What's that thing you can stick in the ground...

[justinsn95]

What is that thing that you can mount somewhere or stick in the ground to boost the signal of a wireless router that is out of range? My friend lives in a house that is near an RV park that has an unlocked wifi connection, likely for the patrons of the RV park. The connection is named "RV Ranch." His Nintendo Wii can see the signal, but it is not quite strong enough to be of use. I took my laptop overthere and i can get plenty of signal if i just walk about 10 feet away from his house, out into his front yard and towards the office where the router is likely located. But once you get closer to the house it starts weakening and finally drops off. Right now i had to tether his cell phone to his computer so he could have access to the net, and it works but it is painfully slow. So if i could get ahold of some kind of signal booster that we could maybe stick out in his front yard and plug in, then he could have fast internet. Any ideas on what such a device is called, or how much it might cost? As you can imagine, we need to do this on the cheap if at all possible. For some reason he can not get DSL or cable at his house, we already checked. Sat would be the only option, and we all know how expensive that is.

[justinsn95]

http://www.turnpoint.net/wireless/cantennahowto.html

Here is one idea, but i am not sure how to get the signal into the PC itself. Any ideas?

[ceyko]

can the wii's antenna just be extended outside?

Of course, it would be more appropriate to just get his own Internet connection.

[MireFire 2.0]

Here you go...


http://www.informit.com/articles/article.aspx?p=679395

[johnny1999]

I have always heard them referred to as a "repeater"

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16833995002

I think this would work. The only problem is that I am not sure where it needs to be placed. I am not sure if it has to be next to the router of if he could have it in his house and boost the strength coming in. It is also kinda expensive, but I suppose if he never had to pay for internet again it would be worth it.


edit: After extensive research he would place the repeater in his house and it should work.:fingersx:

[justinsn95]

Yeah well we want to mooch internet as well off of them so we would like a way to get it to the computer though lol. He is broke and lives on his own with his wife and kid so not much money. How much you think 120 feet of 12 guage wire costs? That is how much i think we need to run it from a makeshift cantenna all the way to where his computer is.

[ceyko]

edit: After extensive research he would place the repeater in his house and it should work.:fingersx:

Negative kind sir. The signal to his host would be strong. Repeater to Wii.

The signal from the repeater to the source would be weak.

The repeater would need to be placed as close as possible to the source. Since just outside the house is strong, that is where it should go or even closer if possible without losing signal quality to the Wii.

[ceyko]

Yeah well we want to mooch internet as well off of them so we would like a way to get it to the computer though lol. He is broke and lives on his own with his wife and kid so not much money. How much you think 120 feet of 12 guage wire costs? That is how much i think we need to run it from a makeshift cantenna all the way to where his computer is.

Looks like it goes for anywhere from 30-80 cents per foot.

[justinsn95]

It would seem that they do have some sort of mild security set up. When you first connect to their network, it says "Welcome to the RV Ranch! Please feel free to try out the connection for a few minutes, or go to the office and get a ticket." And below that you can hit "Try for a few minutes" or "Enter ticket number." If you try for a few minutes, it boots you in 3 minutes. Since the connection is unlocked, shouldn't there be a way around this?

[ceyko]

It would seem that they do have some sort of mild security set up. When you first connect to their network, it says "Welcome to the RV Ranch! Please feel free to try out the connection for a few minutes, or go to the office and get a ticket." And below that you can hit "Try for a few minutes" or "Enter ticket number." If you try for a few minutes, it boots you in 3 minutes. Since the connection is unlocked, shouldn't there be a way around this?

Well, depends. (Standard IT answer)

Just because HTTP/HTTPS is getting redirected does not ALWAYS mean other protocols are getting done as well. Trying pinging/telneting, SSHing ...etc. to things after being blocked. Check IP assignments...etc. Got a place you can VPN to from there? Sometimes that an effective way to bypass things.

Either way, you do know that what you're doing is completely unethical right?

[Osiris]

Well, depends. (Standard IT answer)

Just because HTTP/HTTPS is getting redirected does not ALWAYS mean other protocols are getting done as well. Trying pinging/telneting, SSHing ...etc. to things after being blocked. Check IP assignments...etc. Got a place you can VPN to from there? Sometimes that an effective way to bypass things.

Either way, you do know that what you're doing is completely unethical right?


And it's illegal

[Hunt4m3x]

And it's illegal

Bullshit.

Show me the law.

[darkgaijin]

its not illegal to leech off someones open wifi connection (doesnt make it right, cheapskates) without permission, unless notified not to do so. however leeching someones private network is a theft of services issue and could easily be prosecuted in court. at least thats the understanding i had after researching it for someone last year.

there was a case not to long ago where a guy was sitting in an apartment complex parking lot, in his car, (no he didnt live there) and had to go to court after cops were called when a resident complained..

[ceyko]

Could've sworn I've heard/read people getting prosecuted for it. Even if there is no clear law, the precedence it set and regardless if you're hacking someone's network - you know the risk.

Personally, I prefer not to find out what the precedence is these days. It's not THAT hard to get Internet connectivity.

[justinsn95]

Friend lives in a trailer park, no option for cable or DSL. We all know how expensive (and shitty) satellite internet is. Not saying it's justified, (although they did choose to leave the connection unlocked) just saying why we are considering it. Plus i am a networking noob and i am trying to learn some new things. Being a very tactile person i learn best by doing. I could always end the experiment after i accomplish the goal.

[Osiris]

hunt, it a illegal if you access a persons or place's netwok or computer system withut their permission. Guys, it is ilegal to leech in the way the OP is talking about here in Texas. When I get home I will post the link to the statute.

[Osiris]

I can't paste a link but look up Texas penal code 33.02

[Hunt4m3x]

Sec. 33.02. BREACH OF COMPUTER SECURITY. (a) A person commits an offense if the person knowingly accesses a computer, computer network, or computer system without the effective consent of the owner.
(b) [amended 9/1/97] An offense under this section is a Class B misdemeanor unless in committing the offense the actor knowingly obtains a benefit, defrauds or harms another, or alters, damages, or deletes property, in which event the offense is:
(1) a Class A misdemeanor if the aggregate amount involved is less than $1,500;
(2) a state jail felony if:
(A) the aggregate amount involved is $1,500 or more but less than $20,000; or
(B) the aggregate amount involved is less than $1,500 and the defendant has been previously convicted two or more times of an offense under this chapter;
(3) a felony of the third degree if the aggregate amount involved is $20,000 or more but less than $100,000;
(4) a felony of the second degree if the aggregate amount involved is $100,000 or more but less than $200,000; or
(5) a felony of the first degree if the aggregate amount involved is $200,000 or more.
(c) [no text]
(d) A person who is subject to prosecution under this section and any other section of this code may be prosecuted under either or both sections.
Eff 9/1/97 deleted prior (b), which provided:
(b) A person commits an offense if the person intentionally or knowingly gives a password, identifying code, personal identification number, debit card number, bank account number, or other confidential information about a computer security system to another person without the effective consent of the person employing the computer security system to restrict access to a computer, computer network, computer system, or data.
Eff 9/1/97 renumbered prior (c) as (b); before 9/1/97 prior (c) provided:
(c) An offense under this section is a Class A misdemeanor unless the actor's intent is to obtain a benefit or defraud or harm another, in which event the offense is:
(1) a state jail felony if the value of the benefit or the amount of the loss or harm is less than $20,000; or
(2) a felony of the third degree if the value of the benefit or the amount of the loss or harm is $20,000 or more.

[johnny1999]

:bandit:

[justinsn95]

LOL, well it doesn't even matter now. I tried something i had been thing about for a while now. I simply strolled over to the office, and said, "I need a ticket for the internet connection, please." Thats all i said. The recptionist just smiled and handed me my ticket number. Now i have "express consent" lol. Since she did not bother to ask wether or not i was a patron of the RV Park, i did not bother to say. I had thought from the begining that this just might work, and lo and behold it did. I still have not even set up the cantenna. Friend hasn't even decided if he has the money to buy the supplies this month. Which brings me to my next thought... Wonder how long this one ticket number will last? My guess is that they assume that each patron will be long gone before each issued ticket number would ever become a problem. It may just last forever.
Then if anyone ever says anything about it, all my friend has to say is "Oh yeah? Then where did i get this....?"

Due to his extreme case of "brokeism" i doubt this is anything that we will ever even do. Right now i got his cell phone tethered to his computer for web browsing, and his provider doesn't even offer tethering as an option. But he has an unlimited data plan (for texts and on-phone web) so i am sneaking bandwidth by "the man" that way as well. It never fails, you always see all the crybabies and boo-hoo'ers that will raise their squeaky voices to say "That's against the law!!" lol

[bcoop]

If your buddy is that fucking broke, he should probably be out working a second and third job instead of sitting on his fat ass, stealing someone else's connection.

[Osiris]

If your buddy is that fucking broke, he should probably be out working a second and third job instead of sitting on his fat ass, stealing someone else's connection.

Lmfao!!

[justinsn95]

Wow. I bet you guys call in jaywalkers, huh. Ever downloaded an MP3 off of Limewire, or maybe back when Napster was big, or anything of the like? Please don't freaking lie and say you havn't cause no one is going to believe you. But since i know you have, let me be like you and cry

"But that's stealing!! OMG...! How could you do that?? It just saddens me what the world has come to today, when someone like you downloaded a song that they didn't pay for." :omfg:

[justinsn95]

.

[darkgaijin]

i apprecate this thread..reminded me to update my passwords and security to make sure i dont have any cheap ass' leeching my dsl.

[Osiris]

Wow. I bet you guys call in jaywalkers, huh. Ever downloaded an MP3 off of Limewire, or maybe back when Napster was big, or anything of the like? Please don't freaking lie and say you havn't cause no one is going to believe you. But since i know you have, let me be like you and cry

"But that's stealing!! OMG...! How could you do that?? It just saddens me what the world has come to today, when someone like you downloaded a song that they didn't pay for." :omfg:


I have put jaywalkers in jail. :)

[ceyko]

Wow. I bet you guys call in jaywalkers, huh. Ever downloaded an MP3 off of Limewire, or maybe back when Napster was big, or anything of the like? Please don't freaking lie and say you havn't cause no one is going to believe you. But since i know you have, let me be like you and cry

"But that's stealing!! OMG...! How could you do that?? It just saddens me what the world has come to today, when someone like you downloaded a song that they didn't pay for." :omfg:

So although there technically is NOT a difference, this is what gets to me. Not just with you and your buddy, but others as well.

People who gank MP3s/Movies and ganking them from people who make millions, billions...whatever a year. They pay dumbshits millions per movie, they part "artists" millions...etc.

When you steal from an RV park, they don't make millions. Hell, that RV park at the end of the year my be in the same pay/income bracket as a lot of us. So, I look at it as straight ganking from another poor dude which is fucked up. Hell, as a consultant if I found out which one you were stealing from I'd beef up their WLAN security enough that it would negate you from doing so. I'd do it for free too on principle.

I mean, you're doing this for gaming purposes. Not like it is for job purposes and shit. Fuck, pay for this shit. Get a data plan on a damn card, get a JBM POS router and bam, internet. If he's too poor, well that sucks - get priorities. I have great Internet but a slow Mustang. I'm not out stealing parts.

[justinsn95]

I have put jaywalkers in jail. :)

Yeah i seriously doubt jaywalking was all they were doing. And i notice that i get no response from you about the downloading... :bs2: I love cops that act like they have not, or at least do not, break the law. Everyone breaks the law from time to time, either intentionally or otherwise. In my town (and i don't exactly live in a small town) i have physically seen the cops break the law with my own two eyes. On more than one occasion. Now did i go run and tell whoever the heck is their boss what i saw? No, cause i really don't give a crap for one, and two, i guess i don't have enough little bitch in me to go tattle on someone when they screwed up at work. I have screwed up at work before and i appreciated it when my co-workers didn't go run and tell the boss. It's just something you don't do as a human being. (it was only a small breaks of the law of course, i would have told someone if they had like beat someone down, or murdered or anything like that)

Now im not even defending criminals. But you and i both know there is a difference between someone who steals a car, or snatches a purse, or robs a convenience store... and someone who downloads a song or picks up an internet signal he ain't supposed to. I think we both know that absolutely no one could or ever will be harmed by my buddy leeching a signal. They won't even lose any speed on their end. They already have 30-40 RV's (customers) there at any given time so their connection likely supports a shitload of people. To say that this is hurting anyone would be like saying that i broke the law and littered, but what i threw on the ground was that soil you can buy at wal-mart for plants.

[ceyko]

Well, it is probable that the connection is going to suck too much for gaming anyway. Why not use ICS with the cell card?

[justinsn95]

Well i forgot if i mentioned this, but the connection is not really going to be used for gaming very much. It is mainly so he can have any internet connection whatsoever. Right now he is using a cell phone that i have tethered for him, but it really only works when it wants to. And it is painfully slow.

[Osiris]

*sigh*

You can lead a horse to water.....

[justinsn95]

... but you can't make him understand when something is totally stupid... sigh.

Im not arguing that it's against the law, plenty of laws are fit to be in a jokebook. Im simply stating that only a retard would actually consider something like this to be true theft. Like i said, true theft has the possibility of hurting someone... in some way. This doesn't. Please refer to my "littering by throwing soil on the grass analogy".

Once in a Kroger parking lot, me and some friends gathered to talk. This eventually became a weekend routine for us, and a reason to get out of the house on summer nights. A few nights towards the end, a buddy of mine brought his Xbox and a small TV out to the parking lot where we plugged both into a light pole that had one of those weather proof outlets that you see everywhere. Well, the cops rolled by a lot and always came to see what we were doing. But since there was no "No Loitering" signs, they did not run us off. When they saw the xbox hooked up, what did they do? They got out of their cars and played. This just goes to show that just cause you are a cop, that does not mean that you have to enforce every stupid law in the books.

If i steal your pen, now you can't write and you will have to find another pen.

If i steal your money, now you can't buy some of the things you need for yourself and your family.

If i steal your gun, now you can't defend your own life if you had to.

If i leech that connection, now they... well now.... they can't ... it will effect.... uh... ...hmm...

Besides i can't get the cantenna to work properly anyway. But we called the manager and we offered him $5 a month if he would let us use his signal (provided we could ever get it to work properly, that is). He agreed. :D I just wanted to argue my point.

[Osiris]

... but you can't make him understand when something is totally stupid... sigh.

Im not arguing that it's against the law. Plenty of laws are fit to be in a jokebook. Im simply stating that only a retard would actually consider something like this to be true theft. Like i said, true theft has the possibility of hurting someone... in some way. This doesn't. Please refer to my "littering by throwing soil on the grass analogy".


True theft?

nevermind. /thread

[justinsn95]

You don't think it is possible for someone to call something theft, when it really isn't?

[ceyko]

Why would this be considered "true theft?"

1. You implemented social engineering by visiting the place of business to actively receive a ticket. A ticket intended for customer of the actual RV park.

2. With or without ticket you're actively bypassing security measure they have in place.

I'm not necessarily thinking anything. However, my analogy used before still applies to my thinking.

If I leave my wireless network open - I think of it as having a cat5 cable in my front yard...or even out to the sidewalk. Can't really get pissed off if someone just walks up and uses it.

If I have my wireless network secured (Regardless of level) - I think of it being hacked no differently then someone breaking into my house to plug a cat5 cable in. There are no doubts strangers/unknown users are NOT allowed access to that SSID/network.

I guess at the end of the day...
1. Don't get pissed if access is suddenly lost
2. Don't get pissed if owner shows up one day
3. Don't get pissed if owner does decide to try and make it a legal issue. Especially using a ticket intended for customers.

Don't give me any bullshit about technicalities of what was written were and shit. I've been there and when a letter comes from a lawyer, your attitude changes. Cause at that point, you're either settling or going to court. Either way, it is a bitch.

One day with the BS you're posting you're going to fuck yourself. Discretion is key when stealing, social engineering and doing other shit I've seen you post.

[Osiris]

Why would this be considered "true theft?"

1. You implemented social engineering by visiting the place of business to actively receive a ticket. A ticket intended for customer of the actual RV park.

2. With or without ticket you're actively bypassing security measure they have in place.

I'm not necessarily thinking anything. However, my analogy used before still applies to my thinking.

If I leave my wireless network open - I think of it as having a cat5 cable in my front yard...or even out to the sidewalk. Can't really get pissed off if someone just walks up and uses it.

If I have my wireless network secured (Regardless of level) - I think of it being hacked no differently then someone breaking into my house to plug a cat5 cable in. There are no doubts strangers/unknown users are NOT allowed access to that SSID/network.

I guess at the end of the day...
1. Don't get pissed if access is suddenly lost
2. Don't get pissed if owner shows up one day
3. Don't get pissed if owner does decide to try and make it a legal issue. Especially using a ticket intended for customers.

Don't give me any bullshit about technicalities of what was written were and shit. I've been there and when a letter comes from a lawyer, your attitude changes. Cause at that point, you're either settling or going to court. Either way, it is a bitch.

One day with the BS you're posting you're going to fuck yourself. Discretion is key when stealing, social engineering and doing other shit I've seen you post.

Awesome post. BUT let it go, this is beyond his comprehension.

[justinsn95]

Why would this be considered "true theft?"

1. You implemented social engineering by visiting the place of business to actively receive a ticket. A ticket intended for customer of the actual RV park.

2. With or without ticket you're actively bypassing security measure they have in place.

I'm not necessarily thinking anything. However, my analogy used before still applies to my thinking.

If I leave my wireless network open - I think of it as having a cat5 cable in my front yard...or even out to the sidewalk. Can't really get pissed off if someone just walks up and uses it.

If I have my wireless network secured (Regardless of level) - I think of it being hacked no differently then someone breaking into my house to plug a cat5 cable in. There are no doubts strangers/unknown users are NOT allowed access to that SSID/network.

I guess at the end of the day...
1. Don't get pissed if access is suddenly lost
2. Don't get pissed if owner shows up one day
3. Don't get pissed if owner does decide to try and make it a legal issue. Especially using a ticket intended for customers.

Don't give me any bullshit about technicalities of what was written were and shit. I've been there and when a letter comes from a lawyer, your attitude changes. Cause at that point, you're either settling or going to court. Either way, it is a bitch.

One day with the BS you're posting you're going to fuck yourself. Discretion is key when stealing, social engineering and doing other shit I've seen you post.

Ok i have few questions/comments for you about this post.

1.You mentioned that you have "been there." Just out of curiosity, what happened? Did you leech a signal and did you get a ticket/letter in the mail?

2. If i were to actually ever get this working, i would never (could never) complain if the connection dropped off, as i would be getting it for free.

3. I challenge anyone to prove that a crime has been committed. As i said before, i can't get the cantenna to work. In order for it to work, i need it to be placed on the neighbor's roof across the street lol. At least that is my guess. We are actually very far away from whatever wireless router the RV park is using. Really i just wanted to challenge myself to see if i could even do it. I also considered tethering my friend's cell phone to use as a modem to be a small challenge. And as previously stated, we offered the manager (i hope he is even authorized to do this... maybe he is the owner?) $5 a month to piggyback on his signal. He accepted, but it doesn't even matter as we really have no way to make it work, since the cantenna was a bust.


let it go, this is beyond his comprehension.

Wrong. You see, technically i agree with you. I just choose to call it what it actually is. See even if you don't want to admit it, you can never really steal an internet connection. You can however, mooch off of one. You call it stealing, i call it mooching. There is a difference. Tell me how you can physically steal someone's internet connection, and i will admit that you are right. I want to hear from you, the mechanics of how i can steal it from them. Maybe i will be climbing a telephone pole, and rerouting some telephone wires? Breaking into their office and getting their modem and router? I guess i inherit their bill at the same time? lol

[ceyko]

Awesome post. BUT let it go, this is beyond his comprehension.

Ya, I'm with ya. Sort of like the know it all kid who does not really know it all.