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Unfinished Windows 7 Hotspot Feature Exploited
An anonymous reader writes with this excerpt from Engadget: "It wasn't all that long ago that Microsoft was talking up the Virtual WiFi feature developed by Microsoft Research and set for inclusion in Windows 7, but something got lost along the road to release day, and the functionality never officially made it into the OS. As you might expect with anything as big and complicated as an operating system though, some of that code did make it into the final release, and there was apparently enough of it for the folks at Nomadio to exploit into a full fledged feature. That's now become Connectify, a free application from the company that effectively turns any Windows 7 computer into a virtual WiFi hotspot — letting you, for instance, wirelessly tether a number of devices to your laptop at location where only an Ethernet jack is available, or even tether a number of laptops together at a coffee shop that charges for WiFi."
If these are undocumented APIs, then you can bet that they'll be removed or otherwise disabled in the first service pack.
Exactly. I can do this with Ubuntu, too.
Error 001
Security Scan and Virus Detection do not work with your operating system.
Not surprising really. The secret formula for CokeCola is probably hidden in there too.
I wonder how many 'libraries of congress' could fit in the space occupied by unused but deployed windows code.
You can get rich if you own a politician, but you have to be rich to buy one in the first place.
or even tether a number of laptops together at a coffee shop that charges for WiFi
That coffee shop has to pay for its connection, and bandwidth is a limited resource. Is Engadget going to instruct us on how to distract the employees while you pour free coffee into your thermos too?
Why set it up as adhoc? If you have a decent card you can put it into master mode and broadcast like an AP.
I read the article and it does not make clear if it will work with any card.
I ask this because I was looking to do this some time ago (I want to connect my DS and Wii to internet using my existing PC as an access point) and, although there was some software (now discontinued) that allowed you to do that on WIndows, and on Linux you had to spend your time with ifconfig and whatnot (it was never clear for me, but the first step was to change your wifi card to AP mode).
Thus I wonder if this Vista feature would make it possible use the computer as an AP with all types of wireless cards.
Ubuntu is an African word meaning 'I can't configure Debian'
No. OSX does not allow you to use a single wireless card for both 1) connecting to a wireless network, and 2) broadcasting itself as a hotspot.
Windows has had Internet Sharing since the 90's (oh dear, did Apple not invent that feature?!). The new feature here is virtualizing the wireless card so it behaves as though it's two wireless cards. Try that on any version of OSX and let me know how it goes.
Is that similar to the Internet Connection Sharing that Windows has had since (at least) Windows 95?
Yes and no, Windows ICS is only DHCP/NAT software. OSX Internet Sharing also allows you to configure your Wifi card into access point mode. Connectify is promising to allow you to run Windows wifi cards in access-point mode WHILE using it in regular structured mode... which seems like a dubious claim. The makers of Connectify haven't yet listed which cards they are going to support.
In short
It's better than ICS, the host laptop shows up as an access point that the other laptops can connect to (in my experience, connecting to an access point is quite a lot easier than setting up an ad hoc network).
Nerd rage is the funniest rage.
Why do you need EVDO Broadband to connect with a guy in the back of the bus?
because you missed it and had to catch the next one?
This has been standard and expected functionality in Linux for years; practically as long as wi-fi cards have been supported. Why the hell is this news? Microsoft didn't even complete the support, it's a third party hack... This is worse than the claim that Aero Glass was revolutionary.
Two of my imaginary friends reproduced once
Actually, it does. Loads of wireless cards are capable of being put in AP mode, which is not the same as ad-hoc. This is not different.
No, ICS sets up an ad-hoc network. This sets the card into master mode *while simultaneously allowing you to send and recieve on another network*.
It really is pretty cool
Learn about Photography Basics.
It does indeed show up as an access point.
On OS X itself (that is set up this way) the Airport icon changes into a base station icon with an arrow to show you the card is running in AP mode instead of ad-hoc wireless network (which is a different icon again) or normal wireless client mode.
They were vigilant about blocking mailinator domains, so if you just want the direct link to download: http://www.connectify.me/a103dk/ConnectifyInstaller.exe Or visit: http://www.connectify.me/thanks.html
When modding "Informative", please make sure it both has a source and IS actually informative.
Time zone differences?
This is not the funny you're looking for.
This software is nicer than that, it is using the same wireless hardware to connect to the internet and to offer the access point.
Nerd rage is the funniest rage.
What is the difference between this and creating an ad-hoc network and enabling internet connection sharing for the physical port in Vista (and XP, and OS X, and Linux)?
It's an actual access point, not an ad hoc network. My Android Dev Phone 1(which does not support connecting to ad hoc networks) can connect to it.
Jean-Francois Im's blog
Why a "virtual" hotspot? What's virtual about it? If this turns a Windows PC into a Wi-Fi access point, then surely that's a hotspot plain and simple?
you know, when I hear of a windows feature being "exploited" the utilization of a useful feature is not what comes to mind.
Or maybe they're just ahead of their time. This feature is obviously intended for Windows 8 only.
Yeah but when you do you cannot connect to another hotspot anymore. And that's what this is about. And this is currently not possible in OSX, and probably not in OS9 (I cannot check that).
This isn't even remotely ad-hoc networking. This is turning a regular computer into an access point. You can also connect to one wireless network, then set yourself up as an access point to that network, which normally would require two separate network cards.
Mods, please RTFS. People saying "Ad-hoc has been around for years" and similar keep getting all the mod points, even though they're completely missing the point. Apple has something like this since Leopard, not anytime before like everyone here keeps mentioning.
Yes. You can do this with wicd
My blog
So this feature was created by Microsoft Research back in 2005, and has been available for download ever since: http://research.microsoft.com/en-us/downloads/994abd5f-53d1-4dba-a9d8-8ba1dcccead7/
I fail to see how this is news, they included it by default in Win 7 and someone accessed it, yay. This has been doable for 4 years...
The resulting Connectify differs from the Internet connection sharing that Windows already supports via an "ad hoc" network connection, which lets several Windows computers share a single connection. "For one thing, it shows up as a real wireless access point," Gizis said. "Two, Internet connection sharing has issues. It returns to the default settings every time you shut down a connection. And three, you can join another wireless network and still run the Connectify Hotspot on the same Wi-Fi card."
One application came immediately to mind, Gizis continued. "You're sitting in a coffee shop that charges you for a wireless connection. With Connectify, I can pay for that connection, and still have all my other devices, like my iPhone, connected to the Internet."
It's odd you should say this, because I've had a Windows guru/sysadmin try several times to get this working (with his Dell running XP), and every time he's given up after about 45 minutes of messing with configuration settings. I myself tried it on both of my work-issued PCs (an HP and a Lenovo, both running XP) and found it completely impossible. Of the many Windows users I know, none have ever successfully used their laptop as an AP or a reverse bridge (providing connectivity over ethernet from a single wireless connection).
Therefore, you are either lying, or a statistical anomaly. I trust you're recounting the story accurately, so I'm going to conclude that your success is the exception rather than the rule.
A cat is no trade for integrity!
This is not an exploit as in a vulnerability, this is exploiting a feature in the sense of taking advantage of and using it. The story is just that Microsoft released the OS without doing this themselves. It's entirely possible that Microsoft intended to release something down the road that enabled all of this, so it may make sense to ship the OS with most of the base code so that it doesn't need to be downloaded again later.
According to TFA the lower-level implementation code was there, but the driver-level code had not been finished because of an apparent lack of driver support. The company who finished this feature says that they realized that they already had all of the needed code in their other networking products.
But, let's be serious, you just wanted to write "M$", didn't you?
"Our two-party system is like a bowl of shit looking at itself in a mirror." - Lewis Black
Uhhh...yes it does, and always has. Sorry you were living in the stone age ;)
It appears the UI isn't in Windows 7, but the feature is definitely there. If you have Windows 7 with a recent WiFi driver (virtual WLAN support is required for Win7 logo program), just type "netsh wlan start hostednetwork" and it'll create the virtual WLAN. Type "netsh wlan set hostednetwork" to see the options for SSID, passphrase, etc. The documentation for this is on MSDN.
"These older devices are known to be compatible:
Intel 5100/5300 (with latest drivers from Intel's site, version 13.0.0.107)
Ralink RT2870 (in many 802.11n USB dongles)
Broadcom 4310-series (in many Dell laptops)
Realtek RTL8187SE (with the drivers that came with Windows 7)
D-link AirPlus G DWL-G510 Wireless PCI Adapter (driver version 3.0.1.0)
Dell 5520 (builtin many Dell laptops)
Atheros AR5007EG with 8.0.0.238 firmware
These older devices are known to be incompatible:
Intel 3945/4965,2200BG (most Intel cards, unfortunately)
Realtek RTL8187 (like in older 802.11bg USB dongles)
Zydas ZD1211 (also in 802.11bg USB dongles)
Broadcom 4320-series (in many Dell laptops)
Atheros AR9285 (likely others too)
D-Link AirPlus G DWL-G122
Mac Book Builtin Broadcom devices"
Obi-Wan: "I felt a great disturbance in the Force, as if millions of voices suddenly cried out in terror and were sudden
You have to type cryptic commands into a terminal? Windows isn't ready for the desktop.