So what's the point?
So what's the point of somebody listing my wireless network here other than for others to try to get free internet access?
we draw maps.
mmm, maps!
people can see your access point. Its a fact of life, central to any broadcast radio technology. Your AP by default is sending out a message to anyone within range that says "here i am!" constantly (well, at an interval.)
If you have your Access Point secured (turn on WEP, turn off your beacon, use MAC restriction, use secure networking protocols, VPN, SSH, etc.) then people you don't want to use it can't use it.
the people who post what they've seen in passing on sites like wigle tend to not do illegal things like connect to networks they're not authorized to, and we certainly don't encourage that.
we're here to inform people about the state of the world, and draw maps.
If you'd like to have your network removed from our database, please email the request to wigle-admin[at]wigle.net, with your MAC address, but note that this Dosen't Mean People Can't See It!
mmm, maps!
people can see your access point. Its a fact of life, central to any broadcast radio technology. Your AP by default is sending out a message to anyone within range that says "here i am!" constantly (well, at an interval.)
If you have your Access Point secured (turn on WEP, turn off your beacon, use MAC restriction, use secure networking protocols, VPN, SSH, etc.) then people you don't want to use it can't use it.
the people who post what they've seen in passing on sites like wigle tend to not do illegal things like connect to networks they're not authorized to, and we certainly don't encourage that.
we're here to inform people about the state of the world, and draw maps.
If you'd like to have your network removed from our database, please email the request to wigle-admin[at]wigle.net, with your MAC address, but note that this Dosen't Mean People Can't See It!
maps..........................right
no, really! we're just unskilled cartographers... i swear: http://wigle.net/gps/gps/GPSDB/onlinemap/
plus in the several WiGLE clients: http://wigle.net/gps/gps/GPSDB/dl/
we're here to draw maps and raise awareness of the emergent wifi networking phenomenon... we're a loosely coupled means of tracking and observing aggregate network deployment.
plus, we have monkeys.
plus in the several WiGLE clients: http://wigle.net/gps/gps/GPSDB/dl/
we're here to draw maps and raise awareness of the emergent wifi networking phenomenon... we're a loosely coupled means of tracking and observing aggregate network deployment.
plus, we have monkeys.
In all actuality, uhtu is correct. (Not biased here) It's awesome to be able to pull up your home town and see it covered with little dots everywhere representing APs. It really does show (unscientifically) the tech savvy-ness of a particular area. For instance, Peoria, IL is loaded where Rock Island, IL isn't, yet both of them have been sufficiently mapped out.
Brad Isbell
brad@musatcha.com
http://www.musatcha.com
[img]http://www.musatcha.com/images/logo.jpg[/img]
brad@musatcha.com
http://www.musatcha.com
[img]http://www.musatcha.com/images/logo.jpg[/img]
One day bobzilla came to me and said "I started making a database of all of my wardrives." I said, "hey, i know how we can put these on maps!"
it's really that simple... we're dopey, self-taught cartographers. We love writing software, especially for lots of users, especially for no money. It's become a fun, sometimes competitive thing for the community of wardrivers at large, who we like. I'd love to say we have a grander, or less-grand, more lucrative purpose... but so far, it's been "for fun." If you want us to make money from it, donate your points to the "commercial dataset," click our google ads, or just buy some WiGLE swag (let's be fair, that's the most rewarding option; it's very chic!).
your ideas about fun stuff WiGLE could do are welcome of course.
as always, we tell people "it's illegal to use networks without permission" - we don't advocate it, and worry when people assume that we're promoting that.
it's really that simple... we're dopey, self-taught cartographers. We love writing software, especially for lots of users, especially for no money. It's become a fun, sometimes competitive thing for the community of wardrivers at large, who we like. I'd love to say we have a grander, or less-grand, more lucrative purpose... but so far, it's been "for fun." If you want us to make money from it, donate your points to the "commercial dataset," click our google ads, or just buy some WiGLE swag (let's be fair, that's the most rewarding option; it's very chic!).
your ideas about fun stuff WiGLE could do are welcome of course.
as always, we tell people "it's illegal to use networks without permission" - we don't advocate it, and worry when people assume that we're promoting that.
What you claim to be interested in, making maps showing concentrations of wireless technology, can be done without displaying all the information available in the Query section.
The "don't use this info for illegal use" disclaimer is about as laughable as the warnings in a psychedelic head shop. Be honest with me..... what percentage of people who visit this site do you believe illegally log onto one of the networks displayed?
The "don't use this info for illegal use" disclaimer is about as laughable as the warnings in a psychedelic head shop. Be honest with me..... what percentage of people who visit this site do you believe illegally log onto one of the networks displayed?
I contend the following:
1.) WiGLE couldn't tell you whether or not you'll "see" a network someplace, just 'cause it's sighted there once. the gear that wardrivers use is generally a lot more powerful than a random laptop anyway.
2.) No stumbling package i've used can reliably recognize much about the most basic network security (and indeed, testing network security may constitute a breach of the law). Furthermore, even the most detailed and accurate stumblepackage info would fail to tell whether or not proper security were present/enforced. WiGLE only provides the most simple info on network configuration, and we certainly can't make claims as to accuracy (of anything, really)
I guess what i'm saying is that if you're picking your vacation/business/parking spot based on WiGLE's list of local access points you want to "hack into," you're probably wasting your time. saying you can use WiGLE to hack wireless nets is like saying you can use the telephone book's business pages to rob jewelry stores; just 'cause it's listed doesn't mean anything!
1.) WiGLE couldn't tell you whether or not you'll "see" a network someplace, just 'cause it's sighted there once. the gear that wardrivers use is generally a lot more powerful than a random laptop anyway.
2.) No stumbling package i've used can reliably recognize much about the most basic network security (and indeed, testing network security may constitute a breach of the law). Furthermore, even the most detailed and accurate stumblepackage info would fail to tell whether or not proper security were present/enforced. WiGLE only provides the most simple info on network configuration, and we certainly can't make claims as to accuracy (of anything, really)
I guess what i'm saying is that if you're picking your vacation/business/parking spot based on WiGLE's list of local access points you want to "hack into," you're probably wasting your time. saying you can use WiGLE to hack wireless nets is like saying you can use the telephone book's business pages to rob jewelry stores; just 'cause it's listed doesn't mean anything!
heh. we are actually interested in what we claim. well, i am anyhow. that bobzilla can't be trusted.
lawbreakers are lawbreakers, so whatever the %-age of people in the general populace who break the law is will be seen in people browsing WiGLE.net.
possibly less, as a lot of people who come to WiGLE.net are wifi hobbyists or professional networking types and already know how to find networks, and know that if they do route packets through an AP they're not authorized to use they're breaking the law.
Unlike a random passerby whose laptop running WindowsXP will by default silently and automaticly join a network just by virtue of it being near the network; other OSes will at least prompt you.
as to what we need: we are not going to hide publicly available information.
anything you see on wigle is being broadcast into the aether by an AP.
none of it is stolen, or secret information. we're not posting WEP keys here, or helping people pwnz your computer (there's sites enough on the net for that.)
The thing about wifi is that its not an attractive target for people to misuse on purpose, there's too high a cost for physical locality ("oh hey, wigle shows a 'net at the corner of state and madison, lets drive downtown and surf teh int0rweb!"), too low a bandwidth when you get there, and accidental misuse dosen't require any effort at all.
If you're worried about people using your network, WiGLE is not your problem, your network is. there are lots of sites that can help you secure your home network against the hordes of evil people (some of whom will statisticly be WiGLE.net users: you know who you are)
that, and monkeys.
lawbreakers are lawbreakers, so whatever the %-age of people in the general populace who break the law is will be seen in people browsing WiGLE.net.
possibly less, as a lot of people who come to WiGLE.net are wifi hobbyists or professional networking types and already know how to find networks, and know that if they do route packets through an AP they're not authorized to use they're breaking the law.
Unlike a random passerby whose laptop running WindowsXP will by default silently and automaticly join a network just by virtue of it being near the network; other OSes will at least prompt you.
as to what we need: we are not going to hide publicly available information.
anything you see on wigle is being broadcast into the aether by an AP.
none of it is stolen, or secret information. we're not posting WEP keys here, or helping people pwnz your computer (there's sites enough on the net for that.)
The thing about wifi is that its not an attractive target for people to misuse on purpose, there's too high a cost for physical locality ("oh hey, wigle shows a 'net at the corner of state and madison, lets drive downtown and surf teh int0rweb!"), too low a bandwidth when you get there, and accidental misuse dosen't require any effort at all.
If you're worried about people using your network, WiGLE is not your problem, your network is. there are lots of sites that can help you secure your home network against the hordes of evil people (some of whom will statisticly be WiGLE.net users: you know who you are)
that, and monkeys.
Ooh! Fun conversation. My cents: My house, almost all friends' houses, many of the places i frequent, even my Mom's place, all have legitimate, free, wifi internet access (well, yes, I pay for my own DSL, but I always have). As it gets more ubiquitous there becomes not much of a reason to steal bandwidth. Wardrivers for the most part have an ethos that passive detection is perfectly fine, but connecting is Right Out (and the FBI agrees).
For those intending harm on a network, there's nothing WiGLE can do to stop them, except raising awareness. If an AP owner does not take steps to secure themselves, they are at risk. That risk exists regardless of any website. Hopefully we, and other net hugging hobbiests, have helped at least some people realize what happens when they plug that 802.11 device in.
No monkeys. Only eyes.
For those intending harm on a network, there's nothing WiGLE can do to stop them, except raising awareness. If an AP owner does not take steps to secure themselves, they are at risk. That risk exists regardless of any website. Hopefully we, and other net hugging hobbiests, have helped at least some people realize what happens when they plug that 802.11 device in.
No monkeys. Only eyes.
No angle. It's just a hobby. And by submitting my logs to WiGLE, I hope to contribute to the greater good, and to educate people that setting up a wireless network means doing more than just taking the AP out of the box and plugging it in.
NinjaPablo's got an important point.
We receive lots of requests from people who want their networks removed, and we always honor them. Some of them are angry or stern, some think it's good fun, but I'd bet that the vast majority of them have been something in the vein of "ah, you got me. i've since implemented [whichever security improvement]"
If we've helped prevent even a few attacks, by pointing out that *people can see your network*, then maybe we do more good than harm?
We receive lots of requests from people who want their networks removed, and we always honor them. Some of them are angry or stern, some think it's good fun, but I'd bet that the vast majority of them have been something in the vein of "ah, you got me. i've since implemented [whichever security improvement]"
If we've helped prevent even a few attacks, by pointing out that *people can see your network*, then maybe we do more good than harm?
Sorry NinjaPablo. It wasn't _your_ angle I was questioning 
It's a hobby. It may seem strange, but I think underwater basket weaving is strange as well, and don't get me started on "scrapbooking"...
The education issue of "raising people's awareness" might seem hollow because affecting sweeping change will be next to impossible, but I have met a few extremely tech-unsavvy people who claim they took the recommendations of an article talking about the WWWD. I even met a cab driver who used WiGLE to find marked freenets and tmobile sites so he could check his email legally. So while you can point at the lack of news about 10's of thousands seeing the light because of WiGLE, I consider it a victory to know that even a few people have been affected.
It's a hobby. It may seem strange, but I think underwater basket weaving is strange as well, and don't get me started on "scrapbooking"...The education issue of "raising people's awareness" might seem hollow because affecting sweeping change will be next to impossible, but I have met a few extremely tech-unsavvy people who claim they took the recommendations of an article talking about the WWWD. I even met a cab driver who used WiGLE to find marked freenets and tmobile sites so he could check his email legally. So while you can point at the lack of news about 10's of thousands seeing the light because of WiGLE, I consider it a victory to know that even a few people have been affected.
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