Island WiFi access

Webbsatwinni · 07-01-2008, 09:30 AM

I do not know if anyone can answer this, but we were on rattlesnake this weekend and I use a tethered link to my Blackberry to access the internet.

While I was online, a "free Wifi Access Point" (that was the label on the connection) become active. I did not link to it, but I have a hand held WiFi signal strength meter and I was able to see that the signal was very strong on the island. The only other information I could get from it was that it was a peer to peer connection and that it was unsecured.

Does anyone know if this is a usable free link and if so, where it may be coming from? I know it may be a long shot that anyone will know about this, but I thought I would ask the forum.

wifi · 07-01-2008, 09:55 AM

Take a peek at: http://www.nmrc.org/pub/advise/20060114.txt

You are seeing a computer close to you advertising this 'free access point' ad-hoc style. If you try to connect to this free network, you will never receive a DHCP assignment and just hang forever.

B R · 07-01-2008, 10:12 AM

I was in Utah this winter using my windows mobile device the way you are using your blackberry. I watched as the "start > run > ftp........" was displayed on my computer. It opened up a DOS command prompt at that command and the hacker started downloading malicious code onto my computer from an ftp site in Denmark. I quickly unplugged the tethered connection, found the file he downloaded and reported him and his ftp site to CERT.

I had my Windows firewall turned off since most of the time I'm protected by my workplace firewall or a firewall on a wireless router. Those tethered connections offer no firewall protection at all. At the very least, make sure your computer is up to date and the windows firewall is turned on.

07-01-2008, 09:30 AM	#1
Webbsatwinni Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Lebanon Ct and Rattlesnake Island Since 2007 Posts: 610 Thanks: 180 Thanked 137 Times in 72 Posts	Island WiFi access I do not know if anyone can answer this, but we were on rattlesnake this weekend and I use a tethered link to my Blackberry to access the internet. While I was online, a "free Wifi Access Point" (that was the label on the connection) become active. I did not link to it, but I have a hand held WiFi signal strength meter and I was able to see that the signal was very strong on the island. The only other information I could get from it was that it was a peer to peer connection and that it was unsecured. Does anyone know if this is a usable free link and if so, where it may be coming from? I know it may be a long shot that anyone will know about this, but I thought I would ask the forum.

07-01-2008, 09:55 AM	#2
wifi Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Lakes Region Posts: 1,321 Thanks: 282 Thanked 287 Times in 169 Posts	Its a M$ bug Take a peek at: http://www.nmrc.org/pub/advise/20060114.txt You are seeing a computer close to you advertising this 'free access point' ad-hoc style. If you try to connect to this free network, you will never receive a DHCP assignment and just hang forever.

07-01-2008, 10:12 AM	#3
B R Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Posts: 140 Thanks: 0 Thanked 2 Times in 1 Post	Be careful with those tethered links I was in Utah this winter using my windows mobile device the way you are using your blackberry. I watched as the "start > run > ftp........" was displayed on my computer. It opened up a DOS command prompt at that command and the hacker started downloading malicious code onto my computer from an ftp site in Denmark. I quickly unplugged the tethered connection, found the file he downloaded and reported him and his ftp site to CERT. I had my Windows firewall turned off since most of the time I'm protected by my workplace firewall or a firewall on a wireless router. Those tethered connections offer no firewall protection at all. At the very least, make sure your computer is up to date and the windows firewall is turned on. __________________ "You ain't gonna learn what you don't want to know"