I don't either. They were just thoughts I was having while driving on a long trip and seeing their truck. And you forgot to say "HIGHLY illegal: <g>
The Sillycon Valley has a pretty high percentage of Technically savvy users so that probably accounts for the low percentage of unsecured points. Europe is also leaps ahead of us in user awareness of this. Ralph -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Travis Johnson Sent: Sunday, December 31, 2006 1:04 PM To: WISPA General List Subject: Re: [WISPA] TRUCKPC Hi, I would agree that the percentage of open AP's has dropped in the past few years. However, I still believe it's above 50%. I just can't see a company that already has an operating, working system in place that is basically FREE for them changing to paying ISP's around the country for service. Doesn't make sense, other than what they are doing is illegal. :) Travis Ralph wrote: > Because they may have their data in a more timely and reliable fashion > than they get it by using casual access. > When I first got into WiFi, I saw that 80% of detected (broadcasting) > access points were fully open. Within a year, it dropped to 60%. Now, > several years later it is well below 50%, and out in the more > technically savvy areas (just spent 4 months in Sillycon Valley) it is like 10% or less. > Consumers are finally getting more in tune with security. Or more > accurately, manufacturers are pushing security more heavily now. A > customer had just better not ever push that button on the front of a > Linksys if they don't know what they are doing (grin). > > Remember- I am talking about consumers here- not what we as WISPS set > up or provide to them. > > Ralph > > _____ > > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > On Behalf Of Travis Johnson > Sent: Sunday, December 31, 2006 12:46 AM > To: WISPA General List > Subject: Re: [WISPA] TRUCKPC > > > Hi, > > Why would this company pay for WiFi access when they are now getting > all the access they need for free? It's actually a great idea... have > the trucks scan all the time and once they find an open AP, connect > and upload all their info. > > Travis > Microserv > > Ralph wrote: > > I was on the way to one of our remote towers today and was on the > interstate > > next to two US Express trucks. I turned on a sniffer to see if they > also > > had access points on them, but there was nothing. I guess they just > scan, > > looking for free wireless to use. > > > > Being bored with the drive, I was thinking about the TRUCKPC thing a > lot and > > had an idea to make some code changes to the mobile access point I > have in > > my vehicle. Its hooked up to a verizon card and I have a roving EVDO > to WIFi > > hot spot gateway. ( see http://ralphfowler.com/stompbox/index.htm ) > I > > could make a couple of code changes to allow the box to also sniff a > bit and > > see exactly what these things are doing when they find a free internet > > connection. > > > > I was also thinking that we, as an industry, could possibly cut a deal > with > > Drivertech to allow their customers to have access to our networks. > Of > > course there would be a lot more to work out and I'm not the guy for > that > > job ;-) > > > > > > Just some Saturday musings... > > > > > > > > > > > > -----Original Message----- > > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > On > > Behalf Of Matt Larsen - Lists > > Sent: Saturday, December 30, 2006 1:16 AM > > To: WISPA General List > > Subject: Re: [WISPA] TRUCKPC > > > > AHA!!!! > > > > I've been wondering where the hell that TruckPC request has been > coming > > from!!!!!! > > > > Occasionally, I have techs who have left the radius authentication > disabled > > on an access point and the dhcp logs will start to fill up with > requests > > from "TruckPC". They were coming from access points all over > > the place and I was a little perplexed. It is interesting to watch our > > radius logs too. I have one AP overlooking a little town of 200 > people, but > > it is right next to an interstate and the radius log from that AP is > always > > showing logins. Must be all the trucker laptops whizzing by looking > for an > > open AP. > > > > I've been toying with the idea of turning on hotspot functionality so > that > > we can provide transient access, and this is probably a good reason to > do > > it. > > > > Matt Larsen > > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > > > > Ralph wrote: > > > > Well, JohnnyO- you might want to also educate these people, then: > > http://www.drivertech.com/ > > > > Their product, a "Truckpc" is being installed in many fleet vehicles. > > One fleet that comes to mind is US Express, a long haul package > hauling > > > > service > > > > http://www.usxpress.com/ The device communicates back to the office via > > Satellite, Cellular, or WiFi- whichever is available and cheaper. > > According to the manufacturer, it can hunt down open and unsecured > > access points and do your "HIGHLY illegal" act of connecting and > > sending its data whenever it can. > > > > I'm not endorsing this behavior, of course, but I wanted to bring it > > to the attention of the list. > > > > How do I know? My WISP operates hotspot portals that allow casual users > > > > to > > > > make use of our mountain and tower-top sectors of WiFi. These cover > > major portions of several towns. These towns have a major Interstate > > route passing through them. I began noticing numerous TRUCKPC leases > > being granted by the DHCP servers in these towns. I became concerned > > about what they were, so I did a little internet research and ended up > > on the phone with technical support at Drivertech. This is who > > confirmed how these devices operate and who the probable fleet culprit > > > > was. > > > > If anyone has portals near major truck routes, check your DHCP logs > > and see if you see the TRUCKPC SSID grabbing leases. You may want to > > either block it or contact these folks and work out a "roaming agreement". > > > > > > > > Serious part over, joke follows: > > > > This message brought to you by the World's largest free wireless > > internet provider. Look for our SSID wherever you go: Linksys. > > > > Ralph > > > > -----Original Message----- > > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > > On Behalf Of JohnnyO > > Sent: Friday, December 29, 2006 5:35 PM > > To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]; 'WISPA General List' > > Subject: RE: [WISPA] recommendation for Client POE integrated radio > > for802.11b/g > > > > Brian - Ham Operator or not - do you realize that what you're planning > > on doing is HIGHLY illegal and has several people over the past 2 yrs > > in Federal Prison as we speak ? > > > > > > > > > > -- > > WISPA Wireless List: wireless@wispa.org > > > > Subscribe/Unsubscribe: > > http://lists.wispa.org/mailman/listinfo/wireless > > > > Archives: http://lists.wispa.org/pipermail/wireless/ > > > > > > -- WISPA Wireless List: wireless@wispa.org Subscribe/Unsubscribe: http://lists.wispa.org/mailman/listinfo/wireless Archives: http://lists.wispa.org/pipermail/wireless/ -- WISPA Wireless List: wireless@wispa.org Subscribe/Unsubscribe: http://lists.wispa.org/mailman/listinfo/wireless Archives: http://lists.wispa.org/pipermail/wireless/
