Unbreakable VPN Connection for LinkNYC by Combining Wi-Fi and 4G / 5G Cellular with Speedify
Speedify keeps you online and private on LinkNYC’s free public Wi-Fi kiosks by combining that Wi-Fi with a phone’s 4G/5G and encrypting your traffic. Speedify is an app that combines two or more internet connections at once into one faster, more reliable connection, with a built-in VPN that protects your data on public networks.
If a LinkNYC kiosk drops, Speedify keeps you connected on cellular. Speedify runs on Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS.
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With Speedify, your internet stays on when one connection fails.
When one of your internet connections drops, Speedify shifts your traffic to your remaining connections in under a second — so calls don’t cut out and downloads don’t stall.
Should you have a backup 4G, 5G, Starlink, or cable internet connection?
Yes — every internet connection goes down, including Starlink, which drops for ~34 minutes a day on average. A backup connection from a different provider means one outage never takes you fully offline. The most common options are a 4G/5G cellular hotspot, a cable or DSL line, or a second satellite dish.
4G/5G cellular
Works anywhere. Just a SIM or hotspot — no installation needed.
Learn more →Cable / DSL
Best for fixed locations. Different network, so outages rarely overlap.
Learn more →Second Starlink
Adds redundancy and throughput for remote sites or heavy usage.
Learn more →Speedify bonds any two connections into one — automatic failover, more speed, no dropped calls.
Try Speedify free →
Did You Read the LinkNYC Privacy Policy Before Connecting?
Since LinkNYC free public WiFi kiosks have began to populate the streets of the Big Apple, their privacy policy has prompted controversy. In the first version of that policy from 2016, it permitted LinkNYC to store personal browser history, time spent on a particular website, and didn’t explicitly mention how LinkNYC would go about government demands or user data.
The LinkNYC privacy policy has last been updated in March of 2017, but some issues are still there, as mentioned by the Electronic Frontier Foundation in the beginning of October 2017.
How to Fix LinkNYC Privacy Issues with Speedify
As with any public WiFi network, the best way to anonymize the online traffic and protect your privacy is to use a VPN while connecting. Trouble is, most VPN solutions will slow down your Internet connection, as all the traffic is encrypted and goes through the VPN server before reaching the destination.
Speedify is a true mobile VPN that has been built from the ground up with speed in mind, while also providing real military-grade encryption to protect your online privacy.
Speedify has a strict no-log privacy policy, which means that you will not get your browsing data or any other online activities stored or sold to third party companies that would serve you “relevant” ads.
How Speedify Deals with LinkNYC Connectivity and Disconnect Problems
Privacy is not the only thing you should take into account when getting online with LinkNYC. If you are on the move (on the street, bus, etc.) you could also run into problems when moving between different LinkNYC hotspots. Your iPhone or Android smartphone will “navigate” from one LinkNYC free WiFi hotspot to another and even other public hotspots (Starbucks, McDonalds, etc.). So, there are many chances you stumble upon a non-working WiFi hotspot.
Plus, by default, as you’re moving around, you will be “passed” around from hotspot to hotspot, like in the case of a cellular network. Unfortunately, mobile devices don’t handle WiFi handoffs smoothly and that’s one of the reasons why LinkNYC hotspots may be disconnecting. Smartphones are bad at detecting poor Wi-Fi networks, and they default to Wi-Fi instead of LTE when it’s available. Connecting to a bad Wi-Fi hotspot is often the same as having no Internet at all.
Speedify offers patent-pending channel bonding technology for people like you and me. It basically securely combines 2 or more Internet connections for their aggregated speed and reliability. This means that you will never be offline, as your mobile device will compensate the performance of a bad WiFi hotspot with mobile data. This way, neither your streaming apps nor your VoIP calls will disconnect and you’ll be always online.
Get the Most of LinkNYC: Use Speedify for Privacy and Reliability
Here are 3 steps to get the most out of your LinkNYC experience in terms of privacy, speed and reliability:
- Get Speedify on your desktop or mobile device.
- Leave all your Internet connections active. For iPhones and Android smartphones – enable both WiFi and mobile data. Don’t worry – you can set data caps from within the Speedify app, so you won’t exceed it and pay extra. For laptops – you may have an additional 4G/LTE dongle or integrated card – activate that connection as well.
- Enjoy faster, more reliable Internet. Speedify will automatically detect any new active Internet connections and toss them into the mix to create a faster and dependable Internet connection. If one connection should drop, Speedify will intelligently reroute the traffic to the other active connections. When the dropped connection is functional again, Speedify will use it again.
If you’re using the LinkNYC free public WiFi hotspots, stay protected online and improve the reliability of your connection with Speedify. Get started today – no strings attached!
Alex and the Speedify team are always exploring the latest in networking and security technology—like 5G, 6G, WiFi 7, laser and satellite internet—and sharing it in new discussion content across YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, and LinkedIn every week.
Got a tech question? Let's go deeper! Pop into Speedify Office Hours live every Wednesday at 10 AM Eastern. Speedify CEO Alex Gizis and our network engineers are standing by to break down your questions about networks, tech updates, and Speedify features.
Speedify
Get started with Speedify today.
Combine Wi-Fi, 4G/5G cellular, Ethernet, Starlink, and more into one faster, steadier connection. Free to try — no credit card required.
🚀 Speed
Faster uploads and downloads by bonding all your connections at once.
📶 Stability
Automatic failover in under a second when any connection drops.
🔒 Security
AES-256 encryption on every connection, on every network you join.
15M+ downloads worldwide. 75K+ five-star reviews on iOS and Android.