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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."

7 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. 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. 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.
  4. 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

  5. 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"

  6. 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?

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    My other sig is also a .Porsche