WiFi Tips While Riding the Bus

Be aware

Public Wi-Fi is inherently insecure – so be cautious.

I Wouldn’t Go There

It’s a good idea to avoid visiting and logging into websites where there’s a chance that cybercriminals could capture your identity, passwords, or personal information. Avoid doing any shopping or online banking on websites that may store your information.

Lock up Before You Leave

Protect your device and yourself from outside intruders. Ensure any device that you connect to an open network is uptodate with the latest anti-malware and security software. Some good examples are zonealarm (firewall), Norton or McCaffee (anti-virus) and Malwarebytes.

You Don’t Have to Share

You may share your music library, printers or files, or even allow remote login from other computers on your Wi-Fi network in the privacy of your own home. Unless you disable these settings before connecting to a public Wi-Fi network, anyone else in the vicinity may be able to hack into your PC.

Please Ask First

Your smart phone or tablet may be set to automatically connect to any available Wi-Fi hotspot, a setting that can seriously endanger your privacy. Not only will this allow your device to connect to public networks without your express permission, you may also be automatically connecting to malicious networks set up specifically to steal your information.

Connect to the Right Network

Sometimes hackers will set up a fake Wi-Fi network to attract unwitting public Wi-Fi users. The Pierce Transit public Wi-Fi network is named Pierce Transit. Accept no alternatives. To identify you’ve logged into the correct network your first screen will require you to accept Pierce Transit's Terms of Service. When moving from one Pierce Transit bus to another, you will have to accept the Terms of Service again to reconnect to Wi-Fi.

Suspicious Behavior is Cause for Alert

Always running up-to-date anti-virus software can help provide the first alert if your system has been compromised while connected to an unsecured network. An alert will be displayed if any known viruses are loaded onto your computer or if there are any suspicious behaviors. While running anti-virus software might not catch all unauthorized activity, it’s a great way to protect against most attacks.

Good Thing NOT to Save

Opt to Not Save Passwords. Yes, it is tempting. There are just so many passwords to remember. Websites and browsers are forever asking if you want to save and store passwords. A general rule of thumb: you're probably better off not storing your username and password anywhere, especially when it comes to banking sites and the like.

Trip Planner Help

Trip Planner Tips - Entering Locations

To create a trip plan you need to enter both a starting location (origin) and an ending location (destination). For information about stops, schedules, or service at a specific location, you only need to enter one location.

The Trip Planner recognizes most street intersections and addresses as well as many landmarks in Pierce, King, and Snohomish Counties. If what you entered is not immediately recognized, the Trip Planner will offer you a list of options. You can choose one of the options, but if your intended location is not there, select the "Revise Original Entries" link to return to the entry page and change the entries you have already made.

Addresses

You don't need to type in the city along with the address. The Trip Planner shows the possible city names as options if needed. City names are based on zip codes.
You don't need to type in St., Street, Ave., or Avenue, or similar street types. The Trip Planner shows the possible alternatives as options if needed. (Example: type 110 Jones instead of 110 Jones Boulevard.)
You don't need to type in the directional designations for streets, but if a direction name is part of a street name, you should include it. (Example: type 1000 Main instead of 1000 S Main. But type 1000 West Viewmont for 1000 West Viewmont Way W.)
Some streets and addresses are unknown to the Trip Planner. You may need to enter another nearby location, such as an intersection or a landmark.
You should not enter the suite number or apartment number. Just the house number and street name (Example: type in 401 Broadway instead of 401 Broadway Avenue Suite 800).

Intersections

The "&" symbol is the only character used between two street names to show an intersection. (Examples: 1st & B, James & Madison)
You don't need to type in the city. The Trip Planner shows the possible city names as options if needed. City names are based on zip codes.
You don't need to type in St., Street, Ave., or Avenue, or similar street types. The Trip Planner shows the possible alternatives as options if needed. (Example: type Conifer & Jones instead of Conifer Circle & Jones Boulevard.)
You don't need to type in the directional designations for streets, but if a direction name is part of a street name, you should include it. (Example: type 3rd & Main instead of 3rd S & S Main. But type 34th & West Viewmont for 34th W & West Viewmont Way W.)
Some streets are unknown to the Trip Planner. You may need to enter another nearby intersection or a landmark.

Landmarks

Government Sites: Pierce County Health Dept, Pierce Co Sheriffs Office, Tacoma City Hall

Major Commercial Sites: Tacoma Mall, Sheraton Hotel

Transportation Facilities: Sea-Tac Airport, Greyhound Bus Depot

Schools & Colleges: Pacific Lutheran University, Tacoma Community College

Sports & Leisure: Cheney Stadium, Pt Defiance Zoo

Medical Facilities: Group Health, Tacoma General Hospital