Using "Trucker" antenna to wardrive

jdev · 06-21-2005

I have what I think is a basic question about wardriving, figured the NS forums would be a great place to ask said question.

I have an RV. Within this RV I have a satellite internet access installed. The speeds are alright, uplink could be a little faster. So, what I want to do is look into getting this antenna from radiolabs.com: http://www.radiolabs.com/products/an...fi-antenna.php

My question is this:

How would I create a setup that would allow more than one laptop within the RV to any signal found by this antenna? Would I have to hook up a wireless router within the RV or would I have to get a range expander and hook the wireless antenna to the range expander? Alternatively, if this isnt a viable solution, can anyone make a recommendation for a setup for what I am trying to do? (more or less wardrive in the RV, but I need something that will get me a good signal when stopped)

Hope that is clear, thanks.

Thorn · 06-21-2005

The setup as shown there is designed for one laptop. The cable from the antenna hooks into the port of one card. You could WarDrive with that. Although, take the claim of "up to 8 miles" with a grain of salt. You might get 8 miles IF it's hilltop to hilltop, and you've offered a small sacrifice to the gods of WiFi.

You cannot cable together two (or more) laptops and have them function properly on one antenna, without specialized splitters. You could possibly make a repeater internal to the RV for hotspot use, but it wouldn't function for WarDriving with NetStumbler.

If you know Linux at all, you may be able to use a modified kismet-drone on a WRT54G as both a repeater and as a WarDriving rig, but that would be about the only combination I can think of that might possibly work. http://www.kismetwireless.net/

jdev · 06-21-2005

Thanks for the quick answer.

I wasn't sold so much on the fact that it boasted an 8 mile range, it was more something that I just wanted to mount to the outside of the RV, hoping it could be used between 2 more more laptops.

Do you, or anyone else have any recommendations for something that I can setup that may pick up wireless networks in the areas I am at? I am familiar with kismet, I use it on my zaurus, but, I am selling that to pay some bills, and won't have it for very long. Beyond that, I am not familar with it (though I am familiar with linux) Any recommendations for setups with details on how to purchase materials and config would be very appreciated.

Dutch · 06-21-2005

Quote:

Originally Posted by jdev

Thanks for the quick answer.

I wasn't sold so much on the fact that it boasted an 8 mile range, it was more something that I just wanted to mount to the outside of the RV, hoping it could be used between 2 more more laptops.

Do you, or anyone else have any recommendations for something that I can setup that may pick up wireless networks in the areas I am at? I am familiar with kismet, I use it on my zaurus, but, I am selling that to pay some bills, and won't have it for very long. Beyond that, I am not familar with it (though I am familiar with linux) Any recommendations for setups with details on how to purchase materials and config would be very appreciated.

Define "pick up wireless networks in the areas I am at?"....
Are you talking about hotspots at truckstops, camping sites, MacD's ?

Dutch

wrzwaldo · 06-21-2005

Quote:

Originally Posted by jdev

Thanks for the quick answer.

I wasn't sold so much on the fact that it boasted an 8 mile range, it was more something that I just wanted to mount to the outside of the RV, hoping it could be used between 2 more more laptops.

Do you, or anyone else have any recommendations for something that I can setup that may pick up wireless networks in the areas I am at? I am familiar with kismet, I use it on my zaurus, but, I am selling that to pay some bills, and won't have it for very long. Beyond that, I am not familar with it (though I am familiar with linux) Any recommendations for setups with details on how to purchase materials and config would be very appreciated.

I hope you mean public access networks? There are a couple web pages that are good resources in locating public hotspots

http://www.wifimaps.com/

http://www.jiwire.com/

http://www.a2b.cc/

http://www.wi-fihotspotlist.com/

Thorn · 06-21-2005

You're welcome.

Personally, I'd seperate the two functions. Hook up the antenna to a single laptop for WarDriving, and then plug it into a repeater for using multiple laptops when connected to a hotspot. The effort of plugging and unplugging isn't much more than doing what most of us do while WarDriving.

Other than that, I would look at the kismet-drone and see if something could be done with it.

Dutch · 06-21-2005

Wrzwaldo.. STOP reading my mind.. You are starting to creep me out...

Dutch

jdev · 06-21-2005

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dutch

Define "pick up wireless networks in the areas I am at?"....
Are you talking about hotspots at truckstops, camping sites, MacD's ?

Dutch

it would actually be either or. whichever came up when looking around. I am not asking anyone here to help me access a network illegally, just give a guy a hand with getting something setup that would allow me to search for networks whereever I park the RV (which is more than likely in city areas)

thanks

Starpoint · 06-21-2005

Quote:

Originally Posted by Thorn

The setup as shown there is designed for one laptop. The cable from the antenna hooks into the port of one card. You could WarDrive with that. Although, take the claim of "up to 8 miles" with a grain of salt. You might get 8 miles IF it's hilltop to hilltop, and you've offered a small sacrifice to the gods of WiFi.

You cannot cable together two (or more) laptops and have them function properly on one antenna, without specialized splitters. You could possibly make a repeater internal to the RV for hotspot use, but it wouldn't function for WarDriving with NetStumbler.

Umm according to Fab-Corp (the wardrivers friend) this device will hook either 2 radios into 1 antenna or 2 antennas into 1 radio

they even sell a 4 way.. 4 antennas to 1 radio or vise versa.

Quote:

If you know Linux at all, you may be able to use a modified kismet-drone on a WRT54G as both a repeater and as a WarDriving rig, but that would be about the only combination I can think of that might possibly work. http://www.kismetwireless.net/

Thorn · 06-21-2005

Quote:

Originally Posted by Starpoint

Umm according to Fab-Corp (the wardrivers friend) this device will hook either 2 radios into 1 antenna or 2 antennas into 1 radio

they even sell a 4 way.. 4 antennas to 1 radio or vise versa.

That's exactly the type of thing I was thinking of when I said "specialized splitters".

Quote:

Originally Posted by Thorn

... You cannot cable together two (or more) laptops and have them function properly on one antenna, without specialized splitters. ...

wrzwaldo · 06-21-2005

Quote:

Originally Posted by Starpoint

Umm according to Fab-Corp (the wardrivers friend) this device will hook either 2 radios into 1 antenna or 2 antennas into 1 radio

they even sell a 4 way.. 4 antennas to 1 radio or vise versa.

But do they sell a 6 to one, half a dozen to the other version?

jdev · 06-23-2005

so, in theory I could do this at least one of 2 ways...

1) use antenna a to get signal (find hotspot first), hook antenna a into repeater b and then laptops should work within the coach?

2) find hotspot, use antenna a, hook into specialized splitter, from specialized splitter I would need to hook them each into an adapter card for the laptop, and in theory I should have wireless signal then as well?

Madhadder · 06-24-2005

Why not just forget all these $$$ splitters (which also decrease your Db's)
and setup the wireless link with 1 PC as a router. Give it a PCI to PCMCIA card
and a 10/100 NIC for the internal network. Much more easier & cheaper than settingup mulitple Antt./Splitters.

kschildt · 06-24-2005

Quote:

Originally Posted by jdev

2) find hotspot, use antenna a, hook into specialized splitter, from specialized splitter I would need to hook them each into an adapter card for the laptop, and in theory I should have wireless signal then as well?

Option 2 will not work. This splitter is designed for attaching multiple antennas to one receiver/transmitter or one antenna to multiple receivers. An adapter card is a transceiver (receiver and transmitter). One card would transmit and the splitter would transfer some of the rf energy to the antenna and to the other card. In effect, transmitting rf into another receiver would blow out its front end causing a major failure. Bye bye card!

Ken

06-21-2005	#1 (permalink)
jdev Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2005 Posts: 4	Using "Trucker" antenna to wardrive I have what I think is a basic question about wardriving, figured the NS forums would be a great place to ask said question. I have an RV. Within this RV I have a satellite internet access installed. The speeds are alright, uplink could be a little faster. So, what I want to do is look into getting this antenna from radiolabs.com: http://www.radiolabs.com/products/an...fi-antenna.php My question is this: How would I create a setup that would allow more than one laptop within the RV to any signal found by this antenna? Would I have to hook up a wireless router within the RV or would I have to get a range expander and hook the wireless antenna to the range expander? Alternatively, if this isnt a viable solution, can anyone make a recommendation for a setup for what I am trying to do? (more or less wardrive in the RV, but I need something that will get me a good signal when stopped) Hope that is clear, thanks.

06-21-2005	#2 (permalink)
Thorn Did you do the math? Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Villa Straylight Posts: 10,083	The setup as shown there is designed for one laptop. The cable from the antenna hooks into the port of one card. You could WarDrive with that. Although, take the claim of "up to 8 miles" with a grain of salt. You might get 8 miles IF it's hilltop to hilltop, and you've offered a small sacrifice to the gods of WiFi. You cannot cable together two (or more) laptops and have them function properly on one antenna, without specialized splitters. You could possibly make a repeater internal to the RV for hotspot use, but it wouldn't function for WarDriving with NetStumbler. If you know Linux at all, you may be able to use a modified kismet-drone on a WRT54G as both a repeater and as a WarDriving rig, but that would be about the only combination I can think of that might possibly work. http://www.kismetwireless.net/ __________________ Thorn "I'm The Doctor. I'm a Time Lord. I am from the planet Gallifrey in the constellation Kasterborous. I'm 903 years old and I am the man who is going to save your lives and all 6 billion people on the planet below... You got a problem with that?"

06-21-2005	#6 (permalink)
Thorn Did you do the math? Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Villa Straylight Posts: 10,083	You're welcome. Personally, I'd seperate the two functions. Hook up the antenna to a single laptop for WarDriving, and then plug it into a repeater for using multiple laptops when connected to a hotspot. The effort of plugging and unplugging isn't much more than doing what most of us do while WarDriving. Other than that, I would look at the kismet-drone and see if something could be done with it. __________________ Thorn "I'm The Doctor. I'm a Time Lord. I am from the planet Gallifrey in the constellation Kasterborous. I'm 903 years old and I am the man who is going to save your lives and all 6 billion people on the planet below... You got a problem with that?"

06-21-2005	#7 (permalink)
Dutch Humourless EuroMod. Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: City of Mermaids, Denmark Posts: 6,813	Wrzwaldo.. STOP reading my mind.. You are starting to creep me out... Dutch __________________ All your answers are belong to Google. SEARCH DAMMIT! Warning. Warning. Low C8H10N4O2 level detected. Operator halted....

06-24-2005	#13 (permalink)
Madhadder General "Noob Basher" Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Munich, Germany Posts: 1,620	Why not just forget all these $$$ splitters (which also decrease your Db's) and setup the wireless link with 1 PC as a router. Give it a PCI to PCMCIA card and a 10/100 NIC for the internal network. Much more easier & cheaper than settingup mulitple Antt./Splitters. __________________ Legends may sleep, but they never die!!!!

06-21-2005	#3 (permalink)
jdev Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2005 Posts: 4	Thanks for the quick answer. I wasn't sold so much on the fact that it boasted an 8 mile range, it was more something that I just wanted to mount to the outside of the RV, hoping it could be used between 2 more more laptops. Do you, or anyone else have any recommendations for something that I can setup that may pick up wireless networks in the areas I am at? I am familiar with kismet, I use it on my zaurus, but, I am selling that to pay some bills, and won't have it for very long. Beyond that, I am not familar with it (though I am familiar with linux) Any recommendations for setups with details on how to purchase materials and config would be very appreciated.

06-23-2005	#12 (permalink)
jdev Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2005 Posts: 4	so, in theory I could do this at least one of 2 ways... 1) use antenna a to get signal (find hotspot first), hook antenna a into repeater b and then laptops should work within the coach? 2) find hotspot, use antenna a, hook into specialized splitter, from specialized splitter I would need to hook them each into an adapter card for the laptop, and in theory I should have wireless signal then as well?

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