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MIT Demos Wi-Fi That's So High-Tech It Doesn't Need a Password (mic.com)

Posted by msmash on from the pretty-high-for-wifi dept.

An anonymous reader shares an article on MIC: Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology want to change how we connect to Wi-Fi. To avoid the cumbersome network login process, a team has come up with a way to grant computers access to a Wi-Fi network based on their proximity to a router. Applied practically, that means you could walk into a cafe and your device would automatically connect to a network -- no annoying password necessary. The same could be true for a home network. When your friends come over, they could immediately be granted access to your Wi-Fi. The paper (PDF), sadly, doesn't offer details on the security aspect. Security researchers advise that one should be careful when connecting to a public Wi-Fi. Say you forget to turn off Wi-Fi on your device, and you walk into a cafe. Your phone will automatically establish a connection with this supposed network. If the network is compromised, plenty of devices will be exposed to attack.

4 of 92 comments (clear)

  1. Cool by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    It's like every open access point ever. Range-limited authentication. Great work MIT. Patent that shit.

    1. Re:Cool by xxxJonBoyxxx · · Score: 5, Insightful

      This is why certain people shouldn't read SlashDot on...April Fools Day.

      (In fact, I'm only here today to watch and comment on the OVER-reaction of people who don't realize what SlashDot becomes on April 1.)

    2. Re:Cool by JustAnotherOldGuy · · Score: 5, Funny

      I have mod points, but using them on April Fools day seems like shooting blanks at the Moon- pointless and/or meaningless.

      Which, now that I think of it, makes me wonder if my mod points are actually real or not....

      Ah well, perhaps it's best to wait a few days until all the posts about solar-powered slippers and helium-filled paperweights have ceased being posted.

      --
      Just cruising through this digital world at 33 1/3 rpm...
    3. Re:Cool by phantomfive · · Score: 4, Insightful

      This one is actually pretty good.....instead of being an out-right lie, it seems like something that could be plausible.......and then suddenly you realize not only is it plausible, it's the original configuration for wifi, and you were trolled in a completely different way than what you expected.

      In other words, you have to actually think or understand the technology to see why it's a lie.

      --
      "First they came for the slanderers and i said nothing."