Using GPS for WiFi Connection

**slevytam** · 04-15-2006, 12:28 PM

Hi,

I have done an enormous amount of reading on this subject but still don't seem to be able to find an answer to my question.

Can you use GPS to dictate what wifi connection is to be used while war driving ?

It seems logical that as you drive around day to day your software would find open wifi connections and log them based on their gps co-ordinates. Then the next time u are at the co-ordinate your software would used the logged AP to connect?

Is there no software that does this ???

Thanks,

slevytam

**b8bboi** · 04-15-2006, 01:08 PM

There's no software that does EXACTLY that. Netstumbler is close however it doesn't automatically connect to APs it has discovered.

**slevytam** · 04-16-2006, 03:09 PM

Hi,

Thanks for your reply....

To me it seems like the most important thing would be the program that connects to the APs. If I take my log from netstumbler is there a program that will automatically connect to the APs using my log??? Ideally I would like it to use GPS co-ordinates so that I can maintain internet access while driving....

Thanks,

slevytam

**Nesvik** · 04-16-2006, 08:31 PM

Hi.
It is certanly possible to make a program that does this.
If it is to be done, windows' default wireless network dialog service have to be disabled at the users computer. Personaly I am not skilled enough to make such a program, but I have seen and used other 3rd party aplications to manage my wireless connection. it should be easy to integrate GPS activation based on info from programs like netstumbler.
Try asking in the software section where I am sure there are people with the skill to make a program like this.
But you should keep in mind that it will be impossible to maintain a continous connection because the network card in your pc have to disconnect from the current network before sending a request and finaly connecting to the next network.

**Eubey** · 04-16-2006, 11:10 PM

yeah in the coding section people have talked about trying to make software connect to wifi access points but everyone is coming up short... So for software like this, that is probibly not commercially available, and would have to be custom developed for the carputer community, its gonna be real hard to do.

**Pepe** · 04-21-2006, 01:12 PM

As Nesvik says, I really don't think it's feasible, due to the network technology. windows needs to release and renew an IP every time it leaves a network and reconnects to another one. If you consider the speed that you'd be driving (even at city speeds), and the range of the average AP, your computer really doesn't have enough time to first find the network, setup a connection with it, and get an IP address with it. What's the average range of an AP? Say 100ft to be generous. At city speeds of 25mph, your going about 37ft/sec. Assuming you have a supply of constantly available AP's every 100 ft, your computer needs to release and get a new IP address every 3 seconds, and not loose any data inbetween.

It's just not going to happen.

**slevytam** · 04-21-2006, 11:03 PM

Thanks for your reply. I see your point. My thought is that the gps locations for all the networks would already be saved so the computer wouldn't have to find the network. As soon as it entered a box of gps co-ordinates it would already know what network to send an ip renew packet to (which should take but 50ms) and voila we ready to go again.

Maybe its just wishful thinking...

**El Andrew** · 04-22-2006, 02:33 PM

Originally Posted by slevytam

....send an ip renew packet to (which should take but 50ms) ..... Maybe its just wishful thinking...

Wishful thinking.

I haven't measured exactly how long it takes, but even under the most optimal 802.11 conditions, windows takes a lot longer than 50ms to release and then renew an IP address. Also, even if all the parameters for the 802.11 network you're trying to connect to are stored, there is still a lot more to associating with an access point than just releasing and renewing the IP address.

Now.... try coordinating this using multiple 802.11 NICs.... that may be more feasible.

**fromplanetbob** · 04-23-2006, 02:52 PM

GPS antennas typically only have a 30 ft accuracy. Even less if you don't have access to alot of satellites. Wifi connections are typically VERY small in comparison. But yeah, it's very possible to write software that could do it.