Disclaimer: the information provided here is purely for information purposes only anyone who chooses to act or use this information, does so at their own risk. Don't blame me !!!!
I am unaware of the current UK legislation concerning this so you're on your own.
Hyperthetically speaking:
If you happened to be stuck in the middle of a city and required access to the Internet how would you go about it. (we are presuming that you have an iBook, PowerBook etc with a wireless card).
Well first off, all major OS's have software built in that are there to help you discover wireless networks, on the Mac just go to the Network Pane and tell your Airport card to "Join network with best signal", on Win XP just go to the "Wireless Network Connection" from within the Network control Panel, Win XP like the Mac will try and auto discover all available networks without you doing anything ! - not sure if ignorance would protect you in a court of law, (sorry officer, I didn't realise I had accidently connected to my neighbours (etc) network), but then again I bet loads of people are connected to the wrong network and don't even realise it !
For the most part your Mac/PC will connect you to any available network it can find, all on it's own.
However, should you like to find out if there are any other networks that you can connect to, then you will need some other software.
The most infamous Network Discovery Tool is NetStumbler (PC only though !), I haven't tried it through virtual PC, but maybe someone can let us know if it works, should do!
There is also a version called MiniStumbler that works on PDA's...Warwalking.
NetStumbler is very easy to use and does exactly what you want, I won't say anymore about NetStumbler, after all this is "mac-help.com".
The next best for a Mac is, MacStumbler for OS X and also iStumbler both of these work very well. I will not go into great detail about these programs cause you can find out about them from the links above !
All the above software does, in reallity, is make it easier to "discover" other wireless networks. They will give you the channel number, the SSID name, the MAC address, encryption type, signal strength, noise strength plus the vendors name (i.e. belkin, linksys etc.)
With this information to hand, anyone could easily gain access to most networks. Some people's veiw is that if a wireless signal has not been encyrpted then it is deemed an open access point and anyone should be able to use it.
Technically though, you would be joining someone else's network and using their Internet connection with out their consent, theft ?
Anyhoo, all theoretical anyway.
So for the most part, you now know how easy it is to find networks. If someone has just bought a "belkin 54g" or a "linksys" AP, then if they have not altered the factory settings from new, it will be wide open for anyone to "share" their Internet connection. Some people do actual do this on purpose see here. It would be up to you at this point whether you thought it was okay to "share" their connection, your choice.
Where the worry comes in, is if either person the "sharer" or the "sharee" have a packet analyzer(sniffer) running.
What's that then, I here you say ? Well a packet analyser is like a tape recorder is for sounds - it will record all the information sent from one computer to another.
All data can be recorded and analyzed, passwords credit cards etc. There are many different Packet Analysers around a lot of them such as Ethereal is available free off the Internet. Packet Analysers, don't just work with Wireless networks they will capture data from wired networks as well.
If you hooked up to unknown wireless AP and sent down credit card details etc., and someone who owned the wireless AP had a Packet Analyser running they could in theory gain all this information. This could be called a Honey Trap.
So if, theoretically you did hook up to an unknow wireless AP-watch what data you are sending down the pipes...no passwords, bank details etc.
The software mentioned so far, works by sending out probes/requests for AP's to respond to - an 'active scanner'. This type of scanning for networks could in theory be detected, and so other software such as Kismac can be used for Passive scanning.
Kismac will detect cloaked networks as well as all the rest, Kismac put's your Mac's Airport card into 'monitor mode', your card will run completley invisible and will not be able to be picked up, it works as a receiver without transmitting any packets. (you have to check that you have the right type of card, some of the newer cards cannot be put into 'monitor mode'.
Kismac and other 'passive' scanners are very powerful, and should be used with care, all the information you need about Kismac can be found on their website.
more to follow - must work now....
I am unaware of the current UK legislation concerning this so you're on your own.
Hyperthetically speaking:
If you happened to be stuck in the middle of a city and required access to the Internet how would you go about it. (we are presuming that you have an iBook, PowerBook etc with a wireless card).
Well first off, all major OS's have software built in that are there to help you discover wireless networks, on the Mac just go to the Network Pane and tell your Airport card to "Join network with best signal", on Win XP just go to the "Wireless Network Connection" from within the Network control Panel, Win XP like the Mac will try and auto discover all available networks without you doing anything ! - not sure if ignorance would protect you in a court of law, (sorry officer, I didn't realise I had accidently connected to my neighbours (etc) network), but then again I bet loads of people are connected to the wrong network and don't even realise it !
For the most part your Mac/PC will connect you to any available network it can find, all on it's own.
However, should you like to find out if there are any other networks that you can connect to, then you will need some other software.
The most infamous Network Discovery Tool is NetStumbler (PC only though !), I haven't tried it through virtual PC, but maybe someone can let us know if it works, should do!
There is also a version called MiniStumbler that works on PDA's...Warwalking.
NetStumbler is very easy to use and does exactly what you want, I won't say anymore about NetStumbler, after all this is "mac-help.com".
The next best for a Mac is, MacStumbler for OS X and also iStumbler both of these work very well. I will not go into great detail about these programs cause you can find out about them from the links above !
All the above software does, in reallity, is make it easier to "discover" other wireless networks. They will give you the channel number, the SSID name, the MAC address, encryption type, signal strength, noise strength plus the vendors name (i.e. belkin, linksys etc.)
With this information to hand, anyone could easily gain access to most networks. Some people's veiw is that if a wireless signal has not been encyrpted then it is deemed an open access point and anyone should be able to use it.
Technically though, you would be joining someone else's network and using their Internet connection with out their consent, theft ?
Anyhoo, all theoretical anyway.
So for the most part, you now know how easy it is to find networks. If someone has just bought a "belkin 54g" or a "linksys" AP, then if they have not altered the factory settings from new, it will be wide open for anyone to "share" their Internet connection. Some people do actual do this on purpose see here. It would be up to you at this point whether you thought it was okay to "share" their connection, your choice.
Where the worry comes in, is if either person the "sharer" or the "sharee" have a packet analyzer(sniffer) running.
What's that then, I here you say ? Well a packet analyser is like a tape recorder is for sounds - it will record all the information sent from one computer to another.
All data can be recorded and analyzed, passwords credit cards etc. There are many different Packet Analysers around a lot of them such as Ethereal is available free off the Internet. Packet Analysers, don't just work with Wireless networks they will capture data from wired networks as well.
If you hooked up to unknown wireless AP and sent down credit card details etc., and someone who owned the wireless AP had a Packet Analyser running they could in theory gain all this information. This could be called a Honey Trap.
So if, theoretically you did hook up to an unknow wireless AP-watch what data you are sending down the pipes...no passwords, bank details etc.
The software mentioned so far, works by sending out probes/requests for AP's to respond to - an 'active scanner'. This type of scanning for networks could in theory be detected, and so other software such as Kismac can be used for Passive scanning.
Kismac will detect cloaked networks as well as all the rest, Kismac put's your Mac's Airport card into 'monitor mode', your card will run completley invisible and will not be able to be picked up, it works as a receiver without transmitting any packets. (you have to check that you have the right type of card, some of the newer cards cannot be put into 'monitor mode'.
Kismac and other 'passive' scanners are very powerful, and should be used with care, all the information you need about Kismac can be found on their website.
more to follow - must work now....
