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Nov 29

iPhone

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I just got the iPhone, is this going to change my life?

[ communication, friends, iphone, life, new ]

Feb 08

Becoming 2.0: eat, drink, sleep, wi-fi

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To continue the weekly series reviewing, exploring, and living Web 2.0, I am going to talk about the very thing needed for it. The web, internet, or whatever you call it; you need a connection to the very network that makes it up.

We all know that a call to the local cable or phone company can set up access
that will plug you in. You are probably viewing this blog via such connection. Usually you are limited to locations that provide a connection. First, it was the hardwiring into hotels, campuses, and friendly shops. Now, added mobility has come with the advent of Wi-Fi, or Wireless Fidelity, but is still limited to the areas in which they are provided. A cellular phone can be used to connect but often at a price and with browsing limitations. Even smartphones (including the iPhone) dumb down varying levels of web content.

A new online existence increasingly depends on this access. As programmers rethink the content we view and use online, their world is a connected one. With frequencies, that allow the quick high bandwidth (amount of data at one time) transmission, still unavailable in most of the United States, this is a challenge for both sides. Municipal Wi-Fi networks are still in their infancy, just failing, or only working on a small scale. So what is an emerging Web 2.0 junkie to do? A slightly dated article on how to steal Wi-Fi shares some great, still valid, tips.

The best method to find some free wireless is to treat your laptop like a cell phone. Since Wi-Fi and cell phone signals travel on a similar radio frequency, the same tricks you use for getting a better phone connection might work on your computer.

We know everyone that is anyone has Wi-Fi, but often when you walk into those noted locations you aren’t just a click away. A ominous password, log-in page, or subscription request builds a wall that often seems too tall to climb.

Certain names are a giveaway that a network probably won’t be password-protected. Look for “linksys,” “default,” “Wireless,” “NETGEAR,” “belkin54g,” and “Apple Network 0273df.” These are the default network names for the most popular wireless routers. If a network owner hasn’t taken the time to change the default name, that’s a good clue that they probably won’t have a password either. You should also look for signs of hacker culture. Since hackers love giving away Net access, an all-lowercase name like “hackdojo” is most likely an invitation to log on. On the other hand, a name in all caps is typically a network under corporate lockdown.
If you do get prompted for a password, try “public”—that’s the default on many of Apple’s AirPort units. You can also try common passwords like “admin,” “password,” and “1234″—or just check out this exhaustive list of default passwords.

We can’t be the Mongols forever, and invade walls all day, if we really want the true access to Wi-Fi that we feel we deserve. An article by Bruce Schneier sheds some beams onto a new type of politeness and discusses the argument behind opening up your wireless network.

To me, it’s basic politeness. Providing internet access to guests is kind of like providing heat and electricity, or a hot cup of tea.

I’m told that uninvited strangers may sit in their cars in front of my house, and use my network to send spam, eavesdrop on my passwords, and upload and download everything from pirated movies to child pornography. As a result, I risk all sorts of bad things happening to me, from seeing my IP address blacklisted to having the police crash through my door.

This in detail may be true, but within a block of my apartment I know of at least four places with open networks. The risk can’t be very high, especially since I think a would be abuser prefers coffee or beer instead of the hallways of my building to accompany their surfing.

Mark Mulligan of Jupiter Research said it best: “If you’re a file sharer, you know that the likelihood of you being caught is very similar to that of being hit by an asteroid.”

Just as long as you keep your computer secure, you are fine. Those who mean to damage or steal your information could hack into your wireless network anyways. Your best line of defense is to install software locally to protect your computer no matter what network it is on. Newer versions of operating systems have firewall settings available, plus there is a good amount of free software available to download.

Security is always a trade-off. I know people who rarely lock their front door, who drive in the rain (and, while using a cellphone) and who talk to strangers. In my opinion, securing my wireless network isn’t worth it. And I appreciate everyone else who keeps an open wireless network, including all the coffee shops, bars and libraries I have visited in the past, the Dayton International Airport where I started writing this and the Four Points Sheraton where I finished. You all make the world a better place.

I’m not holding out for Ypsilanti’s city Wi-Fi to start working in more places than the center of the parking lot behind my apartment. In the mean time, eat, drink, sleep, and Wi-Fi without hassle at my place anytime. I encourage you to do the same.