[an0n]

I was thinking about how I could fit a simple computer to my dad's car so he could use AutoRoute Express as a kind of cheap GPS system when I had a curious thought:

Could I use wi-fi and NeoTrace to track a car?[/b]

I mean, there are wifi hotspots all over the place, right? And as soon as it got into range of a public router the computer would hook itself into it. So in theory I could set the computer to ping the IP of one of the comps on my home network every 10-15 seconds for as long as the computer had power (IE, the car was running).

If someone stole the car, the computer would be pinging away and as soon as it got into range of a public wifi network (which are supposedly fairly widespread now) I'd start getting pings coming in.

Then, in theory, I could use NeoTrace Pro to identify the hotspot it was using and track it down to within a few thousand feet. Not exactly a perfect system, but it'd narrow things down from searching the whole country to searching one district of a town or city. After that it wouldn't be too hard to get a visual.

It'd cost maybe £100 as a one-off and you could reuse all the stuff if you ever got sick of it. Not bad compared to £300 specific-use equipment and a £50/month subscription to some locator service.

[vyper]

That's quite cunning actually, and it might work.

[karajorma]

Bah. Forget tracing it. Just program it so that when stolen it starts trying to hack the MOD and Pentagon. That way you can get the CIA to trace your stolen car for you

[an0n]

Y'know, if I wanted to, I could rip apart a printer and make it so you could put the brakes on.

[J3Vr6]

Sounds actually.... smart.  Two things I can see wrong, but one probably just applies to Miami:

1.  You would have to set up the computer to ping infinitely and consecutively.  If it's set up to ping every 10-15, you may miss a hotspot once you put into consideration the velocity of the car zipping thru those hotspots and out.

2.  Once it gets out of a downtown area (which there's only like 2 here) and out of the trendy places (3), I think you'll be out of the hotspots and long-gone.  But that could just be Miami.

[an0n]

Well it wouldn't need to hit every hotspot. It'd just need to be within range of one when it stopped.

And no-one is going to steal a car and drive it out into the middle of nowhere. They'd take it to a chop-shop or to sell to some loser friend.

And you're discounting the fact that it wouldn't have to be a public hotspot. It could hook up to an unencrypted router in a nearby house or business.

[aldo_14]

Originally posted by an0n


And no-one is going to steal a car and drive it out into the middle of nowhere. They'd take it to a chop-shop or to sell to some loser friend.

 

Well....actually, they might just nick it and go for a joyride in the country, y'know?  Sometimes happens over here (we're in the 'burbs, but a few miles from a motorway) - one night I could here some doss **** going like the clappers down the road by a nearby farm (I think), then suddenly screeeeeeeeech...... BANG!

Which was....odd.

[an0n]

True enough. But if some punk kid steals the car, you wouldn't want it back anyway. They slash the seats and set fire to it and piss inside it and stuff.

[Knight Templar]

Dooo ittt...

[vyper]

Do eeet!