Found an unlocked Wi-Fi spot.

[upriverpaddler]

I live in a nice little middle class neighborhood. Everyone mostly gets along, but not too friendly.

We have 3 wireless routers in the neighborhood. Mine (secured), "Tony" (secured), and finally "bernies" (unsecured).

Is there a way to find out who "Bernie" is, and let him know?

 

[versello]

use a program like NetStumbler and start walking around your neighborhood. If the signal increases, chances are you're getting warmer...

Or just ask around for Bernie...

 

[00ber_m00]

Find out if his PC is on a standard workgroup like MSHOME or WORKGROUP and if he has any shared printers, print out a message that says, "Feed me bernie, feed me!. -your printer". Or a note that says you saw his unsecured router etc.

 

[Factorxfiles]

Or if you want to have some fun with it, get/make a directional of some sort, like a cantenna. You should be able to pinpoint his house.

 

[drizzt81]

Find out if his PC is on a standard workgroup like MSHOME or WORKGROUP and if he has any shared printers, print out a message that says, "Feed me bernie, feed me!. -your printer". Or a note that says you saw his unsecured router etc.

if you do that, it's trespassing and you can get sued, despite the good intention. With the "strong personal liability" laws in the USA, connecting to an unsecured wireless lan may already be illegal, because we must protect the stupid.

 

[TheTyrant]

Find out if his PC is on a standard workgroup like MSHOME or WORKGROUP and if he has any shared printers, print out a message that says, "Feed me bernie, feed me!. -your printer". Or a note that says you saw his unsecured router etc.

Oh boy, thats definetkly a fun wardriving prank.

But seriously look into Netstumbler.

you can get a good idea, if you ask your neighbors or parents is there a bernie in the neighborhood. But sometimes people have "pet" names for hardware. Kinda like people naming their car. personally, a LAN group that i belonged to named all our server stuff after breakfast food, and we brought the "diner" to lan parties..

 

[coofoostu]

He could just be leaving it open on purpose.

 

[drizzt81]

He could just be leaving it open on purpose.

if he shared internet access through it, he is most likely in violation of his provider's contract agreement.

 

[BinarySynapse]

I don't think that wireless routers have that great of a range, (150ft at the most?) so maybe just check the houses immeidately next door to you. maybe acroos the street too.

Unless of course they have a signal booster, but then you'd think someone who'd go throught the trouble of setting a wide area WiFi connection would at least secure it.

 

[mikeblas]

Consumer-grade routers don't have a reliable range of more than a couple hundred feet, sure. But signals skip and bounce and propgate. I occasionally get a conneciton to a router that appears to be in an apartment complex that's almost two miles away, for example -- but certainly not reliably.

 

[YeOldeStonecat]

Find out if his PC is on a standard workgroup like MSHOME or WORKGROUP and if he has any shared printers, print out a message that says, "Feed me bernie, feed me!. -your printer". Or a note that says you saw his unsecured router etc.

Don't even need to know the workgroup...a couple of seconds with the old netstat run at command prompt and you'll know a heck of a lot quicker than waiting for the network browser service to pickup every 12 minutes.

 

[lone wolf]

Don't even need to know the workgroup...a couple of seconds with the old netstat run at command prompt and you'll know a heck of a lot quicker than waiting for the network browser service to pickup every 12 minutes.

you gotta love the netstat command.

if you do that, it's trespassing and you can get sued, despite the good intention.

Very true...A felony in florida except this person wasn't helping...most states are now doing the same.