Knockbox uses WiFi to sell your house

That's right, instead of punishing users who sit outside your house surreptitiously leeching on your WiFi, what you should really be doing is making use of that behavior to sell your on-the-market home. Merely set one of these suckers up, let your real estate agent program it with all the relevant information about the house you're trying to sell, then watch as the droves fly by, connect to the access point thinking they'll get some free WiFi, but are instead directed to a page with a sales pitch tp buy that $400,000 "attached" 1BR condominium with walk-in living room.

[Ben Brenker @ Jun 10th 2006 11:05PM]

Right. Because most people wardriving are coincidentally house shopping. Might as well put out used car mailers for my neighbors' cars so I when I get the mail I see the cars...

[Isaac Levy @ Jun 10th 2006 11:36PM]

This product exists because people will only ever buy one of them, so even if its useless, knockbox won't lose business over it.

[Chris @ Jun 10th 2006 11:53PM]

Its advertised usage is much less applicable than its potential usage. Certian businesses could benefit by advertising to those looking to piggyback on a Wi-Fi connection.

[danfromboston @ Jun 11th 2006 12:10AM]

um this is a basic proxy server... condensed into a router box... not a new idea in the least

[j-dawg @ Jun 11th 2006 12:20AM]

I think the idea is that you post a "for sale--see wifi" sign outside and people will take a tour without bothering you.

[Eric @ Jun 11th 2006 1:33AM]

:) This is great idea, except that it my promote loitering and thieves may use it to acquire the floorplan of the house. :( wait... this may not be a good idea. but the security glitches may be worked out in time. ?

[iGotNoTime @ Jun 11th 2006 2:51AM]

I think all the comments are pretty narrow minded thinking. Not in an offensive way but clearly not business owners. Chris hit the nail on the head. Eventually we will all be subjected to this very technique not too long in the future. As we walk down the street or through the mall our ipaqs, palms and cellphones will flash from one commercial to the next depending which node we are nearest to. Good for business, sucks for wardriving.

[Ferny @ Jun 11th 2006 4:56AM]

I doubt the potential of this product anywhere close to where I live, because most people don't' have internet much less even know what wifi is.

[-Tj- @ Jun 11th 2006 6:57AM]

As a sales device, if advertised and used more widely (like say, on the sign that says "for sale") it could potentially sell more homes. For those who have looked for a home to buy, think about how many times you drove by a house when no one was there and wished someone could give you more info. Oh look! there's info about it via WiFi in the house. I can call/email who about a personal showing? And so on. Bad for WiFi leechers, good for tech-savy home shoppers.

[Brendan @ Jun 11th 2006 9:53AM]

This is a good idea... but think about it. If you're wardriving in the first place, you're too cheap to buy WiFi. What's to make you think they'll actually stay there and read it? Even if they do read it, they probably won't care about it.

[Richard Cook @ Jun 11th 2006 12:58PM]

The KNOCKBOX(tm), http://www.knockbox.net, was released at the California Association of Realtors Expo in Sacramento to an overwhelming amount of enthusiasm. The Knockbox is a wireless device that is simply plugged into an AC outlet at a home for sale. Once booted the Knockbox serves up a web page from its internal drive, which is viewable from any WiFi capable device. A buyer would connect to the WLAN created by the Knockbox, the SSID is the same as the address of the home, then open a browser window and enter the IP address of the Knockbox, 10.0.1.1, in the address field of their browser which would then load the home page for that Knockbox. Think of configuring a wireless router through a web browser, the router contains several web pages, the same for the Knockbox. The content of the Knockbox page includes exterior and interior photos of the home, a virtual tour, floor plans, an open house schedule, extensive property data and the home’s sale price as well as contact information for the listing real estate agent. A potential buyer may download a PDF flyer with the same information as contained on the page, so that when they are out of range of the Knockbox they still retain information about the home. It is not a HotSpot, it will connect the user to the Internet, the user may only view the single page contained on the Knockbox.

When showing the home or holding an open house, the realtor may provide a potential buyer with a thumb drive preloaded with their contact info, bio and other helpful reports or materials which the buyer or agent would insert into a USB port on the Knockbox. The Knockbox would then automatically copy the same PDF flyer that may be downloaded from the web page on the Knockbox to the thumb drive, which the prospect would take with them.

Attached to the “For Sale” sign in the yard would be a sign rider informing all prospects that the property has a Knockbox for them to access with their WiFi capable devices.

The first real estate company to license this is http://www.sellsmartrealestate.com.

You can hear Leo Laporte's comment at 11:00am PDT today on http://www.kfi640.com

[Justin @ Jun 11th 2006 1:18PM]

"with a sales pitch tp buy"

Typo.... Let's just hope that doesn't show up on the house listing.

[badbob001 @ Jun 11th 2006 3:22PM]

If I were interested in a home as I'm driving by, what would be the most likely scenario?

1) I see a wi-fi tag on the for-sale sign, double-park my car, whip out the laptop, and try to connect to the access point.

2) I see a phone number or webpage on the for-sale sign, make note of it, and call or surf when I get home.

I don't think this is meant for the war-driving crowd. More likely for the neighbors in the area with wireless connections. Perhaps when they go to connect to their own wireless, seeing an access point in range called "Home for Sale" may peak their interest.

[OverburN @ Jun 11th 2006 10:26PM]

So nobody else here thinks this is LAME??? most of suburbia lives in neighborhoods with hierarchial mazes of streets. Nobody's ever going to find your network except your neigbhor who ALREADY LIVES THERE.

[asurroca @ Jun 12th 2006 1:18AM]

Well, I think its lame. I mean, it's a neat idea, but I don't see it working. Does anyone remember those devices a few years back which broadcasted an short-range audio listing over the radio? The FOR SALE sign would tell you to tune in to a particular station. Well, that idea came and went and this is basically like the web2.0 version. Watch it become a novelty for a while, then vanish.

But, yeah, neat idea though.

[Rick Dobbs @ Jun 12th 2006 8:07PM]

As someone who is looking for houses, this can be pretty handy. I can drive around to places, connect right there and get all the info I need and maybe even go to the companies web site and get more info. Very handy.

[DAVID @ Jun 16th 2006 12:53PM]

It strikes me that some of you have never had the pleasure of house or apartment shopping, I think it's a great idea

[Rurik @ Oct 7th 2006 5:52PM]

Not new technology, but an innovate use for it. We have something similar in areas around here with AM/FM transmitters at homes for sale. You drive up, turn your radio to the advertised frequency, and get a repeated audio loop describing the home. This is along the same realm; you have a house and want to find more information about it. Realtors can easily set these boxes up in a hot property, and advertise its existence to passer-bys.