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Wireless Hacks: Tips & Tools for Building, Extending, and Securing Your Network [Paperback]

Rob Flickenger , Roger Weeks
3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (21 customer reviews)

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Book Description

November 29, 2005 0596101449 978-0596101442 Second Edition

The popularity of wireless networking has grown exponentially over the past few years, despite a general downward trend in the telecommunications industry. More and more computers and users worldwide communicate via radio waves every day, cutting the tethers of the cabled network both at home and at work.

Wireless technology changes not only the way we talk to our devices, but also what we ask them to do. With greater flexibility, broader range, and increased mobility, wireless networks let us live, work, and think differently. Wireless networks also open up a vast range of tasty new hack possibilities, from fine-tuning network frequencies to hot-rodding handhelds.

The second edition of Wireless Hacks, co-authored by Rob Flickenger and Roger Weeks, brings readers more of the practical tips and tricks that made the first edition a runaway hit, selling nearly 30,000 copies. Completely revised and updated, this version includes over 30 brand new hacks, major overhauls of over 30 more, and timely adjustments and touchups to dozens of other hacks introduced in the first edition. From passive network scanning to aligning long-distance antennas, beefing up wireless network security, and beyond, Wireless Hacks answers real-life networking needs with direct solutions.

Flickenger and Weeks both have extensive experience in systems and network administration, and share a passion for making wireless more broadly available. The authors include detailed coverage for important new changes in specifications and in hardware and software, and they delve deep into cellular and Bluetooth technologies.

Whether you need your wireless network to extend to the edge of your desk, fit into your backpack, or cross county lines, the proven techniques in Wireless Hacks will show you how to get the coverage and functionality you're looking for.


Frequently Bought Together

Wireless Hacks: Tips & Tools for Building, Extending, and Securing Your Network + 802.11 Wireless Networks: The Definitive Guide, Second Edition
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"Wireless Hacks is essential reading for anyone interested in pushing this technology in a highly practical manner. It really does showcase the very best tricks and tips developed by a highly active wireless community." - Linux User, December 2003 [Linux User & Developer Classic] --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author

Rob Flickenger has been a professional systems administrator for more than 10 years, and all around hacker for as long as he can remember. Rob enjoys spreading the good word of open networks, open standards, and ubiquitous wireless networking. His current professional project is Metrix Communication LLC, which provides wireless hardware and software that embodies the same open source principles he rants about in his books. Rob also works with the U.N. and various international organizations to bring these ideas to places where communications infrastructure is badly needed. He hopes that all of this effort is contributing toward the ultimate goal of infinite bandwidth everywhere for free. He is the author of two other O'Reilly books: Linux Server Hacks and Building Wireless Community Networks (which is in its second edition).

Roger Weeks is a coauthor of Linux Unwired. He has nearly a decade of experience in systems and network administration and has been building Linux systems at home and in the enterprise since 1998. His first computer was an Atari 800, which was promptly taken apart so he could add more memory before he attached the 300bps modem.

He is currently the senior network administrator for Mendocino Community Network, a small ISP in coastal northern California. MCN is owned by the local school district, and puts their profits back into the local schools. Prior to that position, he was involved with community wireless (http://www.nocat.net) and an Internet co-op (http://www.wscicc.org) in Sonoma County, CA.


Product Details

  • Paperback: 464 pages
  • Publisher: O'Reilly Media; Second Edition edition (November 29, 2005)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0596101449
  • ISBN-13: 978-0596101442
  • Product Dimensions: 6 x 1.2 x 9 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (21 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #335,046 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews
66 of 69 people found the following review helpful
3.0 out of 5 stars Good book of wireless tips May 19, 2004
By A Customer
Format:Paperback
I'll have to disagree a bit with reviewer Pablo D. The book is broad and shallow, but I think it appeals to more than just the raw beginner. I found a number of tricks (hard to call them "hacks") in the book that have been useful. While many of the topics covered are simply product reviews, that information is helpful to wireless users, too.

Here's the table of contents of the book, which spells out all 100 "hacks":
Chapter 1. The Standards
1. 802.11: The Mother of All IEEE Wireless Ethernet
2. 802.11a: The Betamax of the 802.11 Family
3. 802.11b: The De Facto Standard
4. 802.11g: Like 802.11b, only Faster
5. 802.16: Long Distance Wireless Infrastructure
6. Bluetooth: Cable Replacement for Devices
7. 900 MHz: Low Speed, Better Coverage
8. CDPD, 1xRTT, and GPRS: Cellular Data Networks
9. FRS and GMRS: Super Walkie-Talkies
10. 802.1x: Port Security for Network Communications
11. HPNA and Powerline Ethernet
12. BSS Versus IBSS

Chapter 2. Bluetooth and Mobile Data
13. Remote Control OS X with a Sony Ericsson Phone
14. SMS with a Real Keyboard
15. Photo Blog Automatically with the Nokia 3650
16. Using Bluetooth with Linux
17. Bluetooth to GPRS in Linux
18. Bluetooth File Transfers in Linux
19. Controlling XMMS with Bluetooth

Chapter 3. Network Monitoring
20. Find All Available Wireless Networks
21. Network Discovery Using NetStumbler
22. Network Detection on Mac OS X
23. Detecting Networks Using Handheld PCs
24. Passive Scanning with KisMAC
25. Establishing Connectivity
26. Quickly Poll Wireless Clients with ping
27. Finding Radio Manufacturers by MAC Address
28....

Chapter 4. Hardware Hacks
43. Add-on Laptop Antennas
44. Increasing the Range of a Titanium PowerBook
45. WET11 Upgrades
46. AirPort Linux
47. Java Configurator for AirPort APs
48. Apple Software Base Station
49. Adding an Antenna to the AirPort
50. The NoCat Night Light
51. Do-It-Yourself Access Point Hardware
52. Compact Flash Hard Drive
53. Pebble
54. Tunneling: IPIP Encapsulation
55. Tunneling: GRE Encapsulation
56. Running Your Own Top-Level Domain
57. Getting Started with Host AP
58. Make Host AP a Layer 2 Bridge
59. Bridging with a Firewall
60. MAC Filtering with Host AP
61. Hermes AP
62. Microwave Cabling Guide
63. Microwave Connector Reference
64. Antenna Guide
65. Client Capability Reference Chart
66. Pigtails
67. 802.11 Hardware Suppliers
68. Home-Brew Power over Ethernet
69. Cheap but Effective Roof Mounts

Chapter 5. Do-It-Yourself Antennas
70. Deep Dish Cylindrical Parabolic Reflector
71. "Spider" Omni
72. Pringles Can Waveguide
73. Pirouette Can Waveguide
74. Primestar Dish with Waveguide Feed
75. BiQuad Feed for Primestar Dish
76. Cut Cable Omni Antenna
77. Slotted Waveguides
78. The Passive Repeater
79. Determining Antenna Gain

Chapter 6. Long Distance Links
80. Establishing Line of Sight
81. Calculating the Link Budget
82. Aligning Antennas at Long Distances
83. Slow Down to Speed Up
84. Taking Advantage of Antenna Polarization
85. Map the Wireless Landscape with NoCat Maps

Chapter 7. Wireless Security
86. Making the Best of WEP
87. Dispel the Myth of Wireless Security
88. Cracking WEP with AirSnort: The Easy Way
89. NoCatAuth Captive Portal
90. NoCatSplash and Cheshire
91. Squid Proxy over SSH
92. SSH SOCKS 4 Proxy
93. Forwarding Ports over SSH
94. Quick Logins with SSH Client Keys
95. "Turbo-Mode" SSH Logins
96. OpenSSH on Windows Using Cygwin
97. Location Support for Tunnels in OS X
98. Using vtun over SSH
99. Automatic vtund.conf Generator
100. Tracking Wireless Users with arpwatch

Appendix: Deep Dish Parabolic Reflector Template Read more ›

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16 of 18 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars For the tinkerer in you November 13, 2003
Format:Paperback
An interesting amalgam of software and hardware tips. The author clearly loves to tinker, as seen by his description of how he and friends put together a waveguide antenna built around a Pringles can. Perusing the book seems to give some of the flavour of the Homebrew Computer Club in San Francisco during the 1970s, when the PC revolution was gestating.

To some (many?) of you, the do-it-yourself ethos of this book may be its greatest allure. Flickenger reinforces this with many examples of analysis programs contributed by enthusiasts, often with source code available for your modification.

If indeed you seem attracted, do not tarry. Flickenger may not explicitly state this anywhere in the book, but it really describes a field and hobby that will rapidly make much of the book obsolete. Chances are, in a few years hardware will be standardised by a few major manufacturers, and most operating systems will have all the necessary wireless software. So if you want some fun, perhaps now is the time.

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12 of 13 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars For the serious wireless freak March 6, 2004
Format:Paperback
This is an amazing book about wireless. It's coverage of everything from the operating system level stuff, to drivers, to cards, to hacking cards, to building your own antenna, to doing shotgun wireless is just incredible. If you are a serious wireless junkie you will love this book. For the casual coffee shop surfer, this is probably not the right book, but you probably don't have any issues with wireless anyway.
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8 of 9 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars A Fascinating Read for Wireless Enthusiasts March 1, 2005
Format:Paperback
Despite the dubiously provocative title, this book in essence, is a practical guide to the wireless frontier of telecommunications. The term `hacking' is often perceived as a negative act, while the term `hacker' in the computer tech realm is heeded as a compliment--tinctured with hues of creativity and technical prowess (to infiltrate network systems). The term `hack' in this book, refers to something entirely different. It's defined as a "quick-n-dirty" means of getting to the core of a technological problem; or a resourceful and unconventional way of accomplishing a task.

This book offers a panoramic view of the wireless landscape in practical and easily digestible terms. The background and evolution of wireless technology is brought into focus, with wide-lens coverage on existing wireless standards that define the Wi-Fi revolution today--the 802.11b and 802.11g protocols, their antecedents, as well as latter counterparts that have yet to pervade the mainstream. The characteristics of each protocol (frequency bands on which it operates, data speed capacity, etc.) along with their real-world applications, virtues and limitations, provide the reader greater understanding. These inherent strengths and weaknesses, when framed into context, empowers the consumer to make an informed decision on a wireless format best suited to his needs. A panoply of wireless devices and concepts (e.g. Bluetooth technology, mobile phone carrier networks, etc.) are also highlighted. And wireless-oriented acronyms (e.g. TDMA, CDMA, GSM, etc.) that obscure the telecommunications domain are effectively elucidated.

Each chapter stands on its own--laid out with a specific subject matter--so that page-by-page reading is not necessary for comprehension.
... Read more ›
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars One of the best around April 21, 2006
Format:Paperback
Wireless Hacks is one of the best, most succinct books on all things wireless that I have come across. I was expecting the standard "how to set up and secure a wireless access point" fare, and while you do get some of that, you get so much more as well. The authors really do a good job covering everything wireless. From BlueTooth technology, to standard WiFi, to hacking routers, to creating your own antennas, this is a great book for anyone interested in wireless technology.

Like the other "Hacks" books from O'Reilly, this book contains 100 different things you can do to get more out of your wireless devices. The book begins with a good section on BlueTooth technology. If you've got a new cell phone, chances are you have BlueTooth. The authors show you how to do a lot of creative things-from simply connecting your phone to your computer, to showing a slide show of photographs.

The section on 802.11x hacks is so much more than how to secure a network. The authors show you how to detect wireless networks, how to analyze and watch network traffic, and even build your own access point. One of my favorite hacks involves turning a Linksys WRT54G wireless router into a remote control car-all over 802.11b.

In the last section of the book, the authors concentrate on creating effective wireless networks-big or small. Examples are provided for creating a network for a single house, as well as how to create a network for a whole city.

This is a fascinating book, with examples provided for Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux platforms. This book is a must have for wireless network enthusiasts.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars Wireless Hacks
I have not read it fully but so far it is informative. It's out dated but still has use full info that I need for a project. Read more
Published 10 months ago by Customer
1.0 out of 5 stars Dated and pointless.
Security wise there is nothing here that isn't in your router's user guide or help file and all are well known requirements to secure a wireless network. Read more
Published on November 14, 2010 by J. Haney
2.0 out of 5 stars Old and dated but some good ideas
This book was initially published in 2003 and reprinted in 2005 according to the description in the front of the book. Read more
Published on February 18, 2010 by AK
5.0 out of 5 stars Extremely Necessary
This book is essential to who works security problems out in wireless networks. All tips are very useful and the most of them is a real find.
Published on October 5, 2008 by Ricardo Queiro
1.0 out of 5 stars Lame Book
This book had some usefull information. That's the best review I could give it. I'm a Windows person like 99. Read more
Published on March 29, 2008 by Alicia Mchugh
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent
Covers a wide range of platforms, linux, mac, wireless, cell phones, etc and gives a lot of fun little hacks to play with and learn from.
Published on October 9, 2007 by Gary A. Mort
5.0 out of 5 stars Collection of 100 clever wireless short-cuts
This book is about getting the most out of your wireless networking hardware and software. In this book, you will find practical techniques for extending range, increasing... Read more
Published on January 3, 2007 by calvinnme
5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic Stuff
As others have suggested, it really is not about hacks. Actually its the computer jargon, that keeps varying time to time. Read more
Published on June 27, 2006 by Abhinav Vaid
5.0 out of 5 stars Jam Full Of Hacks!!!
For the reviewer that said there weren't many hacks in this book, I have no idea what they are talking about. Read more
Published on April 18, 2006 by Dan McKinnon
5.0 out of 5 stars Tech tips for us all
A lot of people will buy this book for the wrong reason -- the title. This isn't about hacking into your neighbor's wireless network to jump on his high-speed Internet connection,... Read more
Published on January 20, 2006 by Warren Kelly
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