Wifi Availability Notification

[joshua.maverick]

Is there a notification or "pop up" notification that an open wifi connection is available? Is it possible to auto-switch to wifi when a strong enough signal is present?

[RevdKathy]

I understand that n900 can be told switch automatically to wifi if it finds one for which it has the connection details (and preseumably an unsecured one).

[lma]

I understand that n900 can be told switch automatically to wifi if it finds one for which it has the connection details (and preseumably an unsecured one).

It won't connect automatically to previously unknown unsecured networks, and that's a good thing since using such networks without the owner's consent is illegal in certain jurisdictions.

[944play]

Consent is pretty explicit when DHCP offers an address and gateway.

[attila77]

When turning the knob opens the door of a house that does not mean the owner consented to anything - he just might be careless/reckless about security, none of which make you less responsible.

[944play]

DHCP request equivalent: "Knock, knock, can I come in?"
DHCP offer equivalent: "Of course! Here's a chair for you. Help yourself to the beer."

This AP is saying that its owner consents and welcomes users.

[TA-t3]

Stop. 99.9% of wi-fi router owners don't know what DHCP is, let alone that their wi-fi router has this feature or how it works.

Don't fire up this discussion again, it's been gone through lots of times on this forum over the last years and there's no need to revisit it. You just joined so you wouldn't know that.

[Bratag]

DHCP request equivalent: "Knock, knock, can I come in?"
DHCP offer equivalent: "Of course! Here's a chair for you. Help yourself to the beer."

This AP is saying that its owner consents and welcomes users.

Good luck convincing the FBI etc of that :)

[944play]

Idiocracy reigns.:rolleyes:

[joshua.maverick]

Actually, a notification is probably better. Just a pop letting you know that there is an available decent wifi connection. So that I can switch and not use up 3g data when I don't have to.

[daveb70]

Every time I enter a house with an unlocked door I'm always offered a beer. :)

Sorry, but I've had those auto-notify options on other devices, they annoy me. Likewise you don't want to be on one network and then have it auto-connect to another midstream (literally), it just doesn't make for a quality experience. Obviously it needs to not do it if already connected, better signal strength or not.

As long as I can disable any auto-notify feature, I'll be fine.

[solkari]

Proof of consent aside, automatically connecting to open wifi is just bad for security. It's not too hard to set up what appears to be free internet, then record everything that goes through it, or a more advanced man-in-the-middle attack.

A notification (though annoying for some) would be useful if the device is in my hand. I certainly wouldn't want it to tell me there's a network available while it's in my pocket.

[eighthave]

If you ever use any open wifi, then its really OK to use every wifi. The difference in security is basically nil. If you are really worried about it, you should never use any open wifi, and WEP or WPA wifi (crackable in minutes), and really only use WPA2 wifi with a certificate (a big pain in the butt).

A much better way to be secure is to make sure you are using SSL/TLS/HTTPS for things that you are worried about. Those are very very difficult to crack. We are trying to make this kind of security information easier to understand here:

http://shareyourwifi.org