Road Trip: Testing Google's Wi-Fi Network

When Google announced on Tuesday that it had launched a free municipal wireless network in its home town of Mountain View, we here at PC Magazine decided it was time for a road trip. Free muni Wi-Fi sounded too good to be true, so we just had to see it for ourselves. Equipped with a laptop, some speed-testing software, and a map of the service area provided by Google, we hit the road in search of Wi-Fi gratis.

My road trip to Mountain View started where all respectable road trips begin: Taco Bell. My editors made a point of warning me not to sit in my car with a laptop in front of police stations, so I figured geeking it out in a Taco Bell parking lot would be less suspicious.