This post is by DCist contributor Tom Lee.

Free wifi is coming to Dupont Circle. Today’s Post reports
that area consulting firm TechAssist LLC will begin offering free wireless access this Friday. Web users will fire up their laptops or PDAs, select the network with an SSID named “FreeDupont Wireless,” accept the license agreement that appears in their browser, and commence pretending that they’re actually indoors. Hurray!

But browse with care. You’re sharing that signal with everyone else
in the area, so it’s imperative that you practice safe surfing. Don’t
submit sensitive information like passwords or credit cards numbers to any sites whose URLs don’t begin with “https://”. Don’t transmit anything over email or IM that you wouldn’t mind someone else seeing. If you try to access a secure site and get a message warning you about a discrepancy with an SSL certificate, pack up and head home — someone may be trying to steal your info. And for pete’s sake, close up those file shares pointing to all_my_credit_card_numbers.xls!

Finally, if you haven’t already got one, installing a software firewall would probably go a long way toward saving yourself from any tendencies toward electronic promiscuity.

TechAssist LLC says that they may consider similar wifi installations at McPherson Square and Adams Morgan. But if you don’t frequent Dupont and can’t wait for gratis wireless, check out OpenPark.net, an initiative that provides net access on the National Mall. You might also want to peruse DCFud’s list of area businesses that offer free wifi.