WiGLE.net

Looking at the stats, I see that everyone else has (like me) many networks discovered that we didn't have GPS info for. I started wardriving with a fairly nice Garmin GPS16, just a magnetic hockey puck with a power/serial connection. After it died, I started using a cheapie Garmin Etrex, which seems to work well.

Should I try to get a better GPS? Beyond the obvious of making sure the physical power/data/antenna connections are secure, and the device has a clear view of the sky what can we do to improve GPS performance?

Do you have waas enabled? I'm assuming you do. Before I had waas I would miss a lot of gps coordinates. With my current Garmin Etrex I 'll usually get locks on all coordinates. Sometimes I'll miss six or seven. The worst was 2,738 networks discovered and 2675 with gps. What's happening with you?

Wazaaa and toyotadood definitely need new gps units.

We all know how imperative it is to have wireless cards with external antenna connectors. How many of you have external antennas for gps?

There are several modes of thought on this.

1. Buy an expensive GPS... that must make all things better (not necessarily true)
2. Buy an inexpensive GPS, and it will do what I need for most of the drives, but risk the chance of inaccurate coords or missed coords.
3. Come up with a method to use most GPS devices and even if something is missed... why not figure out a method to interpolate the missed coordinates.

Personally, I like #3. In fact, I have tried it, and it works well. I use a "hockey puck" GPS for most things, and coming up with methods to interpolate missed data points really helps with mapping missed network coords. Is it 100% accurate when this happens?... probably not, but as all of us are aware... wardriving has never been 100% accurate unless you buy some pretty expensive equipment and a tractor-trailer to create a traveling triangulation lab for pinpointing network locations.

The end goal is not to pinpoint with 100% accuracy... the end point is to identify the existence of the networks with location proximity being "accurate enough" for our use.

I must say that I miss my old weatherproof Garmin GPS35 it wasnt WAAS but it was a mag mount with a 30 second persistance that help reduce the drops.

This LT20 looses signal every time that my laptop changes power modes. even if I simply go from AC to battery. It claims that it supports WAAS but Ive never seen it use it and the USB to Serial port repeater software causes NS to constantly report GPS Timeouts.

I must say that I like my old Streets and trips software better than the Delorme Mapping program too even though that has recent road data.


Not sure what I'll get next though I might try to RMA the Garmin.

Looking at the stats, I see that everyone else has (like me) many networks discovered that we didn't have GPS info for.

I always thought the 'total networks' was a count of all the different networks the wardriver has logged, and one (major) reason of networks logged but not seen as new ones is that another wardriver logged those earlier.

Looking at the stats, I see that everyone else has (like me) many networks discovered that we didn't have GPS info for.

I always thought the 'total networks' was a count of all the different networks the wardriver has logged, and one (major) reason of networks logged but not seen as new ones is that another wardriver logged those earlier.

The number is a combination of both. If you do a DB query for networks you discovered which have 0.000 for lat and longitude you can see how many of your new points have no GPS data, for whatever reason.

If at a later time, another Wiggle User sees one of the non-GPS'd APs then that AP will now show under the With GPS column in your stats. By default, positioning in the stats is based off of "With GPS" AP locations.

I was basing this question, mostly on seeing my own uploads. For example, yesterday I uploaded some logs. The column for New Networks Discovered with GPS is one number, and in the column for Total New Discovered Networks _often_ is the same number, but occasionally is higher, leading me to think that my GPS is losing signal or glitching.

I first used a Garmin GPS-16, which was a magmount rooftop unit. Planted in the center of the roof, I worked well (and was WAAS). In recent years, I have been using a cheapier Etrex pushed far ahead on the dashboard. My driving now is temporary and in differing vehicles, I can not really have a permanent setup. This is a convenient way to use it in different vehicles. I know this is not optimum, approximately 3/4 of the sky is shaded, but I usually have GPSdrive running at the same time, and it always shows at least half a dozen satellites.

I was basing this question, mostly on seeing my own uploads. For example, yesterday I uploaded some logs. The column for New Networks Discovered with GPS is one number, and in the column for Total New Discovered Networks _often_ is the same number, but occasionally is higher, leading me to think that my GPS is losing signal or glitching.

The better place to look is the Uploads page, that breaks out each file uploaded and stats for seen and missed networks for your particular run. that will show a clear indication when sites are missed for lack of GPS data. it will also help you if you want to massage your missing data back. eg, a site missing data is logged at the same second that a site with GPS data is. I usually just paste over the coordinates from the second site, since even going 60 I'm within the margin of GPS positional error.

Doing this will bring your main stats closer to aligment, even though the upload page wont show new coordinates in a file with fixes, the change will appear on the main stats page.

Excellent idea, thanks. When I am dropping GPS, the ones I miss are indeed adjacent. I do more driving on highways than I do slowly, and I know I am missing a lot anyway. I need to get the second card/antenna combo working again with Kismet.

Excellent idea, thanks. When I am dropping GPS, the ones I miss are indeed adjacent. I do more driving on highways than I do slowly, and I know I am missing a lot anyway. I need to get the second card/antenna combo working again with Kismet.

Driving slower will help though. Depending on AP density, between 25 and 40 with a single card seems to work well for me.

I'm going an odd route with my planned kismet box. Some dell docking stations take 2 PCI cards. so I need to find a couple of those adapters....

Excellent idea, thanks. When I am dropping GPS, the ones I miss are indeed adjacent. I do more driving on highways than I do slowly, and I know I am missing a lot anyway. I need to get the second card/antenna combo working again with Kismet.

Driving slower will help though. Depending on AP density, between 25 and 40 with a single card seems to work well for me.

I'm going an odd route with my planned kismet box. Some dell docking stations take 2 PCI cards. so I need to find a couple of those adapters....

Do you mean pcmcia? Or does it use pci to mini pci adapter?

I'm looking for PCI cards that take multiple of miniPCI cards.

This is a Dell Lattitude C610 in a C-Dock-II. The docking station has 2 real 32bit PCI slots. You know the white ones like in a desktop? So if I can get multiple radios in that way, and then have one in the notebook, and then whatever I can put in the dual PCMCIA slots(though those may get too hot). Then just set the whole thing in the back of the truck attached to antennas. It wont be as elegant as the Janus box, but It will provide a use for the P3 1G notebook I foolishly cracked the screen on and I can VNC in. Also the whole kit (dock and notebook) run off of a 90w supply.

I'm going an odd route with my planned kismet box. Some dell docking stations take 2 PCI cards. so I need to find a couple of those adapters....

Do you mean pcmcia? Or does it use pci to mini pci adapter?

edit: I found some and put in a price request. depending on the pricing, would anyone else be interested in putting in a group order?
I'm getting technical specs and pricing for both the quad and oct port boards. yes, oct Minipci on a PCI slot. it looks henious. I only hope it fits other wise I'll be going with the quads.

This is were I got my pci to mini pci adapter.
http://www.embeddedworks.net/accessorie ... _mpic.html

Just remember you need to have enough power to run the cards.

This is a couple months old, but;
If you're driving down a road charting wireless, it's not going to make any difference how accurate your GPS is. You're on the road. The only way to get accurate is to drive up each and every driveway you think was a hit.

This is a couple months old, but;
If you're driving down a road charting wireless, it's not going to make any difference how accurate your GPS is. You're on the road. The only way to get accurate is to drive up each and every driveway you think was a hit.

That's pretty much what I do. To get better readings, I usually just drive on the sidewalks and through people's yards. If you can't ring the door bell without getting out of your car, you're not close enough.