Islington's Technology Mile...
I was walking down Upper Street last night and hey presto! my phone beeped with a new Wi-Fi (802.11b) internet access connection. It's called StreetNet and it's free! Dontcha just love Islington Council? They're calling it the 'Technology Mile'. The biggest free Wi-Fi network in the UK. Despite not being offically launched until Tuesday - it's being widely reported. And here. And indeed here. Now I know where my council tax is going!
overyourhead - some irreverent musings by a gay London guy - crawling though technology, love and life... so you don't have to.
YEAH IT'S FREE, IT KNOCKS OUT YOUR BROADBAND CONNECTION, AND GUESS WHAT, WHITHIN 24 HOURS OF IT GOING LIVE, MY FIREWALL HAD BEEN DISABLED AND A VIRUS HAS NOW FRIED MY HARD DRIVE. 18 MONTHS TROUBLE FREE WI-FI CONNECTIONS AND STREETNET OPERATES FOR 24 HOURS, AND MY COMPUTER IS SHAFTED.THAT AND £10,000 BUSINESS RATES PER ANNUM. FUCKING FANTASTIC.
ReplyDeleteIts not really possible to comment on individual user set ups, however I find that a wireless broadband networks ability to disable your firewall and fry your hard disc hard to believe.
ReplyDeleteAs I understand it StreetNet is just a raw internet connection similar to that offered by BT or any any other ISP. When connecting to it use the same precaustions that you would use for connecting to a wired service ie behind a firewall. After all the service is merely providng the user with a connected IP address. Same as a wireld ISP service.
Interestingly StreetNet has some precautionalry software facilites built into it that would in effect offer greater protection than a raw internet connection. This includes a landing page, and authentication sytem (Invisible to the user) a device to detect IP hijacking and MAC emulation.
StreetNet is also supported with a web filters to stop the spread of unsavory content.
An explanation of how this service attacked and disabled your firewall would I am sure be of great interest to other users and StreetNet's developers.