Automatic connection to unknown Wifi net

**EricE** · 03-13-2007, 11:22 AM

My hope, like yours, was to provide lojack functionality through the use of unsecured wifi routers. I have been playing with it for a few days now and I just don’t think that is going to work. I have tried the popular wifi/wardriving programs like net stumbler, wifi hopper, WZC and they just don’t work like I hoped they would. In order for lojack to work it has to connect to the internet IN A NEW AREA without any intervention from the user. It has to be so seemless that the user doesn’t even know it is happening.
Net Stumbler doesn’t try and connect at all…it is just for logging the available networks.
Wifi hopper has a couple of modes…Discovery, Hopping, connection manager. I believe hopping only works if you have used Discovery first to catalog all the networks. (someone correct me if I am wrong)
Even WZC requires that you double click the connection and tell it to “auto connect” so that the next time it sees the network it will automatically try and connect.

All of these require user intervention before it will try and connect. Lojack just isn’t going to work by wifi hopping.
(again, someone correct me if I am wrong.)

Edit: I may be wrong about wifi hopper. I just discovered I can scan for networks while in hopper mode or connection manager mode so it MAY be able to do both at the same time. If so then I'll buy it when the 15day eval is up.

**Pistolen08** · 03-13-2007, 01:12 PM

@bes51659

Prövar till lära sig svenska. Er den trevleg I sverige? Tänker av gående där.

Originally Posted by bes51659

Well, I played around with it until it finally worked. "Installation by accident".

More info at http://web.comhem.se/bengt-olof.swing/network.htm. (Could be improved, I know)

I will use GooPs as mentioned (see link above. read from page 18), and I will let the pc boot every time the car starts. GooPs will start as I've put it in start-program-start, and GooPs will upload position every 10s. google maps or google earth will then let you track your car like this http://maps.google.com/maps?&q=http:...rack/Mulle.txt

Once it is working no maintenance is required.

In Sweden this type of system (or private garage) is the only way to get a better insurance. Immobilizer/alarms does not make a difference.

Good luck

**bes51659** · 03-13-2007, 04:30 PM

Eric:

Oh, I thought I just had to check autoconnect in WZC once for all non-listed networks! Not for each and every non-listed network.

Maybe Vista?...

If this does not work I might buy a cheap GPRS phone to keep in the car at all times. But that does not yet work with GooPs...

(There are other uses for a phone as well. I've heard of people using it to turn on engine pre-heater and such by sms. I have no such needs though)

(I've got a VoomPc too btw :-))

Pistolen:
Jo, det är trevligt i sverige. Du är så välkommen hit! Good luck with your learning!

**Jay95** · 03-14-2007, 05:13 AM

Not sure if this is documented anywhere in Windows, but in the 'Preferred networks' list, if you add a new network SSID of 'ANY' (without the ' ') and tick the 'Connect when this network is in range' box, and also tick the 'Automatically connect to non-preferred networks' box in the advanced settings it should work.

Apparently using the SSID setting of ANY will get it to connect to any (unsecured) network.

It worked for me, I was driving around one day, pulled up along side the road and flipped open the laptop. A short time later the WZC ballon popped up to tell me I was connected (to what or who I have no idea

) so I jumped on YouTube and yep, I had internet access without changing any settings.

Worth a try - good luck.

J

**bes51659** · 03-14-2007, 05:45 AM

Great news Jay!

I've ticked the 'Automatically connect to non-preferred networks' already. I thought that was enough. Now I will add 'ANY'.

That "ballon" that popped up... Did have a check box for "don't show again" ? I don't like pop-ups :-)

I guess this is as far as I will get without installing the kit in the car. As you say, worth a try.

**Jay95** · 03-14-2007, 05:51 AM

Good stuff

I hate ballons too. I haven't found an option to turn it off yet, mine pops up everytime the signal strength changes too

Very frustrating. Let me know if you find a way to stop it.. lol

**Pistolen08** · 03-14-2007, 08:32 AM

to disable ballon tips in XP:

>regedit
>HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced\EnableBalloonTip s

>Create a new key with:
>Type- REG_DWORD
>Value- 0 disables tips

This will disable the ballons from ever showing up.

**EricE** · 03-14-2007, 12:27 PM

The only remaining problem is that connection is just not fast enough for this to work behind the scenes. If you stop at a stoplight for a long time and happen to have a strong enough open network nearby it will connect but that is very unlikely. For the most part, to get a connection you need to be watching the strength of signals and pull over when you get a strong one.

**bes51659** · 03-17-2007, 04:31 AM

Hi guys. I've played around for a bit. Not quite happy yet...

2) Jay-> "ANY" preferred connection does not seem to make a differens. I've never got a connection on that network/SSID. But then again, I do have a generic problem connecting to open networks.

***************

3) Eric->
Cannot connect to Unknown open networks. For some reason I cannot get automatic(/manual!) connection to the open networks available in my flat. Not even if I add them to preferred networks. In "view wireless connections" it says "automatic" but even if I press "connect" manually I don't get connection. Something I am doing wrong. Should I have WEP enabled for instance? Or am I just not waiting long enough?

***************

4) Info: Internet explorer 7 versus Firefox:
Not even automatic dial up connection works with BT in IE7. I get the question to connect with dial-up every time. I check the "connect automatic" every time, but I still get the question. If I connect wifi IE7 is still confused and askes if I want to dial-up on BT. Maybe i should reinstall IE? I don't want to deinstall it because I want to use microsoft update :-(
Now, Firefox handles this a lot better. It connects the way you want it to without questions apart from one thing - if it once starts to use BT, it will not change to wifi even if I a connection is established. But if I then disconnect BT it will without silly dialogues or baloons.

**Jay95** · 03-17-2007, 06:08 PM

Hmm, strange. Work no problems for me.

The only thing I can think of is that you can see the network but the otherside (network) can't hear you, so your requests to join the network go unanswered.

That or they have MAC filtering on with no WEP?

J