Last time this blog did a Wifi Around China post, Starbucks got hammered for what turned out to be sub-optimal wifi at the Beijing Capital Times Square outlet in Xidan. The wifi network there was without passwords. And from that moment on, we’ve learned to distrust or at least be very suspicious of Starbucks outlets with wifi networks without passwords. (Could be that folks next door are stealing the signal.)

Well, it looks like the Starbucks on the eastern side of town — on Ritan Road just east of Jianguomen — has no such fault.

The Starbucks on Ritan Road lies in the middle of Beijing’s more diplomatic-and-commercial territories (which doesn’t say a lot, we admit). It faces the international-esque International Club (pardon the pun if you will), which in the early 1980s was expat heaven. (Now expats are allowed in just about every last place in the Jing. How times have changed.)

In a config seen again at the Pinnacle Plaza in Shunyi and the Xuanwumen Junefield SOGO, this Starbucks is right next to a SUBWAY sandwich shop. (Why are these two “in love”? Please don’t give your tech blogger the Tuna Sandwich Connection as a reason — both offer you the delicacy, by the way.)

Wifi here is relatively fast and is VPN-friendly, and the best time to come is during evenings. Your blogger’s in here sometimes — and has been here on two Saturday evenings. It’s pretty quiet especially this time of the day, and the not-too-loud background music playing non-cliché pop/rock music makes it a somewhat pleasant environment to get some work done.

The only fault we could find was with the iPhone 3G checking into Gowalla (sans VPN) — it didn’t work that well over wifi. With wifi off on the iPhone, though, it was better. Also a note here for 3G people on China Unicom’s 3G service — you don’t get a full signal. (Then again, China Unicom was never known for an always-on full signal…)

Tested: 20:30, June 13, 2010 with a 15-inch MacBook Pro and iPhone 3G
Wifi: Free; no password needed
Signal: Good all-round
VPN support: Good support
Transit links: Subway Lines 1 or 2 to Jianguomen; exit B. Head left at the exit and continue straight for about 5 minutes or so, then turn left at traffic lights. Starbucks is to your right.

Starbucks Ritan Road
Ritan Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing, China