Are there WIFI extremists?

[Stephen Tashiro]

Some ham radio operators go to extremes to build antennas. They string wires between trees or build towers. Does anyone make elaborate constructions to pickup WiFi networks? Or would these be unworkable?

[Jerome Hanby]

I saw a news feature on TV years ago about some community that was re-purposing the old dish network dishes to beam wi-fi access all around the city. I don't recall the exact range, but I think it was at least several miles.

[Pat Germain]

There used to be a lot of people who drove around with laptops looking for WiFi networks. It was called "War Driving". These days, corporate WiFi networks, and anything worth hacking, are pretty secure or completely isolated from the good stuff. If all you want is a network, you can just go to Starbuck's or Panera and get it for free. So, the thrill of War Driving quickly wore off.

In many neighborhoods, you can typically find an unsecure to network. I think it's technically illegal to do so. But people do it anyway.

[Matt Meiser]

Driving down my parents street I pick up everyone's 2wire (I think that's what AT&T gives out) router with my phone--so you don't even need to have a good antenna.

There are sites devoted to building high gain antennas. And wireless internet providers are commonplace in more rural areas. They can get an 802.11 signal 5+ miles. Its a very viable technology in the right hands. Unfortunately the amateur-hour operator by me doesn't have those hands but I've been talking to another and hopefully they will be putting up a tower near me next year.

[Eric DeSilva]

Some ham radio operators go to extremes to build antennas. They string wires between trees or build towers. Does anyone make elaborate constructions to pickup WiFi networks? Or would these be unworkable?

Yes, I think the record was like 237 miles in Venezuela or something equally absurd. Google "pringle can antenna" for easier hacks.

[Brian Elfert]

I live in an neighborhood with lots of houses. I can't get a single WI-FI network with my laptop, secure or unsecure!

I don't even have wireless at home and I'm an IT guy.

[Charlie Stone]

To answer the original question, no there are not to many people who try to hard to hack extend the incoming signal .. but it does happen. Check out kipkay.com ...
It is much for common for people to attempt to extend the range of their wi-fi. I live in a 3 story brick house with my router on one end, and my bedroom w/ laptop on the other end. Sometimes, its a pretty week signal. I sure as hell cant spend a sickday bed ridden and play online games. I have to actually get up and go to the couch or something.
I suppose if i wanted to, I could do something about it, I am a network engineer. <shrug> But, once I get off work, i dont wanna do more of the same.

Also, check out this video .. http://www.metacafe.com/watch/837885/wifi_antenna_hack/

[Darius Ferlas]

It's not that hard to pickup signals located beyond the standard reach of the usual WiFi devices. But even if you can pickup that signal from 10 miles away what good is it? TCP/IP is a two way communication protocol, even if you're only receiving data you need to send some back every so often. You'll see the remote signal but it won't see you and thus the whole exercise is mute.

The easiest way to extend the signal range in a larger home is to place the wireless router on the second floor, or in the attic. I have one such installation in a two story, 10,000 s/f office. The wireless transmitter is located in the ceiling of the second floor hallway. Works all the way to the basement where they get the 40% strength.

If that doesn't help then simply use wireless repeaters, or additional wireless access points.

Having said that, nothing beats fiber or copper for security and reliability.

[Stephen Tashiro]

The "cantenna" and that trick are the sort of thing that I was wondering about. My curiosity about the subject was prompted by the situation of a friend who can get to local free wireless networks only by sitting in front of a particular window in her apartment. Everywhere else in the apartment, her computer won't connect. It's a stucco building and I wonder if the chicken wire mesh under the stucco has something to do with the phenomena.

[Matt Meiser]

She could simply put a repeater in the window.

If you are talking about the free public networks at places like restaurants thought, most of those are for customers only and there was at least one case where someone was prosecuted for using one.

[Russ Filtz]

There are also "wireless" networks that plug into standard power outlets and use your AC lines to feed the signals.

Here is a link to wiki "Cantenna". has some external links for how-to builds. Seems a bit more complicated than wiring up a can. Looks like you need different sized cans/probes, etc. based on the frequency to maximize gains.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cantenna

[Andrew Pitonyak]

Some ham radio operators go to extremes to build antennas. They string wires between trees or build towers. Does anyone make elaborate constructions to pickup WiFi networks? Or would these be unworkable?
I setup a connection between two buildings using cell type antennas using standard linksys access points. We mounted the antennas on both buildings, We mounted the access points directly adjacent to the antennas and used power over ethernet to so that we could minimize antenna losses.

Worked great, but, the distance was not outrageous (less than 1000 feet). The primary issue was trees in the way.

[Myk Rian]

Some ham radio operators go to extremes to build antennas. They string wires between trees or build towers. Does anyone make elaborate constructions to pickup WiFi networks? Or would these be unworkable?
132 (approx) miles in Arizona to a mountain top is/was the record using a satellite dish.

War driving is the hobby of recording WiFi points with a GPS connected to the computer, then uploading the coordinates to a common database website. It is not a means of breaking into home WiFi systems. There are laws. Netstumbler is a popular program for wardriving.

There are many websites that have info and plans on antennas. Some are used to enhance ones own wireless system. Others are for covering maximum areas, such as campgrounds. Still other antennas are directional. All depends on your needs. It all works the same as ham/CB radio.

[Eric DeSilva]

132 (approx) miles in Arizona to a mountain top is/was the record using a satellite dish.

A team in Venezuela more than doubled that distance...

[Russ Filtz]

War driving is the hobby of recording WiFi points with a GPS connected to the computer, then uploading the coordinates to a common database website. It is not a means of breaking into home WiFi systems. There are laws. Netstumbler is a popular program for wardriving.



Sure there are laws and maybe the mapping part IS hobby based. But for what purpose? At it's core, it is/was really for leaching I would think. At least early on. Now there are so many wifi based devices, I can see needing maps of actual FREE wifi signals. The mapping part used to be kind of like hosting pirate bit-torrent files. "Oh, I'm not pirating, it's those others copying my files that are!" :p