Recently got into this and have mapped most of my area. There's a bit of insecure networks that I could hop on but it's mostly noise in the sea of the internet.
The most interesting thing I have discoved so far is that my elderly neighbors have a CPAP machine. I found out because that CPAP broadcasts BLE. I didn't look much into it, but medical devices shouldn't be broadcasting anything imo.
I'll always remember that one free WiFi I had at my temporary housing at Timberlawn Apartments when I started at Microsoft: it was "Bring Food and Beer to B308". I thought it was a neighbor, but I couldn't find the apartment when I looked for it.
I feel like "internet" and/or "wifi" deserve an honorable mention in that they are probably defaults on something but are more likely above #1 due to people setting them as the SSID manually.
This is the reason I stopped contributing eventually. Can't download the db, API limits so low you can exhaust them with a couple exploratory queries, and a small group of people getting overly defensive when asked about it. I don't mind working for free, but this sucked the fun out of it.
I was under the impression you could opt out of this using ‘no_map’ at the end of your WiFi, but after reading the FAQ I saw no mention of it. Then searching based on SSID, sure enough there are tons of entries matching “%no_map”.
I would like to ask, what practical uses do similar data have in production scenarios? For example, to count the density of a crowd? Verify the authenticity of a company or for other purposes?
I wonder if this isn't a GDPR violation of a pretty large magnitude? Especially because the way to get removed is this:
> If you want a record removed from the database, please include the BSSID (MAC Address) of the network in question!
There have already been a few wifi tracking cases within the EU where the perpetrators lost. A lot of this was used to track people in things like shopping malls though, so it's not exactly the same, but what came out of them was basically that people have to opt-in rather than opt-out if you want to do any sort of tracking.
As far as I'm aware this type of data does not meet the requirements [0] for a GDPR violation and there was a bit of initial litigation around Google's street view data gathering which left this part out as well (e.g. [1] for a somewhat recent discussion).
It's kind of crazy to see how prevalent MYChevrolet and/or myGMC are. There are more MYChevrolet / myGMC SSIDs than attwifi. I have to think this is because so many people are doing the stumbling from inside of a vehicle.
iOS, to the bane of network admins everywhere, doesn't allow 3rd party apps to request permission to scan for Wi-Fi networks. The closest you can get to a proper scan is downloading the old AirPort utility, enabling a hidden setting in Settings for the app which displays a scan button in the app, and then using that.
Recently got into this and have mapped most of my area. There's a bit of insecure networks that I could hop on but it's mostly noise in the sea of the internet.
The most interesting thing I have discoved so far is that my elderly neighbors have a CPAP machine. I found out because that CPAP broadcasts BLE. I didn't look much into it, but medical devices shouldn't be broadcasting anything imo.
Power stations from Bluetti also have bluetooth always on. It can't be disabled and anyone can connect and turn off the station.
So if someone uses it as backup power for a CPAP they're pretty much SOL if a neighbors is playing with the bluetti app.
Bluetti considers it a feature and not a security issue.
https://web.archive.org/web/20240709030931/https://old.reddi...
Imagine the embarrassment if your Lovense was on when someone wardrives your neighborhood.
What if you want people to know :p
Previous:
WiGLE: Wireless Network Mapping - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=33209163 - Oct 2022 (932 comments)
WiGLE – collected wireless hotspots around the world - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=29965790 - Jan 2022 (3 comments)
WiGLE: Huge WiFi Networks Geolocation Map - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=19203951 - Feb 2019 (10 comments)
Reminds me of the good ol' days of wardriving SF with 14 WRT-54Gs running aircrack-ng in the back of my GTI.
These days our devices do the sniffing for us. Back then unearthing a BSSID felt like discovery! It felt like exploration.
Scanning through the SSID stats, looks like the top non-default wifi names are:
1. skynet
2. pretty fly for a wifi
3. FBI Surveillance Van
4. virus
Skynet was an ISP in Belgium (now Proximus).
I'll always remember that one free WiFi I had at my temporary housing at Timberlawn Apartments when I started at Microsoft: it was "Bring Food and Beer to B308". I thought it was a neighbor, but I couldn't find the apartment when I looked for it.
You were near Microsoft. Surely, it was legacy from a previous abode but also too much work to expect any visitor to update.
Maybe. Thanks to whoever did that. :)
I feel like "internet" and/or "wifi" deserve an honorable mention in that they are probably defaults on something but are more likely above #1 due to people setting them as the SSID manually.
And who can forget the erstwhile #1 (2006-2018), "Free Public WiFi"?
https://computer.rip/2023-07-29-Free-Public-WiFi.html
What did you use to filter through the stats?
https://wigle.net/stats#ssidstats thought it disagrees with OP's observations
A proprietary database that you can contribute to but can’t download, that they then dual-license for cash.
Someone, please build an open alternative.
This is the reason I stopped contributing eventually. Can't download the db, API limits so low you can exhaust them with a couple exploratory queries, and a small group of people getting overly defensive when asked about it. I don't mind working for free, but this sucked the fun out of it.
we like it this way
but thanks
I was under the impression you could opt out of this using ‘no_map’ at the end of your WiFi, but after reading the FAQ I saw no mention of it. Then searching based on SSID, sure enough there are tons of entries matching “%no_map”.
It is `_nomap`, not `no_map`.
https://support.google.com/maps/answer/1725632#zippy=%2Chow-...
Ah yes, you are correct. Using the correct name I also found this post saying they respect the opt out https://wigle.net/phpbb/viewtopic.php?t=2330
I would like to ask, what practical uses do similar data have in production scenarios? For example, to count the density of a crowd? Verify the authenticity of a company or for other purposes?
I wonder if this isn't a GDPR violation of a pretty large magnitude? Especially because the way to get removed is this:
> If you want a record removed from the database, please include the BSSID (MAC Address) of the network in question!
There have already been a few wifi tracking cases within the EU where the perpetrators lost. A lot of this was used to track people in things like shopping malls though, so it's not exactly the same, but what came out of them was basically that people have to opt-in rather than opt-out if you want to do any sort of tracking.
As far as I'm aware this type of data does not meet the requirements [0] for a GDPR violation and there was a bit of initial litigation around Google's street view data gathering which left this part out as well (e.g. [1] for a somewhat recent discussion).
[0] https://academic.oup.com/idpl/article/1/3/149/688705
[1] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=27517547
It's kind of crazy to see how prevalent MYChevrolet and/or myGMC are. There are more MYChevrolet / myGMC SSIDs than attwifi. I have to think this is because so many people are doing the stumbling from inside of a vehicle.
I work near a major road and its amazing how much wifi stuff drives by. A lot of vehicle wifi, but also a lot of stuff like random chinese dashcams.
Wardriving! It's back, baby!
Are there any alternatives? The usability on this site is not very user friendly imho.
Maybe https://beacondb.net/
...and as an App to collect & contribute data, check out NeoStumbler: https://f-droid.org/packages/xyz.malkki.neostumbler.fdroid/
I like how you can faintly see flightpaths if you zoom all the way out
and shipping routes as well lol, it should have been obvious but still got surprised
Why there is no iOS app?
iOS, to the bane of network admins everywhere, doesn't allow 3rd party apps to request permission to scan for Wi-Fi networks. The closest you can get to a proper scan is downloading the old AirPort utility, enabling a hidden setting in Settings for the app which displays a scan button in the app, and then using that.
linksys.
linksys everywhere.
This is woefully outdated. Many SSID are not listed in their results.
Very cool when launched. Not practically useful today.
"log in to use this feature" nope