Wi-Fi range question

[hzrabbie]

I found my AP in the database listed at a location on a freeway 2 miles away from my house. I have a wimpy Linksys device that on a good day barely reaches to the next room. Can the signal really hop 2 miles? If a wardriver is cruising at 65mph, what sort of error can this introduce into the location coordinates?

[mentat]

Many of the wardrivers who upload, especially the top ones, use high gain directional (and omnidirectional) antennas with amps. The theoretical distance for dectection is in excess of 10 miles. Part of the beauty of passive wardriving is that one doesn't have to be able to actually talk to the AP to record it. All it has to do is see one packet. You are correct in observing that the accuracy of these readings becomes less the more sensitive the equipment and the faster the driver. Unless someone has done neighborhood to neighborhood driving in your area, your AP location is likely to be inaccurate. You'll see this reflected in the maps where there are huge denisities along interstates. This is clearly not because that is where the APs are, but rather where the driver was when the AP was observed (and usually there is only one observation of it).

[hratch]

Just 2 miles? there is definately hella-gain goin' on with a few of the submitters.


btw, who found it?