"Free Public WiFi"in Cork - for real?

dowtchaboy

Anybody else seeing "Free Public WiFi" popping up when out and about? I have seen exactly this SSID appearing in Cork City, Douglas, Carrigaline and now Crosshaven - yet when i try to log on I usually cannot get connected and even when I do I can't actually access any web pages. Anybody know what's going on? Is it a scam designed to harvest passwords and so on, or is it some cousin of the FON network - or what?

Spear

dowtchaboy wrote: »

Anybody else seeing "Free Public WiFi" popping up when out and about? I have seen exactly this SSID appearing in Cork City, Douglas, Carrigaline and now Crosshaven - yet when i try to log on I usually cannot get connected and even when I do I can't actually access any web pages. Anybody know what's going on? Is it a scam designed to harvest passwords and so on, or is it some cousin of the FON network - or what?

I've seen an AP called that near me in Dublin periodically. I'm sure there's a good reason why they spoof their constantly randomly changing MAC address....

pbirney

It's a form of wi-fi virus ... http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/travel/business/article3554838.ece

dowtchaboy

pbirney wrote: »

It's a form of wi-fi virus ... http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/travel/business/article3554838.ece

Thank you for the link - I read it and did some further digging and here's another article about it:
http://www.wlanbook.com/free-public-wifi-ssid/

Interesting that it says there are similar names coming up - I think I have seen these too when searching for an access point with Windows or with NetStumbler. Here's how you turn off the Ad-Hoc feature:

Can this viral SSID be stopped?

Yes, but others exist like linksys, hpsetup, tmobile, default. Any SSID that tends be the default for consumer grade access points and computers tends to become viral ad hoc SSIDs. An easy way to reduce the risk of connecting to these SSIDs is to configure Wireless Auto Configuration to only connect to access points (infrastructure networks).

1. Click on the Wireless option in the System Tray and open the Wireless Network Connection window.
2. Click on “Change advanced settings”.
3. In the Wireless Network Connection Properties window, click on the Wireless Networks tab.
4. Click on the Advanced button.
5. Click on “Access point (infrastructure) networks only”

I have used Ad-Hoc to transfer data from one laptop to another at home, but frankly it's a pain to set up sometimes and using a USB key (4G from ALDI for €9!) is faster and more reliable! Reminds me of the old days and "sneakernet"!

Sponge Bob

It is also caused by certain laptops that advertise ad hoc connections, Dell Latitudes come to mind

watty

It's viral in sense that the Ad-Hoc SSID is "copied". There is no computer virus. It's quite funny and probably harmless.

Select
Properties of WiFI
Click "Wireless Networks" tab.
Click "Advanced"
On "Networks to access" select " (*) Access point (Infrastructure) networks only"

Untick "[ ] Automatically connect to non-preferred networkss"

It's not really a bug, just an unexpected side effect of how selecting "Preferred" for an "Ad-Hoc" network has to work.

Never make an Ad-Hoc network preferred if you have to use one.

Always disable "Microsoft Client" and "Printer & File sharing" when using ANY direct connection (not via Firewall/Router) to Internet (USB, ethernet, dialup, built in modem, WiFi, Bluetooth to phone etc).