Thread: Track your car! (free)

Yes it would be far more accurate. But where has this already been implemented like this dns has been already with logging, email alerts, and name server update. I have not see a free GPS app that works cross all GPS devices and can provide this useful info.

Also to an earlier post. There are many tools you can use to trace IP address to locations. VisualRoute, the link provided above, and local/county/federal governments (if your car is stolen) can assist you with. On the otherhand, my dad works for the department of defense and can get cable/dsl providers to provide IP address to house locations within minutes.

There are some flaws but as an extra layer of protection that sits quietly in you system tray, I think it is worth the effort.

I think with GPS reporting your location every few minutes, and this tool as another option is great protection. If you car doesn't have line of sight visual to a satellte and you cant use GPS obviously if you are in a garage for example. But if someone who stole your car (and is in a garage for example) who knows you could catch a nice 802.11b or 802.11n signal indoors, or from neighbors etc.

Bottom line, using a GPS reporting app and this app, covers as many bases at once.

I have a better idea for this. Have some kind of a momentary switch that you push everytime you get in your car thats hidden somewhere that would disable the gps uploads. so that if it wasnt pushed it would upload its co-ordinated everytime it went by a wireless access point thus sending out its location if your not driving it. could also work if you loan someone your car (not that I would ever let someone drive it when I wasnt in it but someone might) so you know where they go with it.

Originally Posted by bd3521

do you mean a local http on the carputer?

I was thinking like http://mycar.dyndns.com/ or some such, but then the script in the html would run on the client side which is no good. I've gone senile. Maybe php.

Originally Posted by Curiosity

I was thinking like http://mycar.dyndns.com/ or some such, but then the script in the html would run on the client side which is no good. I've gone senile. Maybe php.

Its hard to accomplish because when traveling you have no control of firewalls, port forwarding settings, or getting the http server port on your carputer the ability to be connected into.

Another note to add to the features of the DYNDNS client

Besides email notification, IP address updating on DYNDNS nameserver, and log file uploading with IP info (via rather easy homemade script)...

They also have an option to launch several programs when it detects a new IP address. So this would make it really easy to get your carputer to upload a file via ftp, uploading a gps location, or any other custom idea you may have the moment it detects a new IP addy.

Get an alarm with lcd pager that pages you up to 1/2mile and get 2 sirens you are all set. If somebody is crazy to still your car, first thing they going to rip and sell is your monitor and the computer.

they'd never find my carputer. in my software im writing i already though of implementing this feature, when i finally get done with it. i've been too busy with the hardware aspect of my carputer lately.

sorry about the pyramid minimac thing guys, i forgot about that rule. however i did not post any links, i just merely asked if anyone wanted my referal link, and one person PM'd me, so I don't think I did anything to get myself in trouble.

Originally Posted by bd3521

Yes it would be far more accurate. But where has this already been implemented like this dns has been already with logging, email alerts, and name server update. I have not see a free GPS app that works cross all GPS devices and can provide this useful info.

Getting date from all standard gps receivers is really easy. It's just text on the COM port. Sending the data is just a web lookup to a server at your house. Or if you have a GSM phone permanently wired into your car you could SMS the data .

Part of the GPS data is your speed so when you lead your car to a friend you could check they aren't speeding!

My big problem is that I have yet to receive an IP ever when driving around.

im skeptical of whether you can connect and upload the data fast enough also. i mean, i've connected to networks while driving by them, sure, but actually aquiring an IP address takes a little time + you have to send the data which should be very minimal.

also, how would the car auto-connect? with windows you set it to connect to any and every wifi available? or is there some utility you guys use?

i've always used the utility that came with my wifi card, and with that you have to manually connect