I finally just figured out how to sign into the paid wifi account I signed up for a month ago with Wireless Gate‘s Yodobashi 380 yen per month plan. That’s a great price! But making it work for an English speaker is not a simple task.
It took a lot of Google Translating of their webpages to get through the signup form. The last field on the signup form requires a promo code, which I found somewhere online. Look for プロモーションコード in the last field which means Promotion Code. It looks like they prefill 12601231 now. Here’s the form translated into English for your convenience.
At some point you might also need the account management page.
It took a LOT of trial and error before I was able to finally connect via the BB Mobile Point hotspots which are available at McDonald’s across Japan. To save someone else from frustration, here’s how to do it.
First connect find a McDonald’s near you. You can use their online map to search for available hotspots. Here’s a link to a map of area of Hamamatsu where I’m living. Hotspots don’t load up right away on the map, you may have to click and drag the map.
Once, you’re at a McDonalds, connect to the mobilepoint wifi hotspot.
You have to connect via WEP and enter this code: 696177616b
There are also passwords for livedoor Wireless and the NRT-Airport.
Once you’ve connected to the hotspot, open up your browser. You’ll be taken to a login form that says “BB Mobile Point” at the top.
For your username enter: your-user-ID@wig
For your password, just enter whatever password you had set when you signed up.
Unfortunately, the BB Mobile Point hotspot at the McDonalds (i.e., the one near Zaza in downtown Hamamatsu) where I’m first trying this is very spotty and continually loses connection. I do not recommend the Wireless Gate wifi service. Save yourself the headache and stay home. Maybe the connection is better at other McDonalds. I hope so.
UPDATE: The MobilePoint connection at the McDonalds on the ground floor of the Hamamatsu eki is reasonably fast. It also doesn’t drop quite as often … only once in the last ten minutes! Also, I’m sitting at Tully’s (which is right by the McDonalds) so I’ve finally almost duplicated my Starbucks in the U.S. with free AT&T wifi work environment.
UPDATE 4/28/2010: MobilePoint speed test at the Hamamatsu eki McDonalds.
cheers for the post trudat. very helpful
just to add that the promo codes are available on leaflets in the main entrances to yodobashi camera. The leaflets say Wireless Gate on them and have a promo code in a red box.
using mobilepoint in mcdonalds in osaka and kyoto i have found the connection speeds to be very fast!
Thanks for the comment, Chaz. I'm glad it was helpful. Thanks for the clarification on the promo codes. I don't think there is a Yodobashi in Hamamatsu where I was at the time I needed the wifi. Now I'm in China where the Internet speed is super slow compared to Japan.
Do you have to sign up for a specified contract length, or is this month-to-month?
Hi Corinna, I don't think there is a contract length. I have recently left Japan and just canceled my account. I think the confirmation message said that they would still charge me for next month though. Oh well.
I just came back from Japan and I had the convenience of having a Japanese wife who was able to get everything translated for me. We actually went to one of the electronics super stores and paid cash for 3 months of service. The sales representative claimed this services had access to over 6000 access points around Japan. I was very disappointed with the service I got as we traveled. I have a Samsung Vibrant / Galaxy S class android mobile phone. I preloaded all the access point WEP keys and SSIDs. I was able to get WiFi at a few of the McDonald's and a few of the public parks and train stations. However, the connection speeds were really poor and rarely did I get better than "poor" signal strength. Here are the APs I was given with this service: http://www.tripletgate.com/onetime/setup.html
There is still over 60 days of service left on this card if anybody wants the username and password. Service will expire January 6th 2011
Thanks for this valuable information. I've been wondering how to use wi-fi at McDs and other places for a long time.
You're very welcome! I wrote this a while ago, so I'm glad to know that it's still applicable.