Sniffing out WiFi spots, what have you found?

So far, I sniffed out several WiFi spots on several trains, notibly 377 322 more recently (The only one that I have seen working for a long time!) and I got a quite speedy response!

So far, the units I think have WiFi in them are the following (Note, they are '77/3s, so the number on the front left hand side of the unit will begin with something like 377 3xx):
377 322
Forgot the rest, I know about half the units do have them, there are 28 units to check though, however, most end up on my local line.
The list (from www.thejunction.org.uk) is:
377301
377302
377303
377304
377305
377306
377307
377308
377309
377310
377311
377312
377313
377314
377315
377316
377317
377318
377319
377320
377321
377322
377323
377324
377325
377326
377327
377328

I'll update the list on my daily travels, I'll identify the units with the colour purple, because they have purple squares above the yellow stripes on the doors, with the words "T-Mobile WiFi hotspot"
Mind you, if I keep a list here, it'll probably be a first! It'll take some time to update, but I will get there.

Edited by Wessex_nut 2006-02-23 6:02 PM

Man, I wish the trains over here in the USA were that cool... Maybe they are, and I just don't know it.

American's don't stand by and wait for someone to do it for them, they do it themselves. My friend Casey Halverson was sick of the lack of connectivity on the morning commute, so he created Train Node:

http://seattlewireless.net/~casey/train/

Nice site ...

Actually, I found out that there is WiFi in every coffee shop in my town... But one thing I have noticed, I tried to look for hot-spots in the "Upper Class" part of town, and I found nothing. However, in the "Middle Class" part of town, there was lots of people with wireless routers... Which brings me to the conclusion that there is little correlation between income and wireless internet.

Another theory is that the rich are just more private about their wireless Internet use, perhaps just using encrypted home networks. (Or broadband in the field, if that counts as wireless.)

I've noticed it too. The trendier hoods have fewer wifi points, period. They all show up wih a sniffer, wep or not, and the "royal class" doesn't use computers, they pay others to do so those meaningless tasks .Or they simply pay some tradesperson to cat6 the house !

Middle & Upper middle classes yields my best results. There's enough money to buy multiple computers but not enough to pay a pro to install it properly. It's usually a mishmash of adapters and rules.

The lower classes have few wifi points, not surprising. The very few I found are always open.

Business follows the above models. Rich- well protected, mid-size, 50/50 wep, small shops, no protection mostly.

Motels are your best bet to a free ride. Most motels in my area offer free wifi which covers an area way more than need be. Good for them.

I wonder if in the future, internet access will be practically free. If every business, resteraunt(Including fast food joints), motel, grocery store, airport, if EVERYONE had an open unprotected wireless router, the world would be so much better for HPC lovers like us. I still have that dream sometimes... (sniffle)

Every time I pass by a Jack in the Box near my office with a sign announcing that it has a free WiFi hotspot, I feel renewed hope of that dream coming true.

Hi, how can I sniff Wifi hotspot with my Jornada 680 ?

Thanx

You need a WiFi card and the appopiate software. By sniff hotspots, I mean, opening up and seeing what you find, I found about 10-15 hotspots between Fishbourne and Havant while on the train today, one of them was level with the back of the 3 car Class 377.

I use an Orinoco Wireless gold card, you can find these cards on eBay, but it has to be a 16-bit or it doesn't work.

On the train WiFi hotspot 305 has one, but 327 does not! (Those 2 I cleared today!). Interestingly, whereas 322 was quick, 305's was very scatty, it was literally touch and go.

The only nodes that I have found are the ones in Hemel Hempstead's shopping centre. All the cell phone shops have them, and several of the top floor offices are broadcasting nodes over a wide area.

Ok, small update,
Most units have stickers on the doors, I'll provide a pic when my camera comes back from the repair shop, but anyway, the following units I have checked so far HAVE wifi:
377305/22/4/5/6
The following DO NOT have Wifi
377306/27
That leaves units 377301-4/07-21/23/28 to be checked. I think 24 was a recent addition as 24 I think, doesn't have the door stickers.