Bluetooth is a wireless technology standard for exchanging data over short distances (using short-wavelength UHF radio waves in the ISM band from 2.4 to 2.485 GHz[4]) from fixed and mobile devices, and building personal area networks (PANs). Invented by telecom vendor Ericsson in 1994,it was originally conceived as a wireless alternative to RS-232 data cables. It can connect up to seven devices, overcoming problems that older technologies had when attempting to connect to each other.
Bluetooth is managed by the Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG), which has more than 30,000 member companies in the areas of telecommunication, computing, networking, and consumer electronics.The IEEE standardized Bluetooth as IEEE 802.15.1, but no longer maintains the standard. The Bluetooth SIG oversees development of the specification, manages the qualification program, and protects the trademarks. A manufacturer must meet Bluetooth SIG standards to market it as a Bluetooth device.[8] A network of patents apply to the technology, which are licensed to individual qualifying devices.
Bluetooth is a way of exchanging data wirelessly over short distances, and is an attempt to do away with your computer’s jungle of wiring.Using a special radio frequency to transmit data, it creates a short range network. It is very secure and can connect up to eight devices (items of electronic equipment) at the same time. The chip can be plugged into items such as computers, digital cameras, mobile phones and faxes.Bluetooth is particularly convenient in certain situations – for example, when transferring files from one mobile phone to another without cables. Sending music and photos between a PC and a mobile phone is another useful application. You need to check that your device is able to use Bluetooth. You can use a dongle - something which plugs into your computer to enable it to use Bluetooth.Every manufacturer of compatible devices will have their own instructions for accessing Bluetooth. For detailed instructions you will need to see the manual, but as a general guide:
To set up Bluetooth:
1. Turn on, or enable, Bluetooth.
2. Ensure your device is ‘visible’ and not ‘hidden’, so other nearby devices can pick up the signal.
3. Give your device a name to identify it when connecting to other compatible equipment.
To establish a Bluetooth connection:
1. Find the file you wish to send.
2. Select the option to send it via Bluetooth - your device will search for other devices within range and display them.
3. Scroll to the device you wish to connect with and select it.
4. If the other device needs ‘pairing’, you will need to enter a passcode – a bit like a PIN number - and make sure it is entered on the other device.
When the connection is established, the data will start to send. You do not need to worry about a clear line of sight between devices. If you are sending sensitive information over any wireless network you need to take precautions.When any device tries to connect to yours, you - as the user - have to allow it before it can connect. In almost all cases, users can establish ‘trusted devices’ which can exchange data without asking permission.You can increase security further by switching on the ‘non-discoverable’ mode and avoiding connection with other Bluetooth devices. The name ’Bluetooth’ reflects the Scandinavian origins of the technology. It is named after a 10th century Danish viking, King Harald Blåtand (translating as 'Bluetooth' in English).He united and controlled Denmark and Norway, hence the association of uniting devices through Bluetooth. Legend has it that he liked eating blueberries - so much that his teeth became stained with the colour of the fruit, giving rise to his name!
Bluetooth Explained - Information and Advice http://www.filesaveas.com/bluetooth.html
Bluetooth better or worse than Wi-Fi?
People often get confused by Bluetooth and Wi-Fi because, at first sight, they seem to do similar things. In fact, they're very different. Bluetooth is mainly used for linking computers and electronic devices in an ad-hoc way over very short distances, often for only brief or occasional communication using relatively small amounts of data. It's relatively secure, uses little power, connects automatically, and in theory presents little or no health risk. Wi-Fi is designed to shuttle much larger amounts of data between computers and the Internet, often over much greater distances. It can involve more elaborate security and it generally uses much higher power, so arguably presents a slightly greater health risk if used for long periods. Bluetooth and Wi-Fi are complementary technologies, not rivals, and you can easily use both together to make your electronic gadgets work more conveniently for you
· BlueSoleil – proprietary driver
· Bluetooth low energy beacons (iBeacon and Eddystone)
· DASH7
· Li-Fi
· MyriaNed
· RuBee – secure wireless protocol alternative
· ZigBee – low-power lightweight wireless protocol in the ISM band
Wi-Fi or WiFi is a technology for wireless local area networking with devices based on the IEEE 802.11 standards. 802.11 is the "radio frequency" needed to transmit Wi-Fi, it was defined by Vic Hayes who created the IEEE 802.11 committee. Wi-Fi is a trademark of the Wi-Fi Alliance, which restricts the use of the term Wi-Fi Certified to products that successfully complete interoperability certification testing.Devices that can use Wi-Fi technology include personal computers, video-game consoles, smartphones, digital cameras, tablet computers, digital audio players and modern printers. Wi-Fi compatible devices can connect to the Internet via a WLAN network and a wireless access point. Such an access point (or hotspot) has a range of about 20 meters (66 feet) indoors and a greater range outdoors. Hotspot coverage can be as small as a single room with walls that block radio waves, or as large as many square kilometres achieved by using multiple overlapping access points.Depiction of a device sending information wirelessly to another device, both connected to the local network, in order to print a document Wi-Fi most commonly uses the 2.4 gigahertz (12 cm) UHF and 5 gigahertz (6 cm) SHF ISM radio bands. Having no physical connections, it is more vulnerable to attack than wired connections, such as Ethernet.
General steps to connect to a wifi network near you
The following steps run through the general steps that anyone needs to take to get connected to the internet via wifi.
Step 1: Locate yourself in a property or public space that has a wireless router. I.e. Somewhere where a wifi signal is being transmitted.
Step 2: Make sure that the device you're going to use is a.) Capable of connecting to the internet and b.) Capable of connecting to wifi.
Step 3: Find out the name of the wifi network that the router in your location is transmitting. That's right, each wifi network has its own unique name. Sometimes this can be a sequence of random numbers and letters if it was set by default on the router — but people often personalise the name of a wifi network to help users identify its owners. E.g. "The Horton Family wifi" or "Barry’s Cafe".
Step 4: Once you know the name of the wifi network, use your chosen device to find it. This will vary between devices (depending on whether you're using a Windows or Mac computer, or a mobile device). However, the process for connecting to wifi is broadly similar, following something along the lines of: navigate to wifi settings > turn wifi on > click on the name of your wifi network > click "connect".
Step 5: Many wifi networks are made private, with access restricted via a password. If your chosen wifi network is password protected, at this point it will ask you enter that password. Make sure you have the password at hand, and enter it.
You should now be connected to wifi!
how to set up and connect to wifi at home
Step 1: Set up your wireless router - an example of which is on the right - (see How to connect to the internet for instructions). Most internet providers now supply wireless routers as standard. When setting up one, it’s important to provide appropriate security so that your computer can’t be entered by anyone but you. Instructions for this should be supplied with the router, but if in doubt, consult an expert.
Step 2: Check that your computer has a built-in wireless adaptor (see left). Up-to-date laptops generally have one, but most desktop computers don’t.
To check whether there’s a built-in adaptor, follow these steps:
Click the Start button.
· Right-click Computer.
· Click Properties.
· Click Device Manager.
· Click the arrow next to ‘Network Adaptors’ to see if there’s a wifi adaptor listed.
If there is a wifi adaptor, a wifi icon should also appear in the system tray in the bottom right-hand corner of the screen.
· If you don’t have a wireless adaptor, you’ll need to buy one to plug into one of your computer’s USB ports. The adaptor should be supplied complete with instructions on how to use it to connect to a wireless network.
Step 3: To connect to a wireless network, click the wifi icon. You should now see a list of available networks – an example is on the left.
Step 4: To connect to a network, just click on its name. If it’s a secure network and it’s the first time you’ve used it, you’ll need a password. If it’s your home network, your internet provider will have given you a password – sometimes it’s printed on a sticker attached to the router.
If you’ll be using the same connection regularly, you can tick the box to connect automatically.
Step 5: The first time you connect to a network, you’ll be asked to choose whether it’s a home, work or public network.
Warning: Be very careful if you connect to unsecured wireless networks such as wifi ‘hotspots’ in public places. While on them, it’s important not to use websites that require you to enter personal or financial details as other users of the network could gain access to these details.
How to connect to the internet
It’s possible to connect to the internet via a range of devices these days — though desktop and laptop computers, mobile phones and tablets are the most common.
However, everyday items such as watches, even central heating systems and refrigerators, are now capable of using the internet.
· In order for any device to actually get online though, requires signing up for a specialised service for accessing the internet.
· These internet access services are generally of two types: internet fixed to a specific location and provided by internet service providers, or mobile internet that can be used out and about, which are provided by mobile phone networks.
· People use one or the other (or both) types of internet access — fixed or mobile — depending on the device they’re using, their immediate environment and budgets.
· The two ingredients for connecting to the internet
Connecting to the internet requires two key ingredients:
· A device capable of connecting to the internet.
· Access to an internet service that will allow that device to get connected.
Basically, there are many types of both of the above things.
In other words, it’s possible to connect to the internet on an ever-increasing range of devices. Plus, there’s also quite a few different types of services that allow these devices to get online.
People’s choice over the various devices and means of getting online varies according to many factors, including lifestyle (whether they’re at home or out and about), how frequently they need to access the internet (everyday for a number of hours or just occasional use), the types of things they want to use the internet to do (catch up with email or download and watch films and tv programmes), and budget (internet access companies usually charge to use their services).
Let’s unpackage the above in a bit more detail...
Devices that can connect to the internet
The most common devices people use today to get online, include:
· Desktop computers
· Laptop computers
· Mobile phones
· Tablets
· E-readers
However, the range of devices capable of connecting to the internet is ever-expanding and shifting our understanding of what “being online” means.
In recent years, we’ve seen the emergence of smart watches, central heating systems, and even refrigerators, which by connecting to the internet can perform all sorts of enhanced and useful functions.
Still, the most “traditional” devices used for accessing and browsing the internet today are desktop computers, laptop computers, tablets and smartphones.
Two types of internet connection services
There are two key types of service that can provide you with internet access. They are:
· Fixed internet
· Mobile internet
Let's take a look at each, in turn...
Fixed internet
As the name suggests, this is an internet connection that is fixed to a specific location (such as a home, office or shop) — meaning that the internet connection is unique to that property, and as such you can only access it when you’re physically situated there.
Today, the three most common types of fixed internet connection are:
ADSL broadband
The most widely used form of internet connection, ADSL uses a property’s existing phoneline to get online.
This form of broadband has been available for a while, making it often the most cost-effective way of getting online — yet not the fastest (average download speeds of 8.4 Mb) compared to the two other available forms of internet connection now available in the UK, cable and fibre broadband.
Cable broadband
Instead of using a phone line as ADSL does, cable broadband establishes an internet connection via a specialised cable that shares the same line as your TV service.
Cable broadband generally offers higher speeds than ADSL connections (average download speeds of 50.5 mb), but as a cable broadband connection is often shared with many other users, speeds can suffer from time to time due to congestion during peak times.
Fibre broadband
The most recently rolled out form of internet connection in the UK (and therefore, still not that widely available) is fibre broadband.
Fibre broadband claims to offer more consistent and reliable speeds than cable and ADSL (average download speeds of 59.4mb) — allowing multiple devices to be performing high-capacity tasks, simultaneously, without any slow downs or breakages in the connection, making it an attractive proposition for busy family homes or office environments.
Choosing a fixed internet service provider
Many companies provide installation of one of the above types of fixed internet connection, with ongoing access to the connection at an agreed speed and data usage offered, mostly on a contract basis.
Some companies are more specialised in one type of connection than another. For instance, Virgin Media specialises in cable broadband connections as it is also a TV service provider. Whilst BT, as the owner of the majority of the UK’s telephone lines, is most well-known for providing ADSL broadband — though many third-party companies are allowed access to BT’s network and offer their own ADSL broadband services. As the owner of the new infrastructure that allows for latest fibre broadband, BT is also currently the sole provider of this next-generation service.
Mobile internet
Mobile internet is a way of getting online anywhere without relying on a fixed-location connection — as the name suggests, by using your mobile device.
Mobile phone operators provide access to this alternative method of internet usage. When you sign up to a mobile phone operator’s services — either on a contract or pay-as-you-go basis — you can include access to a certain amount of data (measured in megabytes), allowing you to use your mobile device to connect to the internet within that capped usage limit.
Mobile internet is currently offered at two different speeds and capability levels:
3G mobile internet: has been around for many years and typically offers basic access and download speeds that allow users to complete basic tasks such as load a web page or access an email. 3G mobile internet is gradually being replaced by 4G services.
4G mobile internet: is the more recently available level of mobile internet available, offering much higher speeds than 3G. In fact, due to excellent connection and download speeds, 4G might eventually replace fixed internet connections in more rural parts of the country that may struggle to get access to quicker connections.
In conclusion
Here's what we've covered:
· It’s possible to connect to the internet via a range of devices.
· In order to get your internet-enabled device online, you need to use a specialised service for accessing the internet.
· These internet access services are generally of two types: fixed or mobile.
· The device and method you choose for getting online, really depends on the type of environment you wish to be using the internet in (your home, or out and about), plus how your want to use the internet and how frequently.
So there you have it. Hopefully, this has given you enough awareness and basic knowledge to be able to make your first moves towards getting online, and using the internet. Go for it!
·
· Li-Fi
· Operating system Wi-Fi support
· San Francisco Digital Inclusion Strategy
· Super Wi-Fi – IEEE 802.22 proposal to use television bands
· WiGig
· Wireless network interface controller (WNIC)
· Gi-Fi a term used by some trade press to refer to faster versions of the IEEE 802.11 standards
Bluetooth wifi chat
Bluetooth technology allows users to exchange voice and data transmissions between 2 or more electronic devices, given that all the devices are within a short distance from one another. There are numerous ways to use Bluetooth technology, such as connecting a hands-free Bluetooth earpiece with your cell phone to make phone calls while you drive, pairing a Bluetooth printer with your computer to eliminate the presence of extra cords and cables in your office, and more. See Step 1 below to learn how to get the most out of your Bluetooth-capable devices.
Bluetooth is a wireless connectivity tool that allows you to "pair" your devices so that they can interact with each other. For example, you can pair a headset with most smartphone, allowing you to talk without touching your phone. You can pair a gaming controller to a computer or console so you don't have to worry about the cord. You can send music to a Bluetooth-enabled speaker from your smartphone or laptop without having to connect them, or set up a home theater system without running speaker wire everywhere.
· Bluetooth has a maximum range of about 30 feet.
· Bluetooth transfer speeds top out at about 24 Mbps.
Check if your devices are Bluetooth-capable. Bluetooth has been around for a long time (about 20 years), and is the market leader in wireless connectivity. Chances are that your wireless device comes with Bluetooth support. The big exception to this is desktop computers. While nearly all laptops will have Bluetooth built-in, most desktops do not include it. You will need to purchase a Bluetooth dongle if you want to connect your desktop computer to Bluetooth devices.
· Many modern cars now have Bluetooth capabilities, allowing you to pair your phone while you are driving.
· Virtually every smartphone is able to pair with Bluetooth devices.
· Many newer printers are Bluetooth-capable, and can print wirelessly across the room.
Every Bluetooth device has either single or multiple functionalities. For example, some cell phones may only allow you to use Bluetooth for making phone calls; whereas other cell phones may also allow you to transfer files to and from other cell phones. Every Bluetooth device has slightly different functionality.
· Review the manuals or consult with the manufacturers for your electronic devices to determine the ways in which you can use their Bluetooth technology.
Pair your Bluetooth devices. In order to use Bluetooth technology, you must connect your devices to one another wirelessly, also known as "pairing". The pairing process varies from device to device, but generally you will have one device that is "listening", and then the secondary device gets put into pairing mode. For example, if you are pairing a headset to a phone, your phone would be in "listen" mode, and the headset would be put into "pairing" mode. The phone would then "discover" the headset, and the connection would be established.
· Follow the instructions provided with your Bluetooth devices to complete the pairing process. In most cases, you will be required to perform a series of specific steps that will result in the pairing of your devices.
· When pairing devices, you typically will be asked for a PIN before the connection is made. If a PIN was never set, the default is usually 0000.
· Pairing typically only needs to be done once. AS long as Bluetooth is enabled on the devices, future connections will happen automatically.
Transfer files between devices. Some Bluetooth devices will allow you to transfer files and documents from one device to another. For example, if your friend has a bunch of good pictures on their camera, you can pair it with your phone to quickly get copies of them.
· Transfer files between cellphones, cameras and camcorders, computers, televisions, and more.
Use Bluetooth technology to talk on the phone. Bluetooth earpieces can be paired with some land-line telephones or cellphones so you can talk on the phone without having to hold its receiver. This is especially useful if you find yourself on the phone a lot for work and don't want to have to fish it out every time you get a call.
Tether your phone to your computer. Tethering your device allows you to share your phone's mobile network connection with your computer. This lets you browse the internet on your computer without having to connect to a Wi-Fi network. Not all services allow tethering, so check with your mobile carrier. Sometimes extra fees are required.
Use Bluetooth to drive safer. Enable the Bluetooth technology built directly into your automobile or wear a Bluetooth earpiece when you drive so you can keep both hands placed on the steering wheel. In some regions, it is illegal to hold a cell phone in your hand and talk while you are driving. Bluetooth will allow you to talk on your phone while driving without breaking the law.
· Certain phones and car stereos will allow you to play music over the car stereo when connected to the phone via Bluetooth
Synchronize data between your Bluetooth devices. Some devices will allow you to synchronize data such as contact lists, emails, and calendar events between one another. This can be a great way to sync your phone contacts with your computer, or to transfer data to another phone.
Use Bluetooth equipment in your home office. Bluetooth devices can significantly decrease tangled cables, and allow you to work more freely. Bluetooth keyboards and mice allow you to type from anywhere without sacrificing accuracy. Bluetooth printers allow you to place the printer wherever you'd like without having to worry about stretching a cable from the printer to your computer.
Use Bluetooth devices to customize your home theater. Bluetooth speakers and remotes can make controlling and interacting with your media much easier. With a Bluetooth remote, you don't need to point it at the TV to use it. Bluetooth speakers allow you to set up a surround sound system without having to run speaker wires all over your living room. In order to set up a Bluetooth home theater system, you will need a Bluetooth-capable receiver.
Use Bluetooth to secure your house or car. Bluetooth technology is available in wireless entry systems that can unlock your home or car with the tap of a button on your smartphone. You'll never have to search for missing keys again! Check your local hardware store for Bluetooth-capable deadbolt systems, or contact your local car stereo store to ask about Bluetooth car lock mechanisms.
Connect a PlayStation controller to your computer. If your computer is Bluetooth-capable, you can connect a PlayStation 3 or 4 controller to use a gamepad for your PC games. This is not supported by Sony, and requires the use of third-party software, but is relatively easy to set up.
Play multiplayer games. Bluetooth allows you to create a local network between two phones, which is a quick and easy way to set up a multiplayer gaming session. Although this only works if you're in the same room, it's much more reliable than trying to game over the internet.
How to Get Internet With a Bluetooth-Enabled Cell Phone
Here's How:
1. Activate Bluetooth on your mobile phone (usually found under the Settings menu) and set your phone to be discoverable or visible to other Bluetooth devices.
2. On the PC, find your Bluetooth program manager (in Windows XP and Windows 7, look under My Computer > My Bluetooth Connections or you can look for Bluetooth devices in the Control Panel; on a Mac, go to System Settings > Bluetooth).
3. In the Bluetooth program manager, select the option to add a new connection or device, which will make the computer search for available Bluetooth devices and find your phone.
4. When your cell phone appears in the next screen, select it to connect/pair it to your laptop.
5 .If prompted for a PIN code, try 0000 or 1234 and enter it on both the mobile device when prompted and your computer. (If those codes don't work, look in the information that came with your device or do a search for your phone's model and the words "Bluetooth pairing code".)
6. When the phone has been added, you will be asked what service to use. Choose PAN (Personal Area Network). You should then have a working Internet connection.
How to chat via Bluetooth
As crazy as it sounds in this day and age, I’m running out of ways to communicate with people. I’ve outgrown instant messaging, got fed up with racking up bumper phone bills, and email is just far too passé for me. So, I’ve taken to harnessing the power of Bluetooth to chat with people now – it’s instant, it’s free, it’s discreet and I love it. Besides being a handy way of silently conversing with pals at work or in the cinema, Bluetooth messaging is also great for making new friends in a library or chatting up someone in a crowded nightclub, because you can hook up with anyone who has a Bluetooth-enabled phone.
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It’s dead easy to do too. All you need is to switch your Bluetooth on, and install a chat program such as BuZZone, SYMPTChat, or Bluetooth Chat. I prefer BuZZone as I find it the most simple and fun to use of the three. To get started, you just define a username then scan the radio coverage of your Bluetooth transmitter for other users. Once you’ve hooked up with someone you can send and receive text messages as well as voice, insert emoticons, and exchange files.
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At present these apps are a far cry from the all-singing, all-dancing desktop IM applications of today. However, Bluetooth chat is still a very practical way to talk and you can always inject a little more fun into your interactions by playing one of the many free wireless games such as Bluetooth Darts, 4Connect or ace soccer sim, The Match.
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Run the application in your mobile. Choose Bluetooth connection −> select the computer ... All other Bluetooth...
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=cz.rozkovec.android&hl=en
Bluetooth. Instructions on how to connect your Bluetooth devices are provided below.On the Start screen type Bluetooth Settings and press Enter
Ensure Bluetooth is On
Select the Bluetooth device you want to connect to and click Pair
Click yes on both devices to compare the passcodes
The computer now should be connected to the other Bluetooth device.
Why Bluetooth pairings fail
Bluetooth depends on both hardware and software to work properly. So if your devices can't speak a common Bluetooth language, they won’t be able to connect.
In general, Bluetooth is backwards compatible: Bluetooth devices supporting the Bluetooth 4.2 standard, announced last year, should still be able to pair with devices using, say, the ancient Bluetooth 2.1, launched back in 2007.
The exceptions are gadgets that use a low-energy version called Bluetooth Smart, which works on a different protocol than older, or "Classic" Bluetooth devices. Bluetooth Smart devices are not backward compatible and won't recognize (or pair with) older devices that support Classic Bluetooth. (For example, an old Sony Ericsson phone sporting Bluetooth 3.0 won't be able to connect to a Bluetooth Smart device.)
However, if a device supports Bluetooth 4.0, it can potentially recognize both Bluetooth Smart and Classic. If it does, it's officially labelled Bluetooth Smart Ready.
Gadgets that commonly use Bluetooth Smart include personal health gadgets such as fitness bands or heart-rate monitors. These gadgets will only pair with a smartphone or tablet that also uses Bluetooth Smart – or are Bluetooth Smart Ready.
iPhones running iOS 7 and newer should be Bluetooth Smart Ready as should Android phones running 4.3 or newer, Windows Phone 8.1 devices, and all BlackBerry 10 devices. Ensure your phone is running the latest version of its operating system – but if your device isn't new enough to run relatively current software, you may not be able to pair it with that fitness band.
Devices also come with specific Bluetooth profiles. If Bluetooth is the common language connecting devices, you can think of a profile as a dialect associated with a certain use. For example, you probably aren't going to be able to connect a mouse and a camera because a camera doesn’t support the Human Interface Device Profile. But if both a mobile phone and a wireless headset support the Hands-Free Profile, you should be able to pair them.
However, if the pairing failure is a matter of user error, there are steps you can take to get your devices happily communicating with each other.
What you can do about pairing failures
1. Make sure Bluetooth is turned on. You should see the little Bluetooth symbol at the top of your phone’s screen. If you don’t, go into the settings to enable it.
2. Determine which pairing process your device employs. The process for pairing devices can vary. Sometimes, for example, it involves tapping a code into your phone. Other times, you can just physically touch your phone to the device you want to pair it with. Or in the case of the Bose SoundLink, you only have to hold down a button on the speaker to pair it with a phone.
If you’re not sure how to pair a device, refer to its user guide; you can usually find one by searching online.
3. Turn on discoverable mode. Let’s say you want to pair your phone with your car’s infotainment system so you can enjoy hands-free calling, texting and navigation. First, go into your phone’s settings and tap on Bluetooth; doing so makes the phone visible to the car. Then depress the buttons on your car's infotainment system, usually on the steering wheel or center stack, to get it looking for the device.
Once it finds your phone, the car may ask for a numeric code you need to confirm or input on your phone. After you do so, the devices should be paired. Keep in mind your phone or your car may only stay in discoverable mode for a few minutes; if you take too long, you’ll need to start over.
4. Make sure the two devices are in close enough proximity to one another. While you wouldn’t think someone might try to pair an iPad with a keyboard if the two weren’t sitting right next to each other, it’s probably worth noting that you should make sure any devices you're trying to pair are within five feet of one other.
5. Power the devices off and back on. A soft reset sometimes can resolve an issue. With phones, an easy way to do this is by going into and out of airplane mode.
6. Power down likely interferers. Say that faithful Bluetooth speaker usually connects to your partner's smartphone instead of yours. If you're having trouble pairing your phone with the speaker, it could be because the speaker is trying to activate its usual connection. Some older devices are very simple. They just try to connect with the last thing they paired with. If a Bluetooth device was previously paired with something else, turn off that other gadget.
7. Charge up both devices you're trying to pair. Some devices have smart power management that may turn off Bluetooth if the battery level is too low. If your phone isn't pairing, make sure it and the device you're trying to pair with have enough juice.
8. Delete a device from a phone and rediscover it. If your phone sees a device but isn’t receiving data from it, sometimes it helps to start from scratch. In iOS settings, you can remove a device by tapping on its name and then Forget this Device. In Android settings, tap on a device’s name, then Unpair. After removing a device, start at step 1 on this list.
9. Get away from the Wi-Fi router. Another potential obstacle to successful pairing is interference from devices that use the same spectrum, such as your Wi-Fi router. “Wi-Fi has been designed to cope with this, but it might not be a good idea to have your devices directly on top of the router,” Powell says.
10. Move away from a USB 3.0 port. “Interference from USB 3.0 is also possible,” Powell says. Newer laptops, for example, often have the higher-speed USB 3.0 port, so if the connection isn't happening, try pairing your Bluetooth gadgets away from the computer.
11. Make sure the devices you want to pair are designed to connect with each other. Whether it’s a headset, speaker, mouse, keyboard, camera or something else, your device has a specific profile that spells out what it can connect with. If you’re not sure, check the user manual.
12. Download a driver. If you’re having problems pairing something with your PC, you might be lacking the correct driver. The simplest way to figure this out is to do an online search for the name of the device you’re trying to pair along with the word “driver.”
13. Update the hardware’s firmware. Some automotive audio systems have been known to not pair with phones because the Bluetooth drivers in these systems didn’t work with Bluetooth 4.0. If you’re not sure how to get the latest firmware for your hardware, check with the device manufacturer.
14. Limit data shared between devices. Android and Windows devices let you choose the information you share between devices. So, for instance, you can choose to share phone audio, media audio, contacts and text messages with your car. If you don't need to share all of the data, deselecting one or more of the types of information may enable the devices to pair.
For Android devices, go to Settings > Bluetooth and select the device. If there are options to select, they will appear. For Windows, go to Control Panel > Hardware and Sound > Devices and Printers and right click on the Bluetooth device in question. Then select the Services tab to choose which types of information to share.
Not all wireless devices use Bluetooth
Keep in mind that not all wireless devices use Bluetooth. Alternatives include the Wireless Gigabit specification, Wireless HD, ANT+, ZigBee, NFC as well as Wi-Fi Direct. These other technologies typically won’t work with your phone, tablet or PC without some kind of additional hardware.
Use Your Android Phone as a Webcam
Your phone should already support video and have either wi-fi or bluetooth. You can connect via USB cable but I wasn’t able to do it, you need to do port forwarding which is not easy to do with certain setups.
For reference, I did this using a Samsung Galaxy S phone (Captivate), so this is specific to my experience; with other phones it may be a little different. This is the beauty and beast part about Android: it has great customization but fragmentation among the different types of phones.
Getting Started
First you’ll have to choose which app you’d like to use. This isn’t as big a task as you might image, as there are only really three such apps for Android that are active and have good reviews. Each app has its good and bad things, but hopefully you can find one that works for you and your phone.
All of them work with some kind of client program on your computer so you will need to download and install that before you can get it working. This allows you to sort of trick your computer into thinking the device is a webcam which can be used in Skype, Google Talk, Facebook, and so on. I tested all of the apps in Skype and Gmail chat.Choose Your Webcam
IP Webcam works only on wi-fi so you need your phone to be connected that way to use this app. The setup is pretty easy but there are a few things you needed to configure in Skype correctly to use it. I could not get it to work in Gmail chat (Google Talk) so that is a big disadvantage. Also, it currently does not support audio.
Price: Free
Requires: 1.6+
Market Link: IP Webcam
Developer: Pas
Setup
· Go here in your web browser: http://your.ip.address.here:8080/ (replace your.ip.address.here with the IP address that appears in the app on your phone). You will see instructions and a link to the video feed.
· Download and install this program: http://webcamxp.com/home.aspx (only video, no audio; but new beta version has audio, but I didn’t test it)
· In Skype Options > Video settings, select “IP Webcam MJPG” as the source.
· Click on the Webcam settings button under Skype Video Settings; use the raw URL option at the top and enter your video feed address – for example http://192.168.1.1/videofeed (replace 192.168.1.1 with your IP address from the app on the phone).
Tip: You may need to change the settings in Skype if you go to another place, or your router assigns you a dynamic IP address. If you are doing this at home, try to set up a static IP for your phone so you don’t have to change the Skype video settings all the time.
DroidCam
DroidCam is a bit easier to install and work with compared to IP Webcam. But it seems like there are more options available in IP Webcam; with DroidCam the free version doesn’t allow you to change the video format or resolution. Droidcam works with Gmail chat and Skype. I could not get the USB option to work, as you need to forward ports on your computer (I can’t do this with my current firewall). Wi-fi and Bluetooth work fine. The audio works but its a bit choppy — not ready for prime-time yet.
Price: Free (DroidCamX upgrade available)
Requires: 2.1+
Market Link: DroidCam
Developer: Dev47Apps
Setup
· Go to their website to get the application for your computer and install it.
· Open the app on your computer and the app on your phone.
· On your computer, choose which method to use (Wi-fi, USB, or Bluetooth)
· If you’re using Wi-fi, enter the IP address that appears in the app on your phone into the DroidCam client and select audio, video, or both (only video is possible via Bluetooth)
· Click Connect on the DroidCam client to start streaming video (if using Bluetooth, click Prepare)
· In Skype or Gmail chat video settings select “DroidCam” as the source.
Tip: Just like the IP Webcam, you might need to change the settings in Skype if you are using the Wi-fi option.
SmartCam works via Bluetooth (with audio and video – but the audio is a little choppy) and wi-fi. You can change the resolution, unlike DroidCam, so it gets a thumbs up there.
Price: Free
Requires: 2.2+
Market Link: SmartCam
Developer: Deion
Setup
· Go to their website to get the application for your computer and install it. (Go here for the latest Windows version.)
· Open the application on your computer and install/open the SmartCam Android app.
· On your computer, choose which method to use (Wi-fi, USB, or Bluetooth)
· In the Settings menu on the SmartCam app, choose your connection type and configure your Bluetooth or Wi-fi settings (enter the local IP address of your computer as the “remote server”; the port probably won’t need to be changed)
· In the SmartCam computer application settings select your connection type the same as you did in the phone app
· In the phone app’s menu click the Connect Wi-fi or Bluetooth button
· In Skype or Gmail chat video settings select “SmartCam” as the source.
How to Share the Internet With Bluetooth
Many wireless-capable devices, including Windows computers, Android tablets and some iOS devices, can share an Internet connection via Bluetooth. If your company has a Bluetooth device, you can take advantage of Internet "tethering" to cut down on the need for separate Internet plans for all of your mobile devices. However, some mobile service providers charge an additional fee for tethering. Consult your service provider for the specific details of your plan.
Windows Computers
1. Click the "Start" button and select "Control Panel" from the Windows Start menu. Type "adapter" in the search box and click "View network connections" under the "Network and Sharing Center" heading.
2. Right-click the Internet connection you want to share and choose "Properties." Enter your administrator password, if prompted.
3. Click the "Sharing" tab and tick the check box for "Allow other network users to connect through this computer's Internet connection."
4. Pair your Bluetooth device to your computer. The exact procedure for doing this varies, depending on the device you are using. Consult your user manual for specific details. If you are pairing another Windows PC, you need to set up Internet connection sharing on that computer as well. Click "Start | Control Panel | Network and Internet | Internet Options." Click the "Connections" tab, and then click "Never dial a connection." Click "LAN Settings" to launch the LAN Settings window. Under the Automatic Configuration heading, deselect the check boxes for "Automatically detect settings" and "Use automatic configuration script." Under the Proxy Server heading, deselect the "Use a proxy server for your LAN" check box. Click "OK" when you are finished.
iPhone and iPad
1. Touch the “Settings” icon on the home screen of your iPhone or iPad.
2. Touch “General,” and then tap "Network."
3. Touch the “Personal Hotspot” button to toggle it from “Off” to “On," if necessary.
4. Tap the “Turn on Bluetooth” button to enable Internet sharing via Bluetooth.
5. Pair your other device to your iPhone or iPad.
Android Devices
1. Touch the "Settings" application.
2. Touch "Wireless & Networks" and select "Tethering & Portable Hotspot."
3. Tap the "Bluetooth Tethering" check box to enable Bluetooth Internet sharing on your Android device.
4. Pair the other Bluetooth device to your Android device.
WiFi Chat – Find & Chat With Friends Over A WiFi Network [Android]
Have you ever imagined making an extensive use of the WiFi of your Android device and turn it into an online friend finder? It might sound a bit odd but with WiFi Chat, you can now find people that are present around the same WiFi access point as yours and indulge in a friendly chit-chat with them. This amazing app from Coldbeans works quite smoothly and serves as a readily available chatting platform for the users. With WiFi Chat, you can share stories, gossips and pleasantries with your friends and strangers alike without having to send text messages over your mobile network.
Instant messaging has always been the mainstay of web usage. Right from the days of AIM to Google Hangouts, people have shown lots of reverence for IM platforms. The trends only seems to be gaining even more popularity with the reach of smartphones and tablets to masses. The problem, however, remains that most of the IM apps require you to be hooked to the internet in order to poke, nudge and chat with your close ones. In such a situation, a solution that doesn’t demand an active internet connection, but only requires you to connected to a nearby Wi-Fi network. WiFi Chat automatically detects any active WiFi connections around you and enables you to sign in to the respective service with a preferred username. WiFi Chat also connects you to the developer’s website where you can create new forums and share the topics of your liking with other people across the globe (just like in case of real time web-based forums).Discussion forums are a welcome addition in their own respect however, it is the app’s ability to connect and chat with the people in and around your premises (sharing the same WiFi connection) that makes it stand out. There is no restriction on the number of users that can be added to a particular network. So, sitting in a restaurant, you can make as many new friends over your WiFi connection as you like, provided they too have the app installed on their Android devices.The app automatically scans all the available wireless connections around your device upon initiation. However, there is also an option to manually scan for the WiFi connections for the convenience of the users. All in all, WiFi chat is surely worth a try. There are no obvious bugs/glitches present in this version and most importantly, it is free and contains no ads. Download WiFi Chat for Android Free wifi when you're out and about. O2 Wifi automatic connection. All O2 customers (with a compatible device and O2 sim) can now use our automatic wifi service. And you don’t even need to register. http://www.o2.co.uk/connectivity/free-wifi
WiFi Phone Calls,Chat,SMS,Talk. All of my other apps work on that wifi, ... AD Wi-Fi call and text for Rockwell Collins ARINCDirect Customers .
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.onePhone&hl=en
UK wi-fi: guide
Need broadband internet access on the go or where a fixed line is unavailable? Wi-fi is for you.As our need to get online has grown and, not coincidentally, mobile data services have faced an unprecedented capacity crunch and soaring prices, UK wi-fi access has come on leaps and bounds.According to The Cloud, the use of free wi-fi services was three times higher in 2012 than in 2011.
Finding free and cheap wi-fi
Free and cheap wi-fi is all around: you just have to know where to look.
Many commercial premises offer internet access for free to their paying customers, in the case of national chains often through big networks like The Cloud and O2 wi-fi, although how far an establishment will let you stretch the definition of 'paying customer' varies.
For those who want to use a wi-fi hotspot on a regular basis it's usually much easier to bite the bullet and subscribe to a package from one of the biggest providers: BT Wi-fi.
BT wi-fi
BT wi-fi (formally known as BT Openzone) has more than 4.5 million wi-fi hotspots throughout the UK and Ireland, plus another 3 million overseas through BT Fon. BT has also teamed up with a number of brands to provide internet access in public places.
The vast majority of BT wi-fi hotspots are broadcast by normal BT Broadband customers via their BT Home Hub wireless routers and the second biggest slice are similarly broadcast by BT business broadband users. BT wi-fi hotspots have increased by 40% in the last year alone.
As a result, coverage is generally good but there are few guarantees.
To be sure of finding a good wi-fi signal it can be worth trying the few thousand official BT wi-fi hotspots installed in cafes, hotels, airports and motorway service stations or the 13 big hotspots covering whole city centres.
Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Leeds, Liverpool, Newcastle, Nottingham, Portsmouth, Sheffield, Waltham Forest and Westminster are also known as 'wireless cities', as they all have BT wi-fi city centres.
Vouchers and packages
BT wi-fi access is free for BT broadband customers.
They just use their normal BT login to gain access. Our review into BT broadband has more information: Free BT wi-fi and other extras
In addition to the router, provided free, other services come bundled that aren't often provided by other ISPs.
All BT customers can use the BT Wi-fi hotspot network (formally BT Openzone), the UK's largest, free, by logging in with their BT username and password when they're out and about.
While other providers have switched to a line rental only model, BT have recently moved back to offering all new customers weekend calls included as standard - although those with a capped data product have fewer upgrade options if that's not enough.
Users also get free BT Cloud secure online storage, to back up files.
With the exception of those signing up for a capped deal, the allowances are much more generous than they were previously. Until July 2016 most users were allocated 5GB; now that's only the case for new capped deal customers.
Existing customers with unlimited Broadband (17Mb) and Unlimited Infinity 1 now get 100GB; Unlimited Infinity 2 customers get 500GB of space.
The point here is that while BT broadband deals might not seem like the cheapest around, the extra cost isn't just because of the brand name. There are real benefits included in every package.
Those that aren't BT home broadband customers must pay for access either with a voucher or on a PAYG basis.
Pre-pay vouchers are much better value for money and cost from £4 for an hour to £39 for 30 days.
There's even a contract available for £15 a month.
The Cloud
The Cloud, owned by BSkyB, is the UK's biggest high street wi-fi provider, and operates throughout Europe as well.
The UK's Cloud hotspots are usually privately owned by businesses. Branches of Pizza Express, Pret A Manger, McDonald's, Punch Taverns, Marriott Hotels and numerous train stations (see below for links to locations) all use The Cloud, for example.
Connecting to The Cloud
The Cloud offer an Android FastConnect app for quicker connection.
Users register once in order to be automatically connected to Cloud hotspots so that they don't need to sign in to each location.
Note that the Nintendo 3DS will automatically connect to The Cloud, provided that users download and install the 3DS internet browser.
There is no cost to access The Cloud hotspots because the companies offering the network absorb the cost. Head to The Cloud's hotspot finder to find the nearest one.
O2
Since selling The Cloud to Sky in January 2011, O2 have promised to bring a huge, totally free wi-fi network to the UK.
So far, however, free O2 hotspots seem to mainly be limited to 450 O2-owned sites, mainly the provider's stores, and some big national chains like McDonald's, Harvester and Costa Coffee.
Expansion to 15,000 sites is planned for the end of 2013.
Take a look at the Find a Hotspot page to check for availability near you.
Local hotspots
Both the two wi-fi hotspot providers above and the many other local providers, businesses and councils offering wi-fi for free, can be hard to locate, however.
Here are some ways to find them.
· Jiwire Hotspot Finder is available online or as a free app on both Android and iOS platforms. Search options include street address, postcode, provider and proximity.
· iPass Hotspot Finder can be accessed online or via their app (see picture) and allows you to find hotspots all around the world. You can search via venue name, town or postcode or allow it to track your location and find the nearest hotspot to you.
· Myhotspots is an impartial website which gives a fairly exhaustive account of wi-fi hotspots across the UK.
· Hotspot Locations lists everything from commercial and non-commercial community networks to private hotspots.
· For the best hotspot finders when you're not in the UK have a look at our guide to getting online abroad here.
As we noted above, some of the UK's biggest high street names provide free wi-fi access to their customers, provided you buy something.
If you pop in and set yourself up without looking likely to even purchase a coffee, be prepared for some dodgy looks from the staff.
Here are just some of the companies offering wi-fi to their customers and links to maps for your nearest participating branches:
· Costa
None of these appeal?
If these free wi-fi options seem like an awful lot of hassle there are some more personal alternatives.
Tethering: a very local hotspot
One option is turning your 3G or 4G enabled phone into a modem that emits a wi-fi signal just like a very local hotspot.
Most smartphones and some networks allow their users to generate wi-fi like this fairly easily: see our guide to tethering mobile phones for more on how to do it.
Mobile broadband
Finally, of course, there is mobile broadband through a USB dongle, external modem or microSIM for iPads or other tablets.
Compare deals and get more information over here.
The future of free wi-fi
Virgin free wi-fi for all
From the Olympics up until the beginning of February 2013, Virgin Media offered free wi-fi in many London tube stations.
Now, users have to pay: from £2 a day to £15 for a month.
However, the ISP also has free wi-fi ambitions. In a bid to challenge the BT Wi-fi and the O2 wi-fi network, their vision is to install a wi-fi router in every side street cabinet which would then provide local homes and businesses with access to the company's network.
Like BT Wi-fi, much of that will run off excess wireless provided by existing Virgin Media customers.
Also like BT, Virgin Media plans to offer an extra break for its broadband customers.
The network would be open to anyone at relatively low speeds of 0.5Mb, but subscribers of its home wi-fi could see speeds of up to 10Mb.
"This is to solve a real problem [and] we've got the best fibre network in the country that could help meet it," Virgin Media's brilliantly titled Director of Advanced Technology Kevin Baughan said.
"This isn't about building broad coverage, it's about giving you fast, predictable, access where you need it" Baughan further added.
While Virgin started 'actively exploring' the idea more than three years ago, we have yet to see any concrete developments though.
If you don't have one of those locations around, though—or if you can't stand the smell of coffee—it's time to turn to a hotspot database like WeFi. They have a huge list of over 100 million Wi-Fi hotspots around the world, including rural areas you might not expect. They've also got apps for iPhone and Android, so you're never without a search engine to find yourself a connection.
When Windows' built-in Wi-Fi network detector isn't cutting it, download the free NetStumbler to get a detailed listing of available networks listed by channel, signal strength, and security type, including "hidden" SSID's your PC might not detect otherwise.
On the Mac, iStumbler is the free scanner application of choice. iStumbler offers an informative table of nearby hotspots, including their names, security mechanism, channel, signal and noise percentages, and MAC addresses. iStumbler hasn't been updated in a long time, and it didn't work as well as it used to on Leopard on my Snow Leopard installation. For a pay-for alternative to iStumbler, check out AirRadar ($16/license, free trial available).
On the iPhone, I got the best results from JiWire's Free Wi-Fi Finder, which searches areas by zip code or your current location. (You can also use the mobile JiWire webapp at iphone.jiwire.com.) Other iPhone Wi-Fi scanner apps include WifiTrack ($1) and WiFiFoFum ($3).
On Windows Mobile, WiFiFoFum is available
Webapps
Installable applications aside, if you've got a smartphone with internet access, several webapps will search an area to help you find a Wi-Fi hotspot for your laptop, including:
Bookmark those in your mobile browser for future reference.
Here's the bad news: A new, free, open-source tool called Reaver exploits a security hole in wireless routers and can crack most routers' current passwords with relative ease. Here's how to crack a WPA or WPA2 password, step by step, with Reaver—and how to protect your network against Reaver attacks.
You don't have to be a networking wizard to use Reaver, the command-line tool that does the heavy lifting, and if you've got a blank DVD, a computer with compatible Wi-Fi, and a few hours on your hands, you've got basically all you'll need. There are a number of ways you could set up Reaver, but here are the specific requirements for this guide:
· The BackTrack 5 Live DVD. BackTrack is a bootable Linux distribution that's filled to the brim with network testing tools, and while it's not strictly required to use Reaver, it's the easiest approach for most users. Download the Live DVD from BackTrack's download page and burn it to a DVD. You can alternately download a virtual machine image if you're using VMware, but if you don't know what VMware is, just stick with the Live DVD. As of this writing, that means you should select BackTrack 5 R3 from the Release drop-down, select Gnome, 32- or 64-bit depending on your CPU (if you don't know which you have, 32 is a safe bet), ISO for image, and then download the ISO.
· A computer with Wi-Fi and a DVD drive. BackTrack will work with the wireless card on most laptops, so chances are your laptop will work fine. However, BackTrack doesn't have a full compatibility list, so no guarantees. You'll also need a DVD drive, since that's how you'll boot into BackTrack. I used a six-year-old MacBook Pro.
· A nearby WPA-secured Wi-Fi network. Technically, it will need to be a network using WPA security with the WPS feature enabled. I'll explain in more detail in the "How Reaver Works" section how WPS creates the security hole that makes WPA cracking possible.
· A little patience. This is a 4-step process, and while it's not terribly difficult to crack a WPA password with Reaver, it's a brute-force attack, which means your computer will be testing a number of different combinations of cracks on your router before it finds the right one. When I tested it, Reaver took roughly 2.5 hours to successfully crack my password. The Reaver home page suggests it can take anywhere from 4-10 hours. Your mileage may vary.
Let's Get Crackin'
At this point you should have BackTrack burned to a DVD, and you should have your laptop handy.
Step 1: Boot into BackTrack
To boot into BackTrack, just put the DVD in your drive and boot your machine from the disc. (Google around if you don't know anything about live CDs/DVDs and need help with this part.) During the boot process, BackTrack will prompt you to to choose the boot mode. Select "BackTrack Text - Default Boot Text Mode" and press Enter.
Eventually BackTrack will boot to a command line prompt. When you've reached the prompt, type startx and press Enter. BackTrack will boot into its graphical interface.
Step 2: Install Reaver
Update: This step is no longer necessary, as Reaver comes pre-installed on Backtrack 5 R3. Skip down to Step 3.
Reaver has been added to the bleeding edge version of BackTrack, but it's not yet incorporated with the live DVD, so as of this writing, you need to install Reaver before proceeding. (Eventually, Reaver will simply be incorporated with BackTrack by default.) To install Reaver, you'll first need to connect to a Wi-Fi network that you have the password to.
1. Click Applications > Internet > Wicd Network Manager
2. Select your network and click Connect, enter your password if necessary, click OK, and then click Connect a second time.
Now that you're online, let's install Reaver. Click the Terminal button in the menu bar (or click Applications > Accessories > Terminal). At the prompt, type:
apt-get update
And then, after the update completes:
apt-get install reaver
If all went well, Reaver should now be installed. It may seem a little lame that you need to connect to a network to do this, but it will remain installed until you reboot your computer. At this point, go ahead and disconnect from the network by opening Wicd Network Manager again and clicking Disconnect. (You may not strictly need to do this. I did just because it felt like I was somehow cheating if I were already connected to a network.)
Step 3: Gather Your Device Information, Prep Your Crackin'
In order to use Reaver, you need to get your wireless card's interface name, the BSSID of the router you're attempting to crack (the BSSID is a unique series of letters and numbers that identifies a router), and you need to make sure your wireless card is in monitor mode. So let's do all that.
Find your wireless card: Inside Terminal, type:
iwconfig
Press Enter. You should see a wireless device in the subsequent list. Most likely, it'll be named wlan0, but if you have more than one wireless card, or a more unusual networking setup, it may be named something different.
Put your wireless card into monitor mode: Assuming your wireless card's interface nameis wlan0, execute the following command to put your wireless card into monitor mode:
airmon-ng start wlan0
This command will output the name of monitor mode interface, which you'll also want to make note of. Most likely, it'll be mon0,
Find the BSSID of the router you want to crack: Lastly, you need to get the unique identifier of the router you're attempting to crack so that you can point Reaver in the right direction. To do this, execute the following command:
airodump-ng wlan0
(Note: If airodump-ng wlan0 doesn't work for you, you may want to try the monitor interface instead—e.g., airodump-ng mon0.)
You'll see a list of the wireless networks in range
When you see the network you want, press Ctrl+C to stop the list from refreshing, then copy that network's BSSID (it's the series of letters, numbers, and colons on the far left). The network should have WPA or WPA2 listed under the ENC column. (If it's WEP,
When you see the network you want, press Ctrl+C to stop the list from refreshing, then copy that network's BSSID (it's the series of letters, numbers, and colons on the far left). The network should have WPA or WPA2 listed under the ENC column. (If it's WEP, use our previous guide to cracking WEP passwords.)
Now, with the BSSID and monitor interface name in hand, you've got everything you need to start up Reaver.
Step 4: Crack a Network's WPA Password with Reaver
Now execute the following command in the Terminal, replacing bssid and moninterface with the BSSID and monitor interface and you copied down above:
reaver -i moninterface -b bssid -vv
For example, if your monitor interface was mon0 like mine, and your BSSID was 8D:AE:9D:65:1F:B2 (a BSSID I just made up), your command would look like:P
reaver -i mon0 -b 8D:AE:9D:65:1F:B2 -vv
Press Enter, sit back, and let Reaver work its disturbing magic. Reaver will now try a series of PINs on the router in a brute force attack, one after another. This will take a while. In my successful test, Reaver took 2 hours and 30 minutes to crack the network and deliver me with the correct password. As mentioned above, the Reaver documentation says it can take between 4 and 10 hours, so it could take more or less time than I experienced, depending. When Reaver's cracking has completed,
A few important factors to consider:Reaver worked exactly as advertised in my test, but it won't necessarily work on all routers (see more below). Also, the router you're cracking needs to have a relatively strong signal, so if you're hardly in range of a router, you'll likely experience problems, and Reaver may not work. Throughout the process, Reaver would sometimes experience a timeout, sometimes get locked in a loop trying the same PIN repeatedly, and so on. I just let it keep on running, and kept it close to the router, and eventually it worked its way through.
Also of note, you can also pause your progress at any time by pressing Ctrl+C while Reaver is running. This will quit the process, but Reaver will save any progress so that next time you run the command, you can pick up where you left off-as long as you don't shut down your computer (which, if you're running off a live DVD, will reset everything).
How Reaver Works
Now that you've seen how to use Reaver, let's take a quick overview of how Reaver works. The tool takes advantage of a vulnerability in something called Wi-Fi Protected Setup, or WPS. It's a feature that exists on many routers, intended to provide an easy setup process, and it's tied to a PIN that's hard-coded into the device. Reaver exploits a flaw in these PINs; the result is that, with enough time, it can reveal your WPA or WPA2 password.
How to Protect Yourself Against Reaver Attacks
Since the vulnerability lies in the implementation of WPS, your network should be safe if you can simply turn off WPS (or, even better, if your router doesn't support it in the first place). Unfortunately, as Gallagher points out as Ars, even with WPS manually turned off through his router's settings, Reaver was still able to crack his password.
In a phone conversation, Craig Heffner said that the inability to shut this vulnerability down is widespread. He and others have found it to occur with every Linksys and Cisco Valet wireless access point they've tested. "On all of the Linksys routers, you cannot manually disable WPS," he said. While the Web interface has a radio button that allegedly turns off WPS configuration, "it's still on and still vulnerable
So that's kind of a bummer. You may still want to try disabling WPS on your router if you can, and test it against Reaver to see if it helps.
You could also set up MAC address filtering on your router (which only allows specifically whitelisted devices to connect to your network), but a sufficiently savvy hacker could detect the MAC address of a whitelisted device and use MAC address spoofing to imitate that computer.
Double bummer. So what will work?
I have the open-source router firmware DD-WRT installed on my router and I was unable to use Reaver to crack its password. As it turns out, DD-WRT does not support WPS, so there's yet another reason to love the free router-booster. If that's got you interested in DD-WRT, check their supported devices list to see if your router's supported. It's a good security upgrade, and DD-WRT can also do cool things like monitor your internet usage, set up a network hard drive, act as a whole-house ad blocker, boost the range of your Wi-Fi network, and more. It essentially turns your £60 router into a £600 router.
Further Reading
Thanks to this post on Mauris Tech Blog for a very straightforward starting point for using Reaver. If you're interested in reading more, see:P
· This Linux-centric guide from Null Byte
· The Reaver product page (it's also available in a point-and-click friendly commercial version.
Reddit user jagermo (who I also spoke with briefly while researching Reaver) has created a public spreadsheat intended to build a list of vulnerable devices so you can check to see if your router is susceptible to a Reaver crack.
Wi-Fi Finder is simply the best app for finding free or paid public Wi-Fi hotspots online or offline—perfect for ...
Wi-Fi-FreeSpot
This directory is geared toward free hotspots. (Some of these otherwise free locations may require a store purchase, however.) Worldwide listings are organized both geographically and by business type.
The Hotspot Haven
Hotspot Haven offers a large directory with clickable maps. Search by address and by​ a service provider. A user rating service allows customers to score and rank the quality of these hotspots.
WiFinder
WiFinder is a privately held company that indexes hotspots worldwide. WiFinder can be searched by location and by protocol type
Wireless networking has taken off in a huge way in the UK; there are now more wireless "hotspots" here than in any other European country. Sadly, in many places wireless access comes at a premium rate; the services offered at Starbucks and Costa coffee cost an exorbitant £5.50 and £6 per hour respectively- a good deal more than you'd pay in an internet cafe.
Some have side-stepped this expense by logging themselves onto just any wireless networks that they can get near, but this can take a bit of expertise, and more importantly, it's legally dodgy.
However, there are more and more completely free wireless hotspots springing up around the country, and free website directories which find and review them. Currently, the three best sites for locating free hotspots are:
· Jiwire
· Wififree
Just search for your area on these sites and see what they come up with. These directories may prove invaluable to business travellers, as well as those just looking to take in some nice scenery while checking emails.
Anything else I should know?
To make use of wireless hotspots you'll need to make sure that your laptop is equipped with either in-built wireless support, or a wireless PCMCIA card. It may also be worthwhile to use an antenna if you consistently find low signal strength.
You should be careful with secure information when using public networks; don't give out your credit/debit card details or any other sensitive info. And definitely don't leave your equipment alone at any time.
The sites above (particularly Jiwire) are also useful for reviews and info about going wireless. it's worth doing the following if you are accessing wireless hotspots
http://www.microsoft.com/atwork/stayconnected/hotspots.mspx
Stay Secure When Using Your Mobile PC in Public Hotspots
Hotspots in public places usually don't provide any type of security. It's your responsibility to take the necessary precautions to ensure a safe connection to your corporate network or to the Internet. Here are some steps you can take.
•Install a firewall. A firewall helps protect your mobile PC by preventing unauthorized users from gaining access to your computer through the Internet or a network. It acts as a barrier that checks any information coming from the Internet or a network, and then either blocks the information or allows it to pass through to your computer. Microsoft Windows XP includes a firewall that you simply need to turn on. If you're running Microsoft Windows XP Service Pack 2, Windows Firewall is turned on by default for all network and Internet connections.
Disable file and printer sharing: File and printer sharing is a feature that enables other computers on a network to access resources on your computer. When using your mobile PC in a hotspot, it's best to disable file and printer sharing because when enabled, it leaves your computer vulnerable to hackers. Remember, though, to turn this feature back on when you return to the office.
To disable file and printer sharing:
1. Click Start, and then click Control Panel.
2.In Control Panel, click Security Center.
3.In the Security Center window, click Windows Firewall.
4.In the Windows Firewall dialog box, click the Exceptions tab.
5.On the Exceptions tab, under Programs and Services, clear the File and Printer Sharing check box and then click OK.
•Make your folders private.
When the folders on your mobile PC are private, it's more difficult for hackers to access your files.
To make a folder private:
1.Click Start, and then click My Computer.
2.In the My Computer window, double-click the drive where Windows is installed, and then double-click Documents and Settings.
3.Double-click your user folder, right-click the folder that you want to make private, and then click Properties.
4.In the Properties dialog box, on the Sharing tab, click Do not share this folder, and then click OK.
5.Repeat the steps above for each folder that you want to make private