How to find Wifi owner?

Fastglas

Fastglas

Pre-takeoff checklist
Joined
Jan 25, 2015
Messages
130
Location
Denver
Display Name
Display name:
GK
I have been wanting to put a WeMo smart outlet in my hangar. I was hoping my hangar was close enough to the FBO that I could leach off their Wifi, but I can't pick up their signal. However I do see an ATTXXXXX wifi access point signal that comes in quite strongly. I'd like to contact the owner and see if there is anyway for me to leach onto that wifi unit to stick a single WeMo switch on it.

Does anyone have any thoughts about how I can get info on the location of the wifi access point or better yet, the owner? Was hoping there might be some way to do this without hoofing it around the ramp. I am "this" close though to walking around and putting up flyers with my neighbor hangars to see if I can get a bite.

Any ideas appreciated.
 
I have no idea how to find the owner. But you can locate the AP using something like Kismet, NetStumbler, WiFiInspector, or probably any of a bunch of other Wifi-locating programs, and a laptop. It will involve some walking around in circles watching the strength of the AP's signal.

There probably are phone or tablet apps that can do it, too. Or I suppose you could just walk around while watching the WiFi signal strength indicator on your phone (although there may be quite a bit of lag in the display).

As an aside, I used to have an old netbook that I converted to a dedicated WiFi AP finder that ran Kismet on Linux. It had a pointable, external antenna based on a USB WiFi dongle mounted inside a metal colander to make it directional. The directionality made it much easier to locate an AP without having to walk around in circles.

Rich
 
Does it have WPA turned on? If not, and it's open, try pointing your web browser to the landing page at the gateway IP. There's a reasonable chance that this is a 3G/4G hot spot, and some of those will have some info on the landing page.

If it's open, you may not want to connect The wemo to it for security reasons.....
 
I will check out those programs. See what I find. And, unfortunately security is turned on.

Thank you.
 
Maybe a donation would help sway them to allow your parasitic consumption? Just thinking aloud.
 
So you are looking to use the owners WiFi to connect a switch? Would you need his or her password for the WiFi to do this?
 
Unit74 said:
Maybe a donation would help sway them to allow your parasitic consumption? Just thinking aloud.
Click to expand...

You have to find the owner to offer such a donation.

There's a reason I have AP names of my address...very often have neighbours who defray my costs.
 
Of course there is always the option of paying to have your own internet installed.
 
Unit74 said:
Maybe a donation would help sway them to allow your parasitic consumption? Just thinking aloud.
Click to expand...


JeffDG has it right. I can't offer to pay someone if I don't know who it is.

If it wasn't clear... I am looking for the owner to offer to split costs for sharing the line. I am sure he/she would appreciate the cost sharing. I would. And, I am not interested in a dedicated line -- too expensive for the little I would use it.

My intended use is simply to turn a bulb on remotely the night before I would fly during the next couple months of winter.

I will check wiggle out. And the wifi analyzer. Thank you.
 
Aren't many of the AT&T APs part of their free wifi stuff at various businesses? I think the McDs around here both identify as McDs and also AT&T.

I assume you've already proven it's got security turned on?

If it's one of their open units, you have to open a web browser after done connecting and you're redirected to a terms of service page you have to agree to before the AP will provide normal DNS lookups. Assume it also limited the device to the local subnet also, but didn't check.
 
denverpilot said:
Aren't many of the AT&T APs part of their free wifi stuff at various businesses? I think the McDs around here both identify as McDs and also AT&T.

I assume you've already proven it's got security turned on?

If it's one of their open units, you have to open a web browser after done connecting and you're redirected to a terms of service page you have to agree to before the AP will provide normal DNS lookups. Assume it also limited the device to the local subnet also, but didn't check.
Click to expand...

As I recall AT&T's mobile hot spots have a default SSID that includes AT&T....

But I also think ATT has a bunch of hotspots that they make available to wireless and broadband customers, like certain other providers do (Cox, for example, and I think Comcast/Xfinity). Here's a link to AT&T's hotspot locator map that should show the ones that are available to their customers.: https://www.att.com/maps/wifi.html
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top