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A hotspot is a wireless access point that has been shared with the Linkr network. It is the fundamental unit of connectivity on Linkr.

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What qualifies as a hotspot

Any wireless access point can become a Linkr hotspot:
  • A home router with guest network enabled
  • A mobile phone sharing its cellular connection
  • A dedicated access point at a business
  • An outdoor installation in a public space
  • A portable device carried by a traveler
The only requirement is that it can provide wireless internet access and be registered through the Linkr app.

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What makes a hotspot useful

Not all hotspots are equally valuable. The most useful hotspots share a few characteristics: Availability. They are online when people need them. A hotspot that is only available sporadically is less useful than one that maintains consistent uptime. Reliability. They provide stable connections. Frequent disconnections or poor performance reduce a hotspot’s value. Accessibility. They are configured to allow connections. A hotspot that exists but cannot be accessed serves no purpose on the network.

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How hotspots are identified

Each hotspot on Linkr has:
  • A location: where it physically exists
  • A status: whether it is currently online
  • A reliability score: based on historical availability data
  • An access configuration: who can connect and under what terms
This information is visible on the map and updated continuously.

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Hotspot lifecycle

A typical hotspot lifecycle:
  1. Registration: the contributor shares the hotspot through the Linkr app
  2. Verification: the network confirms the hotspot’s location and connectivity
  3. Observation: availability and performance are tracked over time
  4. Discovery: the hotspot appears on the map for other users
  5. Access: users connect, generating usage data
  6. Maintenance: the contributor monitors and maintains the hotspot
Hotspots can be updated, paused, or removed at any time by the contributor.

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Why hotspots matter

Every hotspot on Linkr represents a real commitment by a real participant. It is not a data point scraped from another source or a marker placed based on assumptions. When you see a hotspot on the Linkr map, you know:
  • Someone chose to share it
  • It has been observed by the network
  • Its availability data is based on real measurements
This is what distinguishes Linkr from coverage maps and Wi-Fi finders.
A single hotspot might seem small. But thousands of hotspots, contributed by thousands of participants, create infrastructure that did not exist before.