Ever wondered what the 'Free Public WiFi' networks you see everywhere are? | Hacker News Reader

Ever wondered what the 'Free Public WiFi' networks you see everywhere are?

jstn.cc

155 pointsdanw34 comments

That's a cool thing to know, thanks. You could definitely do some viral marketing this way if you were more devious than I.

Intentionally infecting people with SSIDs is illegal. You have to notify your ad-hoc partner.

The user has to try to connect to the AP in order to be "infected", so presumably this one became popular because so many people actually believed they would get "free public WiFi".

The SSID in your viral marketing scheme would have to lure people into connecting to it while at the same time advertising your product.

Sounds hard... anyone have any ideas?

SSID: "Free Internet if you Support Obama!"

Wait, why was this downmodded? You don't think this would have worked as a meme pre-election?

"Free wifi by [YourDomain.com]" might be enough.

Ironically enough, if they connect they won't be able to access YourDomain.com.

So perhaps this is better as viral mudslinging, naming a competitor?

Free Wifi - Death to America

Been done.

Here's an idea, don't. It's a silly idea.

You're riding the fence there. 'Luring' people into connecting to a network where private information will be readily accessible is (even if just for marketing purposes) very, very sketchy. Especially if you're using a deceptive SSID. Just a bad idea.

I think it's just best to leave it as a network issue and not try to force advertising campaigns every nook and cranny as possible. That includes broadcasting domain names using a poorly designed network identification method.

Not really. Private information is already readily accessible. If you don't think it is, your information has already been stolen.

this was kind of well-publicized a while ago. thought it was common knowledge.

interesting case study of actual virality. i see two FPW's on my list right now.

Sorry - I tried to upmod, hit the wrong arrow, fail!

Why doesn't HN allow you to change your vote? Seems awfully arbitrary and heavy-handed.

Why doesn't HN allow you to change your vote? Seems awfully arbitrary and heavy-handed.

So you don't vote arbitrarily, and avoid being heavy-handed.

Ha, that's the exact opposite reasoning to Aza Raskin's "use undo instead of a warning"... this is "make it irreversible as a warning"

http://www.alistapart.com/articles/neveruseawarning

I think allowing a vote change here makes much more sense, FWIW. For the same reasons allowing post edits makes a lot of sense.

You're right. We need to abolish editing.

Yea slashdot has no editing and it works well

I wonder who started it? Pretty amazing. I see it in every country I visit.

i see it here in Cebu Philippines...

His initial suspision was the same thought I had. Interesting.

There was a problem with this at an Apple World-Wide Developer Conference a few years ago (2001?). Most people had the titanium (e.g Faraday Cage) powerbooks, and had terrible problems with the wireless.

So, when people couldn't connect to the wireless network, they would try to connect "manually," which sometimes meant they'd accidentally create a new network with the same name. The ad-hoc network grew pretty quickly from there.

Heh, I visited a client's office today and there were two networks -- "Free Public Wifi" and "Free Internet". It amuses me because you plug into the Ethernet there and can't route to the outside world, but one employee can take their laptop to Starbucks, and all your company's internal information is stolen.

This make me laugh, and it makes me cry.

Someone told me it was the software from a 3G but this makes a lot more sense.

Interesting mistake.

It may be from the 3G software that the SSID name originally appeared. hpsetup and linksys are common names in this because there are many real AP's with these names by default and so the 'infection' would spread from multiple points.

It would be a miracle if there had only been a single "Free Public WiFi" AP that caused this 'outbreak' to originate and spread.

I have been seeing this at every airport I have been to. Now, I know. Thanks.

I suspect that however this started, its familiarity now means it is popular network name among those either (1) genuinely offering free wifi, or (2) seeking to hijack info in transit.

I read about this a few months ago while Googling, is truly fascinating. I tried spreading my own but couldn't seem to get it going. Wish I spent as much time in airports as I used to.

that doesnt make any sense. there should be loads of stuff like this then. why only Free Wifi whatever

My guess is that's the most obvious name you'd click in an airport or hotel.

That's pretty awesome.

Can Mac's with WiFi infect Windows machines, or only other Windows machines? I might have to try this...

You can create your own ad hoc network on a Mac. Airport menubar icon -> Create network then enter the name and select channel to use.

if this thing spread liked crazy throughout the world, imagine what a real virus (as in virus in movies - say 12 monkeys) will do...

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