Privacy on Public WiFi

Stephen Partington cryptworks at gmail.com
Mon Jun 10 07:54:53 MST 2019


This is exactly what VPN is designed for.

The reason public wifi is insecure is that it is shared among everyone. Now
if you could build your router to prevent anyone from talking to each other
and just the outside world that would have your desired effect. Or maybe a
partnership with a VPN provider.

On Sun, Jun 9, 2019 at 9:13 PM trent shipley <trent.shipley at gmail.com>
wrote:

> A while ago I was at the downtown Scottsdale public library with my
> computer.  They had open, public WiFi--which I was NOT going to use.  I
> tried to use my mobile phone data, but the reception inside the building
> was Terrible!
>
> It seems like the problem of insecure public WiFi should be surmountable.
>
> How hard would it be do develop technology that puts a key on a $1 or $2
> USB, that you buy (put a deposit on) at the reception desk (or from a
> machine).  You also get an FOSS app.  The app takes the key on the cheap
> USB and securely logs you into the library's (or Starbucks) public WiFi.
> The library determines how long the key(s) on the USB is (are) good for.
>
> When you're done.  You turn the little USB in for your deposit.  The
> library wipes the usb clean, puts another key on the usb, and vends it
> again.
>
> 1) Does this exist at "trivial" cost to the WiFi user?
> 2) If not, how feasible is it?
> 3) If it does not exist, and is feasible, who would be interested in this
> as a project with a goal of a demo install at a local library, non-profit
> coffee house, etc. and RFC?
>
> Trent
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-- 
A mouse trap, placed on top of your alarm clock, will prevent you from
rolling over and going back to sleep after you hit the snooze button.

Stephen
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