Chain stores and restaurants provide most of the free Wi-Fi networks in Hyattsville.

A survey by the Hyattsville Wire of local public Internet hotspots found that most of them are provided by national chains, especially around Prince George’s Plaza.

That includes the Staples, Dunkin’ Donuts and Starbucks right by the Metro station, the Qdoba and the Kaiser Permanente health care center in University Town Center and the Target and Macy’s at the Mall at Prince George’s.

Two government facilities offer free Wi-Fi: the Prince George’s Community College extension at University Town Center and the Hyattsville Branch Library.

If you don’t mind paying for coffee, the best place to use free Wi-Fi, however, is Busboys and Poets, which advertises that feature on its sign out front and is, surprisingly, the only open hotspot in the Shoppes at Arts District Hyattsville. Busboys also offers plenty of electrical outlets near its booths and tables and has a cozy couch seating area popular with laptop users.

The most surprising hotspots we found were Jessica’s Bridal near Queens Chapel Road and the Kentucky Fried Chicken near the West Hyattsville Metro, because using a computer seems like the last thing you’d do while trying on a wedding dress or eating fried chicken, but you never know.

Overall, the city could use a few more hotspots. It would be good to be able to get on the Internet at Franklin’s restaurant, other restaurants in the Arts District, City Hall, the Prince George’s Plaza Community Center and the Metro stations, for example.

Update: Spice 6 in the Arts District also has free Wi-Fi.

If we missed a hotspot, let us know in the comments.