Any way to determine what wireless hardware I'm connecting to??

I'm getting a weak wireless signal from the public school that is next door.
I'd like to get a wireless extender / booster / repeater and see if it can
boost the signal enough that it is farily reliable and useable (so I don't
have to subscribe to an ISP).

But it seems that most ( All ?) wireless extenders only work with their own
manufacturer.

So, is there any way to tell what brand and/or model of wireless hub I'm
connecting to?

Gary wrote:
> So, is there any way to tell what brand and/or model of wireless hub
> I'm connecting to?
>
Yes. Ask the person who runs the network at the same time as you are
getting their permission to connect to it.

On Fri, 27 May 2005 11:49:23 GMT, "Gary" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

>
>I'm getting a weak wireless signal from the public school that is next door.
>I'd like to get a wireless extender / booster / repeater and see if it can
>boost the signal enough that it is farily reliable and useable (so I don't
>have to subscribe to an ISP).
>
>But it seems that most ( All ?) wireless extenders only work with their own
>manufacturer.
>
>So, is there any way to tell what brand and/or model of wireless hub I'm
>connecting to?

Find the mac address of the AP

Use this : http://coffer.com/mac_find/

"Duncan Booth" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:Xns96638609A9485duncanbooth@127.0.0.1...
> Gary wrote:
>> So, is there any way to tell what brand and/or model of wireless hub
>> I'm connecting to?
>>
> Yes. Ask the person who runs the network at the same time as you are
> getting their permission to connect to it.


I may go ask. There are two reasons I'm trying this avenue before asking.

#1: I don't feel at all wrong in using a network that is part of the public
school
system that I help pay taxes for. I don't plan on doing much more than
light
surfing and email, so it's not like I'll be bogging down the network. If
they
wanted it secure, they could easily secure it.

#2: I may eventually go ask permission. But my experience with these things
tends to be that finding the right person to ask and getting the right
information
can be an arduous task.

However, I do get your point. Maybe asking is the best solution. Maybe I
will do that.

Gary wrote:

>
> I may go ask. There are two reasons I'm trying this avenue before
> asking.
>
> #1: I don't feel at all wrong in using a network that is part of the
> public school
> system that I help pay taxes for. I don't plan on doing much more
> than light
> surfing and email, so it's not like I'll be bogging down the network.
> If they
> wanted it secure, they could easily secure it.
>

Yes, they might suprise you. I know when we couldn't get broadband round
here, but they had installed a leased line to the local primary school
there was a lot of interest in seeing whether we could set up a wireless
network. After all, just how much bandwidth do a bunch of under 11s need?
Especially since most non-school access would have been outside school
hours.

The plans foundered though when the authorities discovered that, without
realising it, they had signed contracts which prevented them allowing
access to the leased lines by anyone outside the schools. If your
authorities were awake when they signed their contracts you might find that
they would regard giving access to the local community is a really positive
bonus.

Then again, pigs may fly.

On Fri, 27 May 2005 12:27:53 GMT, "Gary" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

>#1: I don't feel at all wrong in using a network that is part of the public
>school
>system that I help pay taxes for.

Try walking into the skool and "borrowing" the use of their equipment
using that excuse. That's not the way it works. Expand your logic to
include military or municipal hardware. Walk in to their facilities
and demand to use the equipment on the basis of being a taxpayer and
see where it gets you.

The local high skool has a swimming pool, which I voted to pay for
with my property taxes. However, if I want to use the pool, I have to
follow the rules, the schedule, and pay admission for its use. I
suggest you discuss the issue with someone in the skool
administration.

>I don't plan on doing much more than
>light
>surfing and email, so it's not like I'll be bogging down the network. If
>they
>wanted it secure, they could easily secure it.

No problem. Of course you'll contribute a part of the money you're
saving, by using their system, to the skool computer fund? It does
cost the skool money to pay for the hardware, their ISP, maintenance,
administration, abuse protection, licenses, security, and insurance.
It's not just the bandwidth that you're using.

>#2: I may eventually go ask permission. But my experience with these things
>tends to be that finding the right person to ask and getting the right
>information
>can be an arduous task.

Oh, that's easy. Just connect to their network and abuse it for a
while. They'll probably find you first. If you hang your dish or
panel antenna out the window, in plain sight, it will help them find
you.

>However, I do get your point. Maybe asking is the best solution. Maybe I
>will do that.

I can guess the answer and it will be "no". The problem is not your
use of bandwidth. It's a security issue. They have no control over
your machine or your activities. If you get infected with a worm or
virus, it will be all over their network. Since you're on the inside
of their firewall, there's no protection for their own machines. If
the skool is really cheap and puts the administration computers on the
same LAN as the open wireless, then they've put those machines at
risk. Apparently, the skool does not turn off the wireless at night,
so I suspect there's no competent system administration and probably
no security. You may be right that there's nobody to ask. Do you
want to be responsible or blamed for trashing their system (even if by
accident)?


--
Jeff Liebermann (E-Mail Removed)
150 Felker St #D http://www.LearnByDestroying.com
Santa Cruz CA 95060 AE6KS 831-336-2558

On Fri, 27 May 2005 12:27:53 GMT, in alt.internet.wireless , "Gary"
<(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

>#1: I don't feel at all wrong in using a network that is part of the public school
>system that I help pay taxes for.

I'm not saying this is a bad argument, but if its definitely good,
then presumably you can use it to persuade your local education dept
to give you access anyway.

> I don't plan on doing much more than light
>surfing and email, so it's not like I'll be bogging down the network.

It always starts that way.... :-)

>If they wanted it secure, they could easily secure it.

This last point is a bogus argument. Its the same as saying that its
ok to take stuff from someone who forgets to lock their house.

>#2: I may eventually go ask permission. But my experience with these things
>tends to be that finding the right person to ask and getting the right
>information can be an arduous task.

This is indeed true. And moreover the right person may say no, just to
be on the safe side, as if tehy said yes and you *did* turn out to be
a sex maniac, or used your access to snoop on the schoolkids, imagine
how much trouble they'd be in.
--
Mark McIntyre
CLC FAQ <http://www.eskimo.com/~scs/C-faq/top.html>
CLC readme: <http://www.ungerhu.com/jxh/clc.welcome.txt>

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