The end of commercial WiFi?

Just found this on line:

http://www.pcpro.co.uk/news/352984/connectify-turns-windows-7-into-a-wi-fi-hotspot

Before I proceed I would like to point out that this software is still in the beta development stage, and as such I disclaim any and all responsibility for any damage caused to any computer system or any peice of data or non-data. Taxes not included, bring your own chair. Late payments will result in court proceedings. Get it whilst it's hot.

Anyhoo, What do people think of the idea of a wireless device becoming a hotspot of it's own?

According to connectify, it is perfectly possible to be a hotspot whilst connected wirelessly to another service, so you can connect all your wireless devices to your laptop wirelessly in a coffee shop or something.

 

Huh, thought, you could do the same in Vista and XP. Also, wireless devices can be setup as hot spots.

 

Sorry, I should have made this clearer. There is new code in Windows 7 that allows a laptop to act as a WiFi router/hotspot. Connectify are planning on backdating the software to include Vista/XP.

 

It's all protected by WPA2. It really functions just like a normal wireless router.

 

For using a laptop as a wireless access point I think it's a security problem and a bad idea. Somebody could sniff your traffic more easily now.

 

Bad idea. Google "man in the middle" exploit. I have my wireless set to strictly infrastructure no ad-hoc, which this would involve.

Well since that has been cracked in a short period of time in the past several months, you only have the perception of security and no real security.

 

I can understand where you are coming from, but surely this is just as secure as connecting all your mobile devices to a normal wireless network. That is the main point of this software: to connect your wireless devices to your laptop without having to pay for four or five connections to a wifi hotspot in an internet cafe or whatever.

The software makes your wireless network card act as a wireless router, so Ad-hoc mode is not involved.

WPA2 is more secure than no encryption, which connection to a typical internet cafe wifi would involve.

I seem to have explained this software very badly:-o: It turns your windows 7 device into a wireless router with WPA2 encryption. Thus it is no more or less secure than a typical wireless router. And it has the added advantage of allowing you to connect to another wireless network at the same time.

 

You create the wireless hotspot, give it a unique name and encryption code, so no one else knows it exists, or knows the passkey. I know that counts for little, but it should be secure enough to sync devices or google something and then shut the hotspot down.

 

Voted yes. Forgot to post !!
But as the subject matter goes - the commercial establishment providing the paid for WIFI access won't be amused :-D
Cheers..

 

Just because it can be done does not mean that it should be done. I wouldn't connect any of my computers to a public network without utilizing a VPN account. Chances of losing or having somthing go wrong is increased. $.02

 

Agreed. It's bandwith pilferage. Doubt MS will release. Anyway it's only for portables :-D

 

It's my fault, I should have explained it better. Sorry.

MS have already released the background code in Win 7/Server 2008 R2, and It can be run on any system with a WiFi card and Win 7/Server 2008 R2

 

Does it work? I mean as a repeater/hotspot? The article says to try in beta!
Let's say it works. How will MS justify it as being legal. :confused

 

I don't see anything wrong with this. You pay for your bandwidth to your laptop, then you share that bandwidth to others.

(Decided to read the article.)

It is just like ICS, in the old days.

 

It's also about connectivity - as you're paying per hardware. Before one knows it there will be an IP conflict. If that gets circumvented as well- It's almost a hack. But what do I know :-o

 

Hard to be an IP conflict with TCP/IP ver 6.

 

Right now, Yes... 10 years from now??? More than likely. ver 8 will be needed :-D

 

They must have justified it already otherwise:

1. They would not have made/released the background code

2. They would not be planning to release it as part of the OS in windows 7 embedded ( I think) or in Windows 8/ server 2012 or whatever.

I would assume that as a standard wireless router, it would have an address pool of about 253 addresses (192.168.1.2 - 192.168.1.254 I think), as the device probably uses ICS as well as the new inbuilt code.

I must say though that I just tested this and it did not work, however I will test again soon and will report back.

 

Not sure if it supports IPv6 yet, as a lot of mobile devices don't yet.