A coffee shop's free wifi in Seattle made me finally set up a VPN on my phone.

I was there last Tuesday, just checking my bank account while waiting for a friend. The login page looked normal, but something felt off. I didn't connect, and later I found out that place had a history of sketchy network setups. It was the push I needed. I installed a reputable VPN app that same afternoon. Now it's just a habit to turn it on before I connect to any public network. It's one less thing to worry about. Has anyone else had a close call that finally made them take a specific security step?

3 comments

3 Comments

lee.lucas27d ago

Yo, did you guys ever have a moment where you realized your "security" was basically just me going "uhhh I hope this is fine"? 😂 The airport lounge fake network thing got me too, but only because I typed in my email and password before thinking "wait... that font looks wrong." Like, my brain finally woke up from its nap. Now I'm that guy who triple-checks every WiFi name like I'm solving a puzzle, and honestly my VPN is probably the only reason my phone still has a working battery.

camerona792mo ago

Yeah, @jadeg81, that fake network trick is why I always double-check the official name now (and keep my VPN on, of course).

jadeg812mo ago

That "something felt off" feeling is the worst, right? I had the same thing happen at an airport lounge, where the network name was just one letter off from the real one (like "Free_Airport_WiFi" instead of "Free_Airport_Wifi"). It totally spooked me. I finally set up a VPN on all my devices that week, and now I feel kind of naked without it on in public. It's crazy how it takes one sketchy login page to make it a normal habit.