Thread: WiFi FAQ

i found this on http://www.tigerdirect.com/sectors/u...y/wireless.asp

802.11b - This technology supports bandwidth up to 11MBps, which is comparable to the speeds of traditional Ethernets. 802.11b uses the same 2.4GHz radio signaling as the original 802.11 standard. Because it is an unregulated frequency, 802.11b devices run the risk of incurring interference from appliances that use the same 2.4 GHz range, such as microwaves and cordless phones. However, if you install 802.11b devices out of range of other appliances, you can avoid the interference. Some manufacturers prefer using unregulated frequencies, such as 802.11b to lower their production costs. On the negative side, 802.11b is relatively slow and supports fewer simultaneous users.
802.11a (not recommended for most wireless users) - IEEE created 802.11a at the same time it made 802.11b. 802.11a supports bandwidth up to 54 Mbps and signals in a regulated 5 GHz range. This higher frequency limits the range of 802.11a in comparison to 802.11b, and due to its higher cost it’s used primarily in the business sector rather than in homes. 802.11a’s higher frequency also causes its signals to have difficulty penetrating walls and other obstructions. Because they utilize different frequencies, 802.11a and 802.11b devices are incompatible with each other.
802.11g - This technology supports of up to 125 Mbps, uses the 2.4 GHz frequency and is backwards compatible with 802.11b devices. 802.11g supports more simultaneous users, offers the best signal range and is not easily obstructed. The disadvantages of 802.11g is higher cost and possible interference with appliances on the unregulated signal frequency.

better for slower peole such as myself!

Hmmmm,

I'm walking down the street, it's dark, I am carrying a book. As I am walking I walk past some houses, one in particular has a bright light shining outside, which happens to also light up the pathway I am walking on. I decide to take a rest and because there is light I decide to use this available light to read a few pages of my book. - Am I breaking the law?


It's now daytime, I am walking down a different street, it's summer and people have their windows open, up ahead I spot a public bench, I decide that I will sit down and take a rest. It just so happens that one of the nearby houses has music playing, not sure if it's the radio and a CD player, but I like the music and decide to stay a bit longer and listen to it. - Am I breaking the law?


I'm driving down another road in this town, I have my car PC running, which happens to have a wireless network card in it, the purpose of this card is to connect to my home AP when I drive so that the PC can automatically update the PC with any changes that I may have made to my playlists , or other files, now it so happens that I pass a house where someone has their own wireless AP where they haven't set up any WEP or passwords or anykind of protection, my computer then connects to the internet through this AP. Am I breaking the law?

Light waves, sound waves and radio waves. - It makes you think.

Now if the AP was encrypted, had basic password protection or even had MAC filtering enabled and I used some method to by pass it then that is something different, that is certainly illegal.

Take the house with the light, if there was shutters or filters on the light that prevented the light from coming across into the street and I went over and moved them out of the way so I could use the light, then that would be illegal.

Take the house with the music, if the windows and doors were shut so the music didn't reach my ears and I went to the house and opened a window so I could hear the music, then that would be illegal.



Just a few things to think about.

very well said enforcer, but could we move this discussion to another thread to keep this wifi faq clean?

yes, i mean, seriously, i could go into how Napster was legally correct and should have won if they didn't run out of money or the RIAA didnt' play dirty, or the fact that poeple sell their old CDs all the time and don't keep their recipets or borrow a firend's, but this isn't the thread to do it. But a good point was brought up on the thin line of legal and illegal access to a private connection. persoanlly, as long as you don't touch my files, download porn, or do any illegal stuff on my IP, i'll let anyone use my broadband. I paid for always on access and if i can't use it, someone else can. I'm obvioulsy not the only one who feels this way. However, there are some territorial people who feel differentely, and well, they paid for it. But they also have a right to fence it off and make it private. It takes 2 seconds to do. Ofcourse, in a country wher a 3 year old can get sued for accidently running over a woman's heel on a big wheel, i dunno....

But so i'm not a hypocrite, i set up an wifi server in my high school senior year. I've found some interesting things out that weren't mentioned in this thread:

First, AD hoc wireless was not mentioned. This is GREAT for that CPC/ PPC GTi wanted to know about. I've done it the hard way. A benifit is that you don't have to buy the router AND if you use network bridging, and your computer has internet access somewhere, you can use your computer as a node. Ad Hoc networks are dasiy chain networks, meaning that theoretically, i can get wifi from california if i had a chain of people with connected devices back to the host. GTi, there's a program for the Pocket PC called Rudeo control which controls WMP from the Pocket PC. IM/PM me if you want it. Also, if you're a good coder, you make a remote control for your car with your PPC. I know with Palm, its a littel easier since they have a simpler language. Check to see if its been done. Someone on this forum has done it, i've watched a vid of it in action.

Also, many laptops have the antenna wrapped around the screen. I'm wondering if we can do the same thing with some 3m clear bra around your roof or door.

One thing i would love to see in this thread are links to developers programs. It woudl be great because we could test, play with, and enhance upon your codes. That was one thing i was hoping to see.

stfu all of you!!! This thread is not for the discussion of legalities of wardriving, its for getting the basics of WiFi down. i wish i was a mod so i could cull this thread of all the off topic nonsense. Could a mod please do this for me?

is this thread ever going to get back on the original topic?