Share public wlan connection?

Hello,

Will be off for a week in a hotel soon, where I normally utilise their wlan
for the week. It's not particularly cheap unfortunately, and this time, my
dad wants to take his own laptop too.
Assuming we get a room next to each other (usually the case) and he can
"see" my machine, can I share my connection to the internet? i.e. be
connected to an AP but act as one too? Is it as simple as just setting up
ICS (I'm using Vista Business) or do I need something cleverer?

The internet connnection is one of these that transparently redirects you to
a "login page" and then works as long as that stays open, so not sure it
would just work from the second PC or not as it wouldn't have the relevant
cookies etc?

Jamesb wrote:
> Hello,
>
> Will be off for a week in a hotel soon, where I normally utilise their
> wlan for the week. It's not particularly cheap unfortunately, and this
> time, my dad wants to take his own laptop too.
> Assuming we get a room next to each other (usually the case) and he can
> "see" my machine, can I share my connection to the internet? i.e. be
> connected to an AP but act as one too? Is it as simple as just setting
> up ICS (I'm using Vista Business) or do I need something cleverer?
>
> The internet connnection is one of these that transparently redirects
> you to a "login page" and then works as long as that stays open, so not
> sure it would just work from the second PC or not as it wouldn't have
> the relevant cookies etc?
>
>

Depends on the wireless card. I doubt it.

Vista sucks arse, so I very much doubt it.

Jamesb wrote:
> Hello,
>
> Will be off for a week in a hotel soon, where I normally utilise
> their wlan for the week. It's not particularly cheap unfortunately,
> and this time, my dad wants to take his own laptop too.
> Assuming we get a room next to each other (usually the case) and he
> can "see" my machine, can I share my connection to the internet? i.e.
> be connected to an AP but act as one too? Is it as simple as just
> setting up ICS (I'm using Vista Business) or do I need something
> cleverer?
> The internet connnection is one of these that transparently redirects
> you to a "login page" and then works as long as that stays open, so
> not sure it would just work from the second PC or not as it wouldn't
> have the relevant cookies etc?


a) Get a different hotel ? One which doesn't rip off customers for network
access ?

b) Sniff around for another provider in the area (internet cafe, coffee bar,
etc..)

c) Some hotels have fixed wire access as well as WiFi, so connect the
primary laptop to the fixed wires, and then try using the wireless for ICS.

d) Use Bluetooth for the laptop to laptop ICS (if lacking bluetooth on the
PCs, it might be possible to USB to a mobile phone then bluetooth from phone
to phone, thus connecting the PC's; I've not tried such a trick in ages, but
can't see a fundamental reason why it wouldn't work).

e) Hotel access is often a case of a generic login/password which they
change regularly, so once one person has it you can give it to someone else.


I think you're stuffed on WiFi ICS if also using the same WiFi card for
connecting to the hotel system. If you have two WiFi cards in the Vista
Laptop, then you may be able to ICS onto the second WiFi card if set up to
"ad hoc" mode.


If you get ICS between the PCs, but run into a real block with the login
credentials, then remote desktop access might be a way out. Admittedly you
loose access to the keyboard/screen of the primary machine whilst it is
being remote controlled.




- Nigel

--
Nigel Cliffe,
Webmaster at http://www.2mm.org.uk/

"Nigel Cliffe" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:gg3dd2$72b$(E-Mail Removed)...
> Jamesb wrote:
>> Hello,
>>
>> Will be off for a week in a hotel soon, where I normally utilise
>> their wlan for the week. It's not particularly cheap unfortunately,
>> and this time, my dad wants to take his own laptop too.
>> Assuming we get a room next to each other (usually the case) and he
>> can "see" my machine, can I share my connection to the internet? i.e.
>> be connected to an AP but act as one too? Is it as simple as just
>> setting up ICS (I'm using Vista Business) or do I need something
>> cleverer?
>> The internet connnection is one of these that transparently redirects
>> you to a "login page" and then works as long as that stays open, so
>> not sure it would just work from the second PC or not as it wouldn't
>> have the relevant cookies etc?
>
>
> a) Get a different hotel ? One which doesn't rip off customers for
> network access ?
>
> b) Sniff around for another provider in the area (internet cafe, coffee
> bar, etc..)
>
> c) Some hotels have fixed wire access as well as WiFi, so connect the
> primary laptop to the fixed wires, and then try using the wireless for
> ICS.
>
> d) Use Bluetooth for the laptop to laptop ICS (if lacking bluetooth on the
> PCs, it might be possible to USB to a mobile phone then bluetooth from
> phone to phone, thus connecting the PC's; I've not tried such a trick in
> ages, but can't see a fundamental reason why it wouldn't work).
>
> e) Hotel access is often a case of a generic login/password which they
> change regularly, so once one person has it you can give it to someone
> else.
>
>
> I think you're stuffed on WiFi ICS if also using the same WiFi card for
> connecting to the hotel system. If you have two WiFi cards in the Vista
> Laptop, then you may be able to ICS onto the second WiFi card if set up to
> "ad hoc" mode.

I do actually have a spare USB wireless dinkle - so I can at least test
accessing, say, my home network via ICS I guess.

> If you get ICS between the PCs, but run into a real block with the login
> credentials, then remote desktop access might be a way out. Admittedly
> you loose access to the keyboard/screen of the primary machine whilst it
> is being remote controlled.
>

Yes - that's the bit I'm wondering about. I'm hoping that once the primary
machine is "logged in", then the channel is effectively open for any
traffic... but that remains to be seen. Can't really test that bit in
advance as I guess it varies from one system to another.

"Nigel Cliffe" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:gg3dd2$72b$(E-Mail Removed)...
> Jamesb wrote:
>> Hello,
>>
>> Will be off for a week in a hotel soon, where I normally utilise
>> their wlan for the week. It's not particularly cheap unfortunately,
>> and this time, my dad wants to take his own laptop too.
>> Assuming we get a room next to each other (usually the case) and he
>> can "see" my machine, can I share my connection to the internet? i.e.
>> be connected to an AP but act as one too? Is it as simple as just
>> setting up ICS (I'm using Vista Business) or do I need something
>> cleverer?
>> The internet connnection is one of these that transparently redirects
>> you to a "login page" and then works as long as that stays open, so
>> not sure it would just work from the second PC or not as it wouldn't
>> have the relevant cookies etc?
>
>
> a) Get a different hotel ? One which doesn't rip off customers for
> network access ?

Ah- yes, unfortunately my dad likes it - it's rather a nice hotel... and
luckily he pays too, so I'm not gonna complain


> b) Sniff around for another provider in the area (internet cafe, coffee
> bar, etc..)

None nearby (at least not last time I was there)

> c) Some hotels have fixed wire access as well as WiFi, so connect the
> primary laptop to the fixed wires, and then try using the wireless for
> ICS.
don't think so...

> d) Use Bluetooth for the laptop to laptop ICS (if lacking bluetooth on the
> PCs, it might be possible to USB to a mobile phone then bluetooth from
> phone to phone, thus connecting the PC's; I've not tried such a trick in
> ages, but can't see a fundamental reason why it wouldn't work).

I also have a spare USB wireless thingy, see other post

>
> e) Hotel access is often a case of a generic login/password which they
> change regularly, so once one person has it you can give it to someone
> else.

The AP's are open - it's actually run via Swisscom (presumably a franchise
thingy, as my login details I get while I am there usually work in the BA
lounge in the airport on the way home too)

Cork Soaker wrote:

> Vista sucks arse, so I very much doubt it.

You've not used Vista have you? It allows you to set it up as a wifi
access point.


--
Conor

"Some of you may be anxious about finding a new job, or a new place to
live. I know how you feel." President Bush, 2008

Digby wrote:

>> Vista sucks arse, so I very much doubt it.
>
> Presumably you've had a personal experience with Vista.

Non at all judging by his comment.


--
Conor

"Some of you may be anxious about finding a new job, or a new place to
live. I know how you feel." President Bush, 2008

Mortimer wrote:
> "Nigel Cliffe" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:gg3dd2$72b$(E-Mail Removed)...
>> Jamesb wrote:
>> e) Hotel access is often a case of a generic login/password which they
>> change regularly, so once one person has it you can give it to someone
>> else.
>
> I've always wondered: why is it that hotel and motorway service station
> wireless networks are usually unencrypted but with a captive logon screen
> which you have to get past in order to view web pages? Why not have WPA
> encryption on the network?
>
Let me think...because you'd not be able to connect?


--
Conor

"Some of you may be anxious about finding a new job, or a new place to
live. I know how you feel." President Bush, 2008

Mortimer wrote:

> Yes but if you can't access the web without a password on the captive
> interface, then does it matter whether you get a WPA password which allows
> you to connect or a captive-logon password which allows you to browse after
> making a non-encrypted connection? Either way you need to get[*] a password
> from Reception before you can use the connection.
>
Try engaging your brain and think about it. If they used WPA and handed
it to you when you paid for it, what's to prevent you from giving the
key out to all and sundry or just using it next time you're there? Sure
you could use WPA with a Radius Server but then you've got the problem
of generating passwords. Far better just to have a script on a webpage
that runs an algorythm against the password you've been given and gives
a pass or fail based on the result.


--
Conor

"Some of you may be anxious about finding a new job, or a new place to
live. I know how you feel." President Bush, 2008

Mortimer wrote:
> "Nigel Cliffe" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:gg3dd2$72b$(E-Mail Removed)...
>> Jamesb wrote:
>> e) Hotel access is often a case of a generic login/password which they
>> change regularly, so once one person has it you can give it to someone
>> else.
>
> I've always wondered: why is it that hotel and motorway service station
> wireless networks are usually unencrypted but with a captive logon screen
> which you have to get past in order to view web pages? Why not have WPA
> encryption on the network?
>

Well for starters, WPA is crackable using freely available tools.
Secondly (although this is becoming less of an issue), there are still
plenty of wireless clients that don't support WPA about and WEP is so
insecure as to be pretty much useless.

Also if they did use WPA then it would restrict them to using one
passcode for all clients. Even if they are doing this with their proxy,
I'll bet it was designed to be able to issue individual passwords with
time limits.