SM management limits free WiFi access

Bob Freking July 16, 2013 · 1 min read

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Whenever, I’m at an SM Mall, I immediately connect to their free Wi-Fi service to keep my feeds updated all throughout my stay. But just recently when I was at the SM Mall of Asia, I noticed that the Wi-Fi connection on my Nexus 4 was automatically disconnected.

That’s when I saw a notification on my browser stating that I have reached the maximum free WiFi access for the day. After that, I tried connecting on my Nexus 7 – and only just then that I spotted the time limit – 1 hour.

This may come as a bad news to some mall goers, particularly those who just hang out at the mall to leech on the mall’s free internet access. On the other hand, this will benefit the majority of the people as it will result to faster internet connection.

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Bob Freking

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Bob Freking occasionally contributes articles to the website. He is a UST Graduate of Commerce & Business Administration, Major in Marketing Management, and a full-time Sith Lord with three dragons.

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85 Comments

Migs · 6 years ago

I have key in one wrong digit in my new mobile number since bago cp at sim ko. How do hange mobile number used to register to SM Wifi? The OTP was sent to the wrong number. Pls help. It’s my only way to spend time when in SM while waiting for my wife.

Miko · 8 years ago

How do you change your mobile number na registered sa SM Free Wifi? Nawala ko dating sim ko, ngayonwalabg change option kung magconnect diretso straight sa “PIN has been sent.”

row · 8 years ago

Lately sm malls totally disabled their free wifi. You will never find free wifi anymore from sm servers.

David Cheadle · 9 years ago

Aye, that’s right they going to malls just to get free high-speed internet connection and download some files, plus the place is air conditioned…. And of course the mall owner and it’s administrators certainly know that and they also know that hundreds of people were connected to their WIFI and it will be slow if those will hang out eating big data in every second.
So they limit it’s usage to avoid that kind of abuse and serve people a better faster internet and it’s very right……

rem · 13 years ago

pero makaka connect kapa kaya nun? oh hindi na for life?

ej · 13 years ago

To the management: Your internet access connection is sooo slow. Given the limited time to your shoppers, I suggest that you check your wifi internet once in a while. For the record, ever since you limited the time here in SM Bacoor, it takes 10 mins to connect to social networking sites.

seph · 13 years ago

asa ka pa d na uso libre dito Pinas…!!! hahaha

poreber · 13 years ago

Dito Sa Indonesia may wifi yung mga Mosque. Sa Philippines may wifi ba ang mga simbahan?

Anonymous · 13 years ago

Dito sa Pinas nagpupunta ang mga tao sa simbahan para magsimba o ibang religious activity, jan ba sa Indonesia, nkikiwifi lang kaya nagpupunta sa mosque? Hindi ngunit may wifi ang simbahan eh sikat na.

anon666 · 13 years ago

ok naman ang wifi nila, pero yung time na pag madami na tao, bumabagal, minsan di pa makakonek, ayus yan ginawa ng SM para mabawasan mga abusado.

meh · 13 years ago

You know whats disappointing about the malls here , is no free wifi that works well and no place to sit without buying something.

Most of the SM malls won’t let you sit anywhere unless you go into a store to buy something . You can’t sit on the steps or do anything. I also notice the free wifi gone at Starbucks and Robinsons malls

Its a shame that things are abused

Carlo · 13 years ago

why would you go to the mall if your not planning to buy anything? and why would someone be mad for having something free taken away? as if you paid for it and you have the right to complain..

Jason · 13 years ago

Freeloader indeed

Jherwnne · 13 years ago

isa sya sa mga leechers ng free wifi saka tambay ng mall para magpalamig. :)

tmcr7 · 13 years ago

What do you expect from a company greedy for profits? They can’t even regularize their sales ladies.

tambaylangakonoh · 13 years ago

ok lang yun tama lng ung gnawa ng sm para mabawasan ung kabagalan ng Internet Sa lahat ng sm malls Sa pinas
I hope also businesses inside affected sm malls must implement free wifi systems para mabenefit rin ung mga customers katulad Sa Starbucks.

neo · 13 years ago

Tama yan ginawa ng SM, marami kasi abusado na nag tatambay lang sa food court tapos nakikigamit ng WiFi ng SM para mag FB or Twitter buong mag hapon.

Iyan Sommerset · 13 years ago

This kinda did annoy me last time I connected. I mean, who stays in a mall less than 2 hours? They should just throttle/block some sites (I’m guessing YouTube is a big bandwidth hog), or cap the bandwidth and not the time.

-J

-Joe · 13 years ago

I’m a security conscious kapag walang WPA2 authentication hindi ako mag connect kahit saang WIFI connection. There’s always a threat kapag free pwedi yan lagyan ng packet sniffer ng iba. Bottom line hindi pa rin yan safe kahit free.

-BEWARE of Black Hats-

Reader · 13 years ago

There’s always a threat naman talaga once you connect to any open, public network. Pero what’s to be afraid of kung magbabasa lang naman ako ng news websites while sipping a cup of coffee?

fmz · 13 years ago

bandwidth cap of asia.

Smokescreen · 13 years ago

Sana if may nabili ka naman sa SM lets say worth at least P500, bibigyan ka ng password para magamit mo yun internet ng mga at least 3hrs. Then the more you shop, the longer hours of usage.

Jes · 13 years ago

Great idea!

samuel witwicky · 13 years ago

Well, I never could connect to their Wifi at SM Megamall. What’s the deal with that? Anyone else having that problem?

Joy · 13 years ago

Dapat lang naman e. One particular experience – nasa Starbucks ako, tried sitting in one customer na naghohog (no offense meant here) sa sitting area na nagiinternet using SM Wifi. Ayaw nya, meron daw syang kasama – ayaw lang nyang makishare ng seating area.

Makapal lang talaga e – taking advantage of the space na di bumibili nakikiwifi lang sa SM. Kawawa ang mga legit na bumibili ng pagkain or drinks.

Rick · 13 years ago

wala rin naman kwenta ang wifi nila eh. I doubt that someone will go there just to download movies and such, 30 years bago sila matapos sa bagal ng net. Now they limit the connection to 1 hour.. oh well.. best bet is to have a mobile data connection nalang.

Dee · 13 years ago

haha. yeah. nagulat din ako nung nagpunta ako sa Moa last Sunday. Hindi naman ako madalas maki-wifi kay SM dahil sa kabagalan din. :)Pero okay nadin to nang mabawasan tambay sa food court! :D

Rouge · 13 years ago

Get your own DATA plan is what they meant!

ariel · 13 years ago

exactly! kaso mo lang pag nasa loob ka ng mall hina ng 3G signal ng networks…kaya napipilitan ka maghanap ng hotspot and its good anjan ang coffee beans or krispy kreme that offers reliable connection yan ang problema ko sa 3G unli data plan ko sa smart …

booboo · 13 years ago

@ariel

Actually malala kapag Smart user ka tapos nasa isang Ayala mall ka. Before ka pumasok naka LTE ka, when you’re inside it will drop to 3G tapos mabagal pa. Then when you get out balik LTE at mabilis na ulit. Haaay, Ayala and Globe. Why?

kiko · 13 years ago

@booboo

Because ayala malls and globe are owned by the ayalas.

ariel · 13 years ago

@booboo, tama ka parati ko experence pag pumapasok ako sa trinoma, parati nawawala ang 3G signal ko hayy pangit na nga malln ila at sobrang siksikan pa ng mga freeloaders kaya what i do takbo ako sa the block or sa shangrila at least don konti tao at malakas talaga 3G ko …

Reader · 13 years ago

Well, duh, resources din naman kasi yan ng SM. Andaming abusado dyan eh. Yung tipong pupunta ng mall para lang maka-download ng files/movies/torrents nila, wala namang bibilhin. Ok lang sana kung pang-check ng social networking sites or email ang ginagawa. Ang jeje pa ng iba dyan. Nasisira tuloy ang “premier” image ng SM Aura, hahaha! XD

Miss Call · 13 years ago

I don’t see anything premier out of a flooded parking and dripping theater ceilings.

Verbl Kint · 13 years ago

If they wanted to limit leechers, they could have easily just done proper administration to the network (throttling or closing ports) instead of limiting access to only 1 hour.

This is clearly an admission from SM that they cannot handle the load of thousands of people trying to surf the net or post to facebook/instagram/twitter/ at the same time.

Boo · 13 years ago

@Miss Call: You need to improve your sarcasm-detecting skills.

Pol · 13 years ago

Dati na yan Sir :) actually kahit network, IP jailed na rin iwas sniffers

Smokescreen · 13 years ago

Hahaha! May capping na rin sa SM!

ariel · 13 years ago

eh tama din naman yang ginagawa ng sm kasi ang daming mga pinoy mahilig sa libre, magpapalamig sa loob ng mall tas maki free wifi pa over di ba? tas if you look at them wala naman binili whole day yan magbabad sa mall …kaloka! kaya dapat yan gawin ng sm …

bajigjig · 13 years ago

Nakikiinom pa ng tubig sa food court

sadsadsd · 13 years ago

@bajigjig: Buti kung inom lang. May mga iba na nakiki-inom na nga lang. Maglalabas pa ng PET bottle at mag-tatake home pa ng tubig (sabay kupit ng fork and spoon)!

Edwin C · 13 years ago

Iyang mga taong mga libre lang ang hinahabol sa mall sila ang nagpapadami ng tao sa mall. Makikita mo naka-upo lang sa mga stairs, klarong-klaro na walang kapera-pera ang mga iyan. Ang tagal pang umuwi ng mga freeloaders na iyan. Palakad-lakad ang karamihan sa kanila at para bang naghahanap ng libreng mani.