[Vision2020] wireless public access points

Fri Mar 25 09:09:40 PST 2005

It used to be that acoustical modems were very unreliable and would hang up
on you without notice.  If you immediately dialed back in you could pick the
connection back up where you left off - for example, still logged on.  I
used to do this myself when using the Internet back when it was called
ARAPNET and restricted to research centers and the military, but it was my
own connection - oh how I loved those 75 baud modems ;-)  I used to do
programming for one such research center and worked from home via modem. It
wasn't called "wardialing" back then as the movie WarGames was still years
away.  The movie Sneakers portrays a couple students engaged in the practice
in the late 60's; about the time I got to program my first real computer, an
IBM 7090-7094 Dicouple system that took up a room bigger than our store and
had less power than an HP hand calculator.  It was one half of the system
that computed the first moon shot trajectory.  The other half was in Florida
and they were connected by phone line.

I guess "wardriving" like "hacking" eventually take their meaning from
popular use.  If you want to see what happens to people who access wireless
networks without permission then searching Google on "wardiving" and
"arrest", as I suggested, is a good start.

Wardriving programs, like Netstumbler, actually send out probes to get
access points to respond - including access points that do not broadcast
their ID's.  This is a questionable practice that has not been tested in
court in the US.  However, I wouldn't be surprised to see such cases come up
under the Homeland Security should anyone be dumb enough to use the program
near a government facility.

If you want to read more about what Eric Flanery is talking about below, you
can also look it up at http://encyclopedia.laborlawtalk.com.

Tony
Cactus Computer & Internet Service.

-----Original Message-----
From: vision2020-bounces at moscow.com [mailto:vision2020-bounces at moscow.com]
On Behalf Of Eric Flanery
Sent: Thursday, March 24, 2005 6:56 PM
To: vision2020 at moscow.com
Subject: RE: [Vision2020] wireless public access points

Actually, "wardriving" is simply driving around, scoping out what you can
find on the air. It's a modern day equivalent of "wardialing", which is
having your computer dial random or sequential numbers, looking for other
computers. The term "wardialing" was popularized by the 'classic' movie
"War Games", where a kid doing just such a thing caused problems for a
Norad system he stumbled across.

The uses for the knowledge people gain by "wardialing" or "wardriving" are
often illegal, but "wardriving" itself has nothing to do with "warez".
"wardialing" itself can be illegal, and can cause you to face "Telephone
Fraud" charges, as well as others. However, "wardriving" is an entirely
passive activity, and as long as you don't abuse the info you find, there
is nothing really illegal about it.

That said, please do support those who chose to provide this service. They
pay for it, and using it against their wishes isn't right. Tony is correct
in that it can be prosecuted (using someone's service without their
permission, not "wardriving"), for Theft of Service, if the provider so
decides.

The media and politicians often do conflate "wardriving" with actually
making use of the service, but they are really distinct concepts. Think of
it this way: Verizon can't prosecute you for just noticing that they have
a pedestal in your neighborhood, but if you tap into it, they can (and
will).

--Eric

Eric Flanery
Wireless Manager
First Step Internet
(208)882-8869

On Thu, 24 Mar 2005, Tony Ray wrote:

> Debbie,
>
> The merchants who provide these access points expect you to be at their
> premises buying stuff from them in exchange for using their access points.
> For example, the motels expect you to be renting a room and restaurants
> expect you to be eating at their restaurants *while* using their wireless
> access points. They are not "public" in the sense that you can just hook
up
> to the service from your house.  We have a "Publicly Switched Telephone
> Network" but Verizon is still going to charge you for hooking up your
> telephone.  So don't be misled by the word "public".
>
> What you are proposing to do is against the law, a felony.  If you want to
> look it up on the Internet, use the keywords "wardriving" and "arrests" on
> Google.  "war" in wardriving refers to warez - a hacker term for "pirated"
> as in pirated software, music, movies, etc.
>
> Tony Ray
> Cactus Computer Co.
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: vision2020-bounces at moscow.com [mailto:vision2020-bounces at moscow.com]
> On Behalf Of Debbie Gray
> Sent: Thursday, March 24, 2005 12:26 PM
> To: vision2020 at moscow.com
> Subject: RE: [Vision2020] wireless public access points
>
> Wow, thanks for all the hotspots everyone sent!
>
> So if I am able to have wireless access from my house to several
> different providers, that is ok? I was worried I was commiting some
> sort of "beige collar crime" or something. And Donald Rumsfield would
> soon be SWAT swarming my house.
>
> Maybe it's because we are close to the university
> inn/arby's/branegans/mark iv etc? Or does it have something to do
> with living near the Almon-Asbury water tower? I was thinking maybe
> something was 'beaming' off of there? It's all so 'Star Trekkie' to
> me. I feel I am channeling my mother here, she is totally computer
> remedial and won't even use email.
>
> debbie (semi-literate computer user with a new laptop)
>
>
>
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