WiFi Liberator beams pay-per-use access to others gratis
By Darren Murph 
posted February 4th 2007 11:40AM
posted February 4th 2007 11:40AM
While we've already seen methods to bring subscription-based outdoor WiFi into the home, and the miracle of finding gratis internet access is quickly covering more and more of the world, there's still quite a few places (and companies) who feel that browsing the world wide web is a privilege reserved for the impulse buyer. In an effort to distribute pay-per-use WiFi to anyone sans cost, and to potentially get yourself in hot water all the while, the WiFi Liberator Toolkit is a open-source hardware / software tandem that opens up "private wireless nodes to encourage the proliferation of free networks and connectivity across the planet." The primary goal is to essentially force pay internet providers to offer up their services for free, and by installing a free application (OS X users only, for now) and connecting a USB-based WiFi adapter, you too can release locked WiFi from its chains while possibly getting yourself locked up. So if you're looking to nab a bit of free wireless after T-Mobile shuts off its promo here in just a few months, click on through to the read link and free free to get a little rebellious.[Via BoingBoing]
I don't get it, why should commercial wi-fi access companies be FORCED to provide service for free? Heck, why should they be forced to provide something for free any more than any other service provider? I think the free wi-fi movement and idea is great, but it should be handled by people who WANT to provide free wi-fi access; I don't see any reason that T-Mobile, etc. should have to provide their service for free.
wouldnt this be illegal? if not, i want one :D
If the provider detects the rouge signal, shouldn't be to hard to track it down. Just look for the one guy in the place with an apple laptop.
I'm all for state subsidising city-wide WiFi (or WiMax), but stealing it like this is not only stupid, but hurts the person "setting you free". It won't take off anyway.
I even wrote to the Mayor of London about subsidising WiFi. Here in London, school kids (=< 16) get free bus travel. And then they have fruit vouchers to encourage healthy eating. I don't see why WiMax shouldn't be subsidised, either for school children and university students, or for everyone (although the latter is unlikely). It's the most valuable education resource.
So whilst I agree that access to the internet should be free, I don't agree with this, which, if I understand it, just creates an open network and uses ICS to give them all internet access.
Karl
RTFA
This has to be used with a PAY account. The person paying can then redirect others with this device and give them free access. Likewise they could just enable ppl to surf via their OsX network control panel.
This is just plain stupid.
Alternatively you could set up a proxy to link them all to horse porn.
Or, to have fun, you could do something like this: http://www.ex-parrot.com/~pete/upside-down-ternet.html
>RTFA
I suggest you do the same, the Wifi Liberator uses pingtunnel to bypass pay-per-use WiFi for the initial connection which can be shared with others. :-)
All this does is share your paid subscription to the people around you. YOU still have to make the initial payment. This isn't a gadget you want, it's a gadget you want everyone else to have. Rather stupid, in my opinion.
You could be a regular WiFi-Robin Hood. Sharing your paid account with the poor PC-toting masses around you.
Even better, you could steal from the rich at the same time by setting up an evil twin node which leeches passwords and account names while redirecting others internet.
Do we really need this? I think not.
Super Genius!
the blur is especially diabolical (and funny!)
thanks
but someone still has to buy the initial connection...
no... you can set up a free connection on a pay-per-use WiFi by using pingtunnel...
I can't believe I wasted my time reading this.. thought it might be something new... This can be done with any PC pretty much as well.. don't really need the "liberator" software.
The problem is that the internet is free to everyone but you have to pay to access it. Imagine paying to go to a public park. Would you like that? So something needs to be done but I do not condone stealing, unless its something that ends in .torrent. But then that's called sharing. :-P
Hey Longshot. You DO pay for the parks you visit. Where do you think a city's division of parks and recreation's budget comes from?
Children need to learn that there is not a single thing on this planet that is free. There is a cost, there is a charge somewhere along the line. And the ISP's of the world are no different. Some dinky ass cafe downtown is paying an ISP to provide service to their customers. Its designed to bring in paying customers wich is intended to not only cover the cost of that connection but also make them more money. (As if this is a bad thing.) That being said I would have no qualms about using such a service for a quicky 3 minute check of the e-mail but if I'm going to sit and siphon off of their connection I sure as hell am going to buy something.
People need to stop being cheap assed.
The site owner needs to learn to set his mime-types properly. Nothing like clicking to download a dmg file, and being met with a page full of gibberish. What's that? I have to RIGHT-click and choose 'Save As'? That's weak.
@ John De
You knew what I meant. I meant there is no up front cost. When you go to the public park do you pay a cost to walk on the grass, slide down the slide, have a picnic, have sex with your wife or someone else's wife, drink your kool-aid? No the hell you don't. There is no sign saying "Want Entry? Pay now!". When you want to access the internet there is an upfront cost. Your ISP basically says pay or you can't access the net. So STFU.
This is nothing new or innovative. All of the airport wifi networks I have tried to use block ping requests rendering ptunnel useless. The "hardware" just looks like a reboxed USB wifi adapter.
Also, purchasing an account and then "sharing" it with everyone is asinine anyways. It would be like only paying for one person to eat at a buffet when there was really four people. Sure, you could make it look like only one person was taking food but it's wrong and you're still a jackass.
My two cents.
@LongShot
ISP wants you to pay for access to the internet because of the bandwidth provided. Parks are free to access, but many of us may need to pay to access. I am in London, UK. If I want to visit Central Park in New York you think BA would allow me to fly there for free?
What an idiot.