Java Dave's Review

Contributed by Tim Williston

May 9, 2005

This morning I decided to try Java Dave's free wifi service.  I tried the location at 81st and Harvard, which is closest to my home in South Tulsa.  There are 2 other stand alone stores in Tulsa (Sheridan and 15th, and 101st and Yale), as well as stores in Broken Arrow, Sapulpa, Sand Springs, Tulsa Airport, and others in the area.

This Java Dave's is a small store with about 10 tables, a couple of couches, and a counter space with 7 stools (which is where I set up shop).  The counter is perfect for my setup, with power outlets conveniently placed along the wall to keep my power hungry Dell charged up.  There are a couple of outlets placed along the wall as well for those who might choose a table instead.

Before I sat down, I bought a short coffee bar and bagel to enjoy as I checked out the surroundings and wifi access.  The coffee was pretty good, although don't take my word for it, I'm no coffee connoisseur.  The cinnamon and raisin bagel with honey walnut was toasted for me and was quite yummy!

Alright, so I know what the burning question is... how was the wifi access!  Well, I booted up, and my laptop easily found the Java Dave's network, plus I found the network at Hideaway Pizza, just a few doors down.  I'll have to review Hideaway's wifi service someday... they have the best pizza!

Connecting to their network was as easy as connecting to my home network.  Unlike Panera, there is no web page that you are directed to where you have to press a button to register on the network.  In no time, I was connected with 5 bars, excellent signal strength, and at 54 Mbps.

Their counter and barstool space was perfect for me here.  I was able to plug in my laptop without unwinding the power block.  I'll definitely be coming back to this store to surf or work more often.