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lynksys - Open Connection that covers Hollywood.
NetGear - Locked Connection that I see everywhere that appears to be broadband. I guess I would get the key once I buy a router?
dLink - Open Connection that covers Beverly Hills and most of West Hollywood, but comes in very strong.
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This makes me think that you are very confused. These are most likely people's personal wifi networks. They are the 3 default network names with each respective router. You see them all over town because few people realize they should change their SSID (or not broadcast it). They are different networks with the same name.
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This is interesting. I did some research, and linksys and dlink sell routers and other network devises to the public. I have thoroughly checked their web-sites and there is no talk of Internet charges. It appears to me, that if you are able to buy the required routers, that you would have no problem locking into their systems. Linksys was also originally built on a Linux Kernel, whatever could be derived from that.
I am also aware that certain "Wireless" connections are based on landlines and then is connected to a router. I imagine that several, if not most home networks work this way.
Some broadband networks are working through satellites now. If these systems are based strictly on airwaves, then perhaps their network is not as closed as some land line-based networks.
Really, I don't know what dlink or linksys is doing or exactly how they function. I just doubt that dlink and linksys has so many customers that all the routers are somehow blanketing the airwaves. This doubt is more compounded because I know that most (all?) WiFi is short distance.
NetGear is a network that is locked off to me. The interesting thing with them is also that I don't see any network plans.
For reference, I am posting an image of what I see when I search for a connection:
Hollywoodl... is Hollywoodland, and is a network that I know for sure is open to the public.
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Most of the locked networks have the same 2WIRE... followed by various numbers. Others have unique names for the user.
What is dlink and lynksys doing with a WiFi signal if they do not have any plans? And why are they floating around insecure? Do telecomm companies rent from them? Or is this just a contract that I referenced earlier?
I am concerned about the honesty of this. Although I don't have a carrier, I do pay for WiFi, through not-free hotspots.