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WiFi Triangulation

Posted by michael on from the two-edged-sword dept.

mikegroovy writes "WiFi software tracks you down: 'Positioning technology company Ekahau has released an updated version of its software, which allows devices to be physically tracked when they are connected to an 802.11 WLAN network.' Maybe connections that are made from the street(or outside of a predefined area) could be automatically disconnected... It may spell an end to warchalking."

17 of 229 comments (clear)

  1. heh by wolfgang_spangler · · Score: 5, Funny

    "Ekahau reckons there is a market for networks used primarily for location-based purposes as opposed to carrying other data. "

    Can't remember the last time I saw the word, "reckons" in a major publication. I reckon it was some time ago.

  2. oh, the irony... by jaredcoleman · · Score: 5, Funny

    There are a lot of benefits to having this ability. At work, I can now equip our parking officers with wireless PDA's and soon I will be able to make sure that they are not sleeping in the lobby of some building instead of writing parking tickets. Maybe they will actually be out to ticket people parked illegally while attempting to warchalk from their vehicle! Now that's irony!

  3. Where will it end? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    Jesus, first the music industry tries to stop people from stealing their product, now companies are trying to stop people from stealing their bandwidth. What's next? Will department stores stop letting people shoplift? Maybe my landlord will start charging me rent! What will I do?

    My god, don't these people realize that everything is supposed to be free? (That's "free" as in "I-should-be-free-to-take-whatever-I-want-without- paying-for-it", of course).

  4. Re:Good God, are you Clueless? by reddeno · · Score: 2, Funny

    I could be wrong, but I thought the point of warchalking was to mark your _own_ wireless network so that others could use it.

    --Nicholas

  5. Bah! by NeoPotato · · Score: 5, Funny

    I used to find people by pinging their computers! I'd ping a friend's laptop (using their Windows computer name), look at their IP, then go find them on campus. I think I scared a few people when I'd say "Stay right where you are" and walk over to the study room where they were hiding.

    Although I guess using triangulation accurate to a meter would let me say "You're on my spot on on the couch. When I get back from class, you gotta move."

    1. Re:Bah! by mindstrm · · Score: 2, Funny

      Yeah

      OR when you get on irc and notice someone is online from the university computer lab.... so you find someone else online from the same lab, and start asking them to describe said person.

      Then you pretend you are psychic by explaining to the first person what they are wearing, what they are doing, etcterea.

      Is that creepy or what?

    2. Re:Bah! by NeoPotato · · Score: 2, Funny

      Then you pretend you are psychic by explaining to the first person what they are wearing, what they are doing, etcterea.

      Is that creepy or what?

      Or you can type "INCOMING" and chuck a pen their way. Nothing like a virtual warning before getting tagged in the head with a flying object.

  6. Re:Good God, are you Clueless? by WolfWithoutAClause · · Score: 3, Funny

    It takes only 45 minutes for me to airsnort the WEP password of your network. Honestly, how hard is that for us warchalking people to do?

    --

    -WolfWithoutAClause

    "Gravity is only a theory, not a fact!"
  7. Uh oh by dr_dank · · Score: 5, Funny

    I found a new open network near my girlfriends apartment,opened up my browser to /. and saw this as the lead story.

    Perhaps I'd better log off now....

    --
    Where does the school board find them and why do they keep sending them to ME?
    1. Re:Uh oh by Dr.Luke · · Score: 5, Funny

      Mod up! This slashdotter has a girlfriend. That's much bigger news than WiFi triangulation!

    2. Re:Uh oh by Gabrill · · Score: 2, Funny

      Good for you for not taking the easy piracy. They say most theives are opportunists, and this was a prime opportunity to put gay porn in their windows shares. HAHAHAHAHA.

      --
      Always going forward, 'cause we can't find reverse.
  8. No this isn't possible by RedWolves2 · · Score: 2, Funny

    I am walking down the street right now hijacking a wireless connection and nothing is happen to...[End of Transmission]

  9. Re:Good God, are you Clueless? by brain159 · · Score: 3, Funny

    that 45 minute figure assumes that lots of data is being thrown around across it, and that nobody's going to notice you staying in the same place near their building for that length of time, loitering and looking shifty :)

  10. Another Excuse by Gabrill · · Score: 2, Funny

    To buy more Wi-Fi repeaters! My wife is gonna kill me when the bills come due!

    --
    Always going forward, 'cause we can't find reverse.
  11. New toy for the BOFH... by sigsegv_11 · · Score: 2, Funny

    I can see it now.. the BOFH getting out of a weekend at the helldesk because the Boss spent forty-five minutes in the bathroom the day before downloading pictures from nymphoasianlesbians.com. Bring on the blackmail and the lawsuits!

  12. Re:FUD by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    Signal attentuation accrued through solar flares?!?!

    PUT THE BONG DOWN!!! You have had enough.

  13. Re:802.11b Tracking by egarrido16 · · Score: 2, Funny


    Right, because you know, everyone who is anyone has AMD jacketed polycarbonation.

    (joke)

    --
    "Brevity is the soul of wit." -Polonius, Hamlet.