FedEx Office on US1 just north of Broward Boulevard is open 24 hours. 

* On the corner of 17th Street and US1, Denny’s restaurant and McDonald’s are both open 24 hours and offer free wi-fi. Note that the lobby of McDonalds’ closes from 1 a.m. to 5 a.m., but the wi-fi signal is blasted outside 24 hours for drive-thru customers. 

Eng. Paul Warner reports that while attending engineering courses at Maritime Professional Training, he and a group of “die hard late-night bookworms took our laptops to Denny’s on 17th Street. We were there for several hours one night in the back corner having free refills of coffee all while we studied.”  

Crew looking for free wi-fi access in Ft. Lauderdale this season don’t have far to look. The opportunities to stay connected while having fun, looking for the perfect job or attending the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show have never been better.