Connecting to the Surf and Sip Network
What do I need to get started?
How much does the service cost?
Is the Surf and Sip Network safe?
How do I connect to the Surf and Sip Network?
Can I send and receive e-mail from my own account?
I keep getting booted off the network when I try to run my VPN.
How do I find a Surf and Sip location?
Who do I contact if I am still unable to log on?
Do I need to Log Off?

You can access our service with your own Laptop, Pocket PC or handheld device that is wirelessly enabled with an 802.11b/Wi-Fi wireless card. Cards may be purchased from a computer retail shop. Or you can buy a high output Surf and Sip™ wireless card directly from Surf and Sip. These are 200mw 802.11b cards available for $85 with a built-in antenna or $90 for a card with plugs for external antennas. These cards provide an incredibly wider range of coverage than the normal 30mw cards you see in most retail outlets. To get your own Surf and Sip™ high speed WiFi card, place your order by calling our toll-free sales line at 1 (877) 499-9817.

If you don't own a laptop or do not wish to purchase a wireless card you can use one of our Surf Stations available at most of our locations.


Surf and Sip offers a variety of Network Access plans to meet the needs of any user, from prepaid cards to unlimited monthly access. Please visit our products page for details and pricing.

Most Surf and Sip™ locations also have Surf Stations that you can use for an hourly fee. The purchase of a 15-minute or 60-minute Prepaid Internet Card from the location is necessary. These cards are good at any Surf and Sip location.


Surf and Sip utilizes the 802.11b or Wi-Fi standard for wireless Internet connections which is supported by the IEEE and the Wireless Ethernet Compatibility Alliance. For additional information please visit the Wi-Fi Website.


Once you arrive at any Surf and Sip location, turn on your laptop and launch your web browser. The Surf and Sip welcome page will appear, click the Begin Session button to move to the sign in page. If you already have a Surf and Sip membership, enter your username and password in the fields on the screen. If you are not a member you can sign up from the link on the log on page q.

If you have any problems connecting to the Surf and Sip Network, you may need to enter the SSID, also known as the Network Name. To configure this seting please refer to the user guide for your Wireless LAN Card and use SurfandSip as the SSID. Please enter it exactly as it appears here, no spaces, etc. The Surf and Sip Network also requires that you configure your network setting to obtain an IP Address dynamically also know as DHCP. If your PC Wireless card has an option to set the Network Type please select Infrastructure Mode.

Please restart your computer after changing the settings of your Wireless LAN Card.


You can use the Surf and Sip Network to send and receive e-mail from your own POP e-mail account using Outlook, Netscape Mail or other e-mail software. Before sending mail it may be necessary to modify your email client to the following settings.

For outgoing emails (SMTP), please configue your client for "mail.surfandsip.net" (not .com). Set your mailer to login with your SnS username/password (but do not check Secure Password Auth or SSL). This should allow you to send outgoing emails from any location.

The root cause of the problem is, when you initiate your VPN, it changes certain network configurations you have set on your laptop. When this happens, the tools we use to monitor your presence on our network is thrown off and we assume you have left so we log you out to prevent any time from elapsing on your account (if you have a paid account).

The way to fix this is to add a static route to your network configuration. The static route you want to add is any traffic going to the IP 10.0.0.4 should be routed via the gateway IP we provide for you via DHCP. When you turn on your VPN, your default route is most likely changing to one provided to you by the VPN server. This is what's causing the problem. The default gateway we provide you is being over-written with a new one and we can no longer monitor your presence from our private network.


Surf and Sip has developed, and continues to rapidly expand, a national network of locations to serve our customers. Click here to find the Surf and Sip location near you.


If you have additional technical questions, you can contact Surf and Sip at support@surfandsip.com or by calling 415.974.6321.


Prepaid card users: Yes. If you are using a prepaid card you need to Log Off or the remaining time will continue to run until it expires.

Network Members: If you have an unlimited access plan it is not necessary to Log Off. Shutting down your computer, changing networks, walking out of range, or quitting your web browser will terminate your session.


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