That’s how it is with captive portals, you are redirected to a web page to login, and there you have to type your username and password. Can you imagine how inconvenient it is to login from a mobile device such as a mobile phone or PDA? Even if it does have a tiny weenie keyboard? Is there an auto-login client for Wireless@SG? Can IDA sponsor someone to write a client for Symbian OS and Windows Mobile?
So now I carry around an 802.11 wireless capable mobile phone with me all the time. Great if there is wireless around me. At home, I have a WPA2 access point where I can authenticate and login automatically, and enjoy secure encrypted wireless access. In NUS (where I work), I have 802.1x PEAP access points, so again it is automatic authentication and login, secure encrypted wireless access.
And what do I get with Wireless@SG? Manually key in username and password. After that, the wireless connection is neither secure nor encrypted. Anyone can trivially sniff my traffic. Okay it is free, don’t ask for too much.
I was tempted to just switch to my 3G data connection, even though there was this rare opportunity that Wireless@SG was there for me to use. I think automatic login is not too much to ask for. I hope IDA or the Wireless@SG providers do something about it.
Added on 11th July 2007: Here I am sitting in SUNTEC trying to get some work done. No WirelessSG. But there is ACCESS-StarHub. Fortunately I have a Hub ID. Otherwise, you guessed it, it will be 3G again.