War-garaging...
 

I set up a wireless network at home this week, primarily so I could get internet access in the garage without having to run wires.

I'm using a Linksys DSL router (yes, with the latest f/w) and USB adapter, configured with 64-bit WEP and only the MACs on my network allowed in.

So I'm playing with the monitoring s/w, and it looks like the SSID of my access point has changed. Hmm. Turns out it didn't - my own DSL connect dropped, and I was picking up some neighbor's connection! At one point, I had 4 different connections to choose from, all with the defailt SSID and no encryption! Let that be a lesson to those of you considering going wireless.

Here's my setup - I hardly need to go back in the house!
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1096001016.jpg

Thom, that's not a garage, it's a true bachelor hangout! You can do all the things you love most about being a bachelor -- drink beer (Yeah, I see that Sierra Nevada!) from the fridge, reheat leftovers in the microwave, listen to your favorite music, hang out with Pelicans, and work on your car!

Makes me wish I had an actual garage, rather than a small covered space with a lockable door.... //Green with envy

Dan

You would be amazed at the number of people who fire up their access point with NO WEP.

You're probably familiar with "wardriving," the practice of identifying and cataloging access points. If you haven't already, you can download a copy of "netstumbler" at www.netstumbler.com that will log all the access points.

I can sit in my apartment and pick up 7 different networks, including somebody's Apple AirPort. . . pretty cool.

I can see one of my neighbors c-drive. Some pretty cool pics there....

Post them.

When cable modems first came out, the provider "@home" was passing everything through their routers.

You could open "network neighborhood" and find ~thirty different workgroup names, some with multiple computers. IIRC the default setting "WORKGROUP" showed over 100 systems, many of which had file/printer sharing wide open with no passwords.

I know nothing about any batch files put in people's startup groups to open a DOS window saying

;)


Tom

I did something similar, but since I am too cheap for new wireless equipment, I just ran CAT-5 cable. All rooms in the house, the pool deck, and the garage.

Even more fun than netstumbler is ethereal - you can see *all* traffic in real-time. Usernames, passwords, etc. :)

And you're paying for DSL why?

I log in through my neighbors' WLANs occasionally to post under my alternate user id - "Lorenfb".

:cool:

widebody: Looks like you have the same chordless phone I do - and at 2.4 ghz, which is the same at your wireless linksys (if you have a G wireless router) then you will experience loss of wireless connection sometimes when you're on the phone.

I can pick up another wireless network in my home as well - it's not encrypted, nor is it password protected. (Mine is WEP and password protected. Thinking about doing the MAC address thingy, but haven't yet....)

-Z-man.

Z-man - do the MAC thing. If someone can snifff some (30mb or so worth) of your wireless traffic, WEP is fairly easy to break. Its a locked screen door type of security.

Exactly...run VPN, problem solved.

Holy cow, I'm going to order myself a wireless card and quit paying that exorbitant DSL bill! My bad...

Dan

Heh.. I've got 802.11g at home and so when I upgraded my PDA, I bought one with built in Wireless. It's incredible the sheer number of unprotected networks I use to browse Pelican when I'm out and about.

If I'm on the cordless around my laptop, my screen-saver that usually moves and rotates random porsche pics freezes. If i jiggle the mouse everything comes back, but just when screensavering it sits there.

Sometimes i use my electric razor when in the car, so it's sitting on the seat next to me. Anyway, if my cell phone is sitting next to it and it rings, it turns the razor on a split second before I hear the ring. It's wild...