Cha747 From United States of America, joined Dec 2003, 763 posts, RR: 7 Posted (6 years 1 month 3 weeks 1 day 23 hours ago) and read 17870 times:
Today I flew US 1073 CLT-TPA on a 757. About midway through the flight, I turned-on my laptop and out of curiosity checked for wi-fi availability. I have an old Mac iBook and lo and behold - a "computer-to-computer" connection possibility was there and named as, "US Airways Free Wi-Fi." Mind you, this was while we were at cruising altitude and it was either something that is real, or somebody named their computer/network that as either a prank or for some nefarious purpose. I (according to my computer) successfully connected to that network, but was unable to connect to the web while connected to that network. Could the issue be that I am using Mac OSX as opposed to a Windows machine? I don't have the ship number, but it was a 757 in the new livery. Is this something that US is testing? Was this some sick prank? Was this already discussed (I searched to no avail). Thanks for your input.
You land a million planes safely, then you have one little mid-air and you never hear the end of it - Pushing Tin
Cactus742 From United States of America, joined Nov 2006, 226 posts, RR: 0 Reply 1, posted (6 years 1 month 3 weeks 1 day 22 hours ago) and read 17800 times:
Computer-to-computer networks ("ad-hoc" networks in the PC/Windows world) are just that. They are not necessarily connected to any wireless access point which would allow computers to connect to points outside of the connected computers, i.e. the internet, although some are. Usually it's not a prank, just someone who doesn't know what they're doing creating a network that doesn't actually do anything or go anywhere.
On the other hand, I have heard of some scams where people set up computer-to-computer networks to steal information from other connected computers. It is defintiely something to be careful of, especially since airports are a prime target. This article describes how these work quite well: http://www.computerworld.com/action/...rintArticleBasic&articleId=9008399
CXfirst From Norway, joined Jan 2007, 2698 posts, RR: 1 Reply 2, posted (6 years 1 month 3 weeks 1 day 16 hours ago) and read 17675 times:
If US were having free Wi-Fi there would be lots of ads about it and so, and as far as I know, I haven't seen any of these.
Quoting Cactus742 (Reply 1): Usually it's not a prank, just someone who doesn't know what they're doing creating a network that doesn't actually do anything or go anywhere.
...if they didn't know they were creating a adhoc network?
So, my conclusion is that it is either getting tested on one plane (for now) and you happened to be on it, or the more likely choice: a joke (was the flight on April fools by any chance )
Whappeh From United States of America, joined Mar 2006, 1560 posts, RR: 2 Reply 3, posted (6 years 1 month 3 weeks 1 day 15 hours ago) and read 17667 times:
United757 From United States of America, joined Jul 2006, 103 posts, RR: 0 Reply 4, posted (6 years 1 month 3 weeks 1 day 9 hours ago) and read 17519 times:
I was waiting for a US Air flight once, and I was using the WiFi at the gate, and there were several ad-hoc networks titled "free wifi" etc.. My guess is it was a scam.
ATLAaron From United States of America, joined Apr 2006, 1018 posts, RR: 4 Reply 5, posted (6 years 1 month 3 weeks 1 day 8 hours ago) and read 17502 times:
No chance. A Computer to Computer network can't go anywhere but that from one computer to the next and can be used to access one another's harddrives. Why would US be testing that? It's exactly what some of the posters said above and was someone else in the aircraft that had set up a Computer to Computer network and named their particular computer (on that network) US Airways Free Wi-Fi.
My advice when you pull up your available Wi-Fi connections ALWAYS DISABLE computer to computer networks. Unless you want the guy in seat 31A to be able to check out your porn collection on your harddrive.
Rpaillard From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 6, posted (6 years 1 month 3 weeks 1 day 8 hours ago) and read 17468 times:
Quoting ATLAaron (Reply 5): check out your porn collection on your harddrive.
Depending of your setup, not to mention the content of your hard drive ... Every computers should be safe of that, providing that the setup is correct, but it's unfortunately not often the case. Having a firewall is a very low minimum by the way.
Being back on the topic, and as the "Hot Spot" was Ad-Hoc, I'm pretty sure that it was either a joke or scamming. The big deal for the hacker is to setup a hot spot, accept incoming connexion, have various programs listening the traffic. Once the victim is connected, the average user may launch is email software and then try "Send & Receive", just to check if the connection is working. You now just have to sniff the traffic from the hacker computer and enjoy.
Luketenley From United States of America, joined Jul 2006, 419 posts, RR: 1 Reply 7, posted (6 years 1 month 3 weeks 1 day 7 hours ago) and read 17398 times:
Quoting United757 (Reply 4): I was waiting for a US Air flight once, and I was using the WiFi at the gate, and there were several ad-hoc networks titled "free wifi" etc.. My guess is it was a scam.
SkyHarborsHome From United States of America, joined Dec 2005, 273 posts, RR: 2 Reply 8, posted (6 years 1 month 3 weeks 1 day 7 hours ago) and read 17381 times:
Cha747 From United States of America, joined Dec 2003, 763 posts, RR: 7 Reply 9, posted (6 years 1 month 3 weeks 1 day 1 hour ago) and read 17241 times:
So here's the kicker...
My flight today from TPA-CLT was on an A321 with no wi-fi or ad-hoc anything. On my flight from CLT-CHA on a Dash 8-300, there was an ad-hoc network option that read something like (not same title as subject, something like "Free Wi-Fi").
I'd fly US exclusively if this were an option...
You land a million planes safely, then you have one little mid-air and you never hear the end of it - Pushing Tin
United757 From United States of America, joined Jul 2006, 103 posts, RR: 0 Reply 10, posted (6 years 1 month 3 weeks 10 hours ago) and read 17090 times:
Quoting Luketenley (Reply 7): Quoting United757 (Reply 4):I was waiting for a US Air flight once, and I was using the WiFi at the gate, and there were several ad-hoc networks titled "free wifi" etc.. My guess is it was a scam.
If you were in PIT, then it was free wi-fi.
I was using free Wifi, but it was at MCO, I just noticed several ad-hoc networks claiming to be "free wifi" in addition to the actual free Wifi.
Lincoln From United States of America, joined Nov 2004, 3887 posts, RR: 8 Reply 11, posted (6 years 1 month 3 weeks 9 hours ago) and read 17046 times:
Quoting CXfirst (Reply 2): ...if they didn't know they were creating a adhoc network?
I don't know about "US Airways Free Wi-Fi", but "Free Wireless Interet Access" and similarly named ad-hoc wireless networks propigate due to a bug in the way Windows handles ad-hoc networks -- many people sharing that network aren't even aware of it. (And IIRC, there is a patch avilable for it)
Lincoln
CO Is My Airline of Choice || Baggage Claim is an airline's last chance to disappoint a customer || Next flts in profile
N908AW From United States of America, joined Aug 2005, 848 posts, RR: 1 Reply 12, posted (6 years 1 month 2 weeks 6 days 21 hours ago) and read 16876 times:
Quoting Whappeh (Reply 3): Was it, by chance, the one with winglets?
No, but it was the specialty scheme.
'Cause you're on ATA again, and on ATA, you're on vacation!
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No, but it was the specialty scheme.
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