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Large-Format Printable Wardriving Maps of Seattle

Posted by timothy on from the let's-see-free-maps-of-everywhere dept.

drewzhrodague writes "In what is sure to tie up a few print queues, us guys at WiFiMaps.com have released large-format printable maps of Seattle. These were generated during a collaboration with the University of Washington's communications department. This is one of the most comprehensive Wi-Fi mapping project to date, as 100 undergrads swarmed downtown Seattle to collect wardriving data. We've rendered their results at 300dpi, for letter, tabloid, and architectural E sized paper. There is both the standard layout, and the aerial versions available using bittorrent."

26 of 204 comments (clear)

  1. Now you too can be arrested for war-driving... by stephenisu · · Score: 4, Insightful

    While I am cool with it, keep in mind there are some possible legal implications to wardriving.

    --
    Sigs? We don't need no stinking sigs!
    1. Re:Now you too can be arrested for war-driving... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Informative

      You might be hassled, but unless you live in a place with a really weird legal system, listening to an access point announcing itself to the world on a public channel, with unencrypted broadcasts, asking for its services the way you're supposed to according to the standard and then being granted these services by the access point is not illegal. Breaking through access controls (MAC-filters, WEP, login screens, etc) however is illegal. If it is illegal, build a portable access point, do a reverse war-drive and sue the heck out of everyone who connects to your access point because they have their computer in the default connect-if-you-can configuration.

    2. Re:Now you too can be arrested for war-driving... by WhatAmIDoingHere · · Score: 2, Insightful

      What's the point of buying a cookbook if you don't plan on making every single dish in it?

      This is /. what ever happened to "Do something for the sake of doing it"

      --
      Not a Twitter sockpuppet... but I wish I was.
    3. Re:Now you too can be arrested for war-driving... by UserGoogol · · Score: 2, Insightful

      This website is more like driving around looking for cars who left their keys in the ignition and then posting the information on the Internet. Not neccesarily ethical, but different, and maybe legal.

      (And also, it's impossible to actually "steal" the car, you can only bring it for a joyride. Or whatever the correct analogy would be.)

      --
      "Never attribute to malice that which can be adequately explained by stupidity." -- Hanlon's Razor
  2. Better give this one to the wife... by L0phtpDK · · Score: 5, Funny

    ...god forbid if I get lost and have to ask for directions on this one: "Excuse me sir, can you please give me directions to the nearest 'default' access point?"

  3. Re:bittorrent by cbrocious · · Score: 3, Funny

    I'll send them to you, but only if you give me your studnet ID. I've been looking for studs all day.

    --
    Disconnect and self-destruct, one bullet at a time.
  4. Not bad, but... by Faust7 · · Score: 4, Funny

    I'd really like one of Redmond. Or, rather, this one specific part of Redmond...

    No reason, really. Honest.

    --
    The coolest voice ever.
  5. Re:bittorrent by Thats_Pipe · · Score: 2, Interesting

    yeah, It does suck for those college students who go to a tech school that KNOWS it has to limit ANY P2P bandwidth leaving the school. But of course, if you are going to a tech school, you should already have a linux box setup in someones apartment off-campus and be running the torrents from there.

    --
    "You see them trees out back, I take care of them. I'm a tree, I'm a tree wizard." - Crazy Homeless Guy
  6. Legality? by The+Grey+Clone · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Is this legal? Are would it only be illegal if something like the Induce Act was passed? It seems to me that someone out there is going to think this is illegal and prosecute. Oh, and it's "generated."

    1. Re:Legality? by bluGill · · Score: 2, Interesting

      If anyone needs it, I will witness under oath that my access point is open to everyone intentionally.

      As a christian I believe it is my duty to give away that which doesn't cost me. (and in some cases that which costs me, but that is a more complex area)

  7. map of my home town by bird603568 · · Score: 5, Funny





    ..




    that's the map. Just my house and my neighbors. Maybe I need to wardrive Baltimore. If anybody has tell me

  8. Re:OMG by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

    I can see my house from that map

    I can see mine too... It's clearly marked default... d'oh!

  9. Arrests by OzPhIsH · · Score: 4, Interesting

    As a few have already pointed out, War Driving has some murky legal waters surrounding it. I hope that the people involved in the creation of this map don't suddenly wake up with the FBI bursting through their doors and a DOJ lawsuit involving intent to facilitate illegal activities/hacking/terrorism/etc. I really wouldn't put it past the DOJ in this day and age. Personally I think using someones wireless network without their authorization should be perfectly acceptable. These people should have properly configured their networks if they didn't want people using them. If they use the network access to own the hosts box, that's one story, but if you're just leeching their internet access it should certainly not be a crime. You're only partaking in activities that the host allowed through his security settings. If they didn't want to allow it, they should either fix their secuirty settings, or not set up a wireless access point when they obviously had no clue what they were doing. Ignorance of security should be no excuse. If you don't want people piggybacking your wireless connection, configure it properly, don't whine about it to the DOJ. You only have yourself to blame.

    --

    "To lead the people, you must walk behind them"

    1. Re:Arrests by shadowmatter · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Joe Somebody goes into Best Buy, is told by the sales rep "just plug it in, it will self configure, and you'll be done," goes home, and does just that. It isn't in the sellers' interest to tell about all the precautions one should take, what to watch out for, because that doesn't make a good sales pitch. But "Ahh, it's so easy to set up, anyone could do it" does.

      So we can't even assume that Joe Somebody is aware that users outside his apartment, house, or network, can use his network. His neighbor's TV remote doesn't turn on his TV; his neighbor's garage door opener doesn't open his garage. Why should he assume that his neighbor's laptop can access/reach his wireless connection?

      Is it his responsibility to go home and Google for all the malicious things that can happen to your wireless connection? Do you sit at home and wonder "Gee, I wonder how my neighbors can use my toaster without me knowing and put me in a legal quagmire?"

      And it won't do any good to tell him to RTFM. Nobody does that anymore when it just seems to "work."

      Never underestimate the ignorance of Joe Somebody. Joe Somebody might just be a straight up newbie who has more important things to tend to. Joe Sombody today might work too many hours and has too many gadgets to proactively learn how all of them work, and the 'risks' associated with each. If you want every Joe Somebody to be aware, I'd put the onus on the sellers of the device, or the manufacturers (like, a big freaking sticker on the box might help).

      - shadowmatter

    2. Re:Arrests by lounger540 · · Score: 2

      There are signs all through out my campus reminding us, "Ignorance of campus policy is no excuse for breaking them". I believe then this should go the other way. Ignorance (or lack of caring to read a 10 page quickstart guide) that you're giving away free access shouldn't warrant sympathy from others.

      --
      LOOP1: MOV CX,2 LOOP LOOP1
  10. We need a self-localizing map application. by G4from128k · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Rather that use dead-trees, wardrivers could use the names and signal strengths to nearby stations to estimate their position and calculate movements toward the best accessible WiFi hotspots. Even if the base station is password protected, its broadcast name and existence can help war drivers figure out where they are on the war-driving map. And if each wardriver submits data on stations and signal strengths, statistical combination of all the data could help refine the map further.

    It will never beat GPS, but it would be cool to create a city-wide navigation system that works on WiFi -- "just turn left when you get max signal from MAC 00 60 1D 1C B9 0D."

    --
    Two wrongs don't make a right, but three lefts do.
    1. Re:We need a self-localizing map application. by GrAfFiT · · Score: 2, Informative

      The issue is that the strenght of the signal is not a linear function of distance. Just think about a signal passing through 3 concrete walls and direct sight antenna on the roof of a distant tower. They may have comparable strength but not the same distance. You can use a clock to measure the travel time but that would be recreating something even more complex than GPS.

  11. What I want to see by Ravenscall · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Is how many of these are left in a week once people realize thier networks are being tapped.

    --
    You say you want a revolution....
  12. In other news... by game+kid · · Score: 2, Funny

    The FBI does a sweeping investigation of the Redmond, WA area after Bill Gates found adult videos and yachts were being billed on his credit cards without his knowledge.

    FBI director Robert Mueller refused to comment on whether Internet hackers stole his numbers from a Microsoft Word Document he stored on his laptop, only adding "If the crooks like porn, it's not our business."

    More news at 11.

    --
    You can hold down the "B" button for continuous firing.
  13. Strange Request by solowCX · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Does anyone have a NON-bittorrent download location? University of Washington screws over its students by decreasing bittorrent speed to near zero.

    1. Re:Strange Request by bird603568 · · Score: 2, Informative

      ok i have it mirrored http://bird603568.ath.cx/

    2. Re:Strange Request by thogard · · Score: 2, Informative

      Since thats nearly dead....
      http://slashmirror.abnormal.com/

  14. 366 MB?! by abhinavnath · · Score: 4, Funny

    366 MB?! Do you realize how long it'll take me to download that through someone else's access point?

    --
    My other sig is also a .Porsche
    1. Re:366 MB?! by whm · · Score: 2, Funny

      Obvious solution - you need a better access point! There's a great map of them online, just downlo...er heh.

  15. Re:IM MIRRORING by Ryan+Stortz · · Score: 2, Funny

    Lol....post traumatic stress! In ten years there will be a goatse-survivors support group.

    --
    Bugs are just features that have been fixed.
  16. Now hosted on my fast server by agoodm · · Score: 2, Informative

    Hosted on my fast server for your convenience. Hosted for a limited time as this is eating bandwidth... UW Printable maps non bittorent fast mirror http://files.photojerk.com/wifiuwprodraster.zip for raster map!!! Use http://files.photojerk.com/wifiuwprodvector.zip for vector map. Alan