On Thu, 20 Dec 2007 17:08:09 -0600, "Neil"
wrote:

No, the chances of there being another hotspot are very slim, as there's
only a few types of business that have T-Mobile (Starbucks, Kinkos, some
hotels and airports -- that's about it). This wasn't a random hotspot. It
was a T-Mobile hotspot, and there are only a discreet set of them.

As for open ground, though, the place where I was down the street (to the
south) and a little west of where the hotspot was. In between (the northwest
corner of the intersection where I was at) was open. Thus, between me and
the hotspot, there were no buildings. I'm sure that was it.


It is quite possible one of these other businesses had put a
repeater on their roof so they could enjoy using their
account inside without having to pay for on-site service.

The only way you could more reliably know for certain is to
take a wifi locator, signal strength meter back down there
and canvas the area looking for more spots not on maps.

It is certainly possible for signals to go 800 feet outside,
line of sight, but more surprising if you're inside the
sandwich shop, even moreso to maintain connection with a
laptop and do that in a shop where there might be a kitchen
with microwaves.