Hacking the Hotel Cable Modem
May 22, 2007 | 1:46 pm
#16
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May 22, 2007 | 1:54 pm
#17
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May 22, 2007 | 2:00 pm
#18
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May 22, 2007 | 2:11 pm
#20
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Not always -- it depends on the billing software used by the hotel. I've never had to clone the MAC address, but sometimes I've had to initiate the transaction with the laptop hardwired and then connect the Linksys (or other wireless router -- I used to use a dLink). The Linksys (and dLink) have a "pass through" mode in which it just acts as a switch, rather than a router, and should permit activating an account without the hardwire step.
May 22, 2007 | 2:12 pm
#21
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May 22, 2007 | 3:25 pm
#23
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You will all be AMAZED at the time you save each and every time you check into a hotel if you get an EVDO wireless card. The cost is relatively minor if you pay for hotel internet more than ~6 times per month and it eliminates the need to figure out how to connect to each hotel's network.
Of course this only works in the USA, for the moment
I think Europe has EDGE but that is much slower and possibly more expensive.
Of course this only works in the USA, for the moment
I think Europe has EDGE but that is much slower and possibly more expensive.
Time: for the reasons you mention.
Money: for the reasons you mention (plus use in the charge-for airline clubs like Crown Room and Admiral's Club, as well as those airports where concourse use is charge for by the day).
Aggravation: some of the hotel systems block VPN and SSH connections (which also does in Webmail). I've recently been in a Towne Place Suites where this was the case, with no option for a public IP. Spent an hour plus on the phone with tech support and no resolution. That pushed me over the edge to an EvDO card.
So far, so good. I've got -49dBm of signal in the hotel (helps to be right behind the Sprint store), and -59 to -65 in the office I'm working in. But I stayed in a hotel in a rural area this weekend where 1xRTT was the choice - and the hotel free service was the only way to go.
May 22, 2007 | 3:25 pm
#24
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May 22, 2007 | 3:31 pm
#25
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I hate being tethered to the desk. The itty bitty LinkSys works well for me now.
May 22, 2007 | 4:29 pm
#26
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Although I see it mentioned...the simplest way for this is to simply set your router to a different MAC. You can chose one close to your laptop's (change just a couple of HEX values, but not the first three pairs) and you will be fine for these issues.
While you *could* in theory get into a situation where someone else is in the hotel with that bogus MAC address, it's a pretty unlikely happening. Even if you travel with co-workers who have similar laptops purchased at the same time.
Steve
While you *could* in theory get into a situation where someone else is in the hotel with that bogus MAC address, it's a pretty unlikely happening. Even if you travel with co-workers who have similar laptops purchased at the same time.
Steve
May 22, 2007 | 4:57 pm
#27
Join Date: Jul 2006
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Although I see it mentioned...the simplest way for this is to simply set your router to a different MAC. You can chose one close to your laptop's (change just a couple of HEX values, but not the first three pairs) and you will be fine for these issues.
While you *could* in theory get into a situation where someone else is in the hotel with that bogus MAC address, it's a pretty unlikely happening. Even if you travel with co-workers who have similar laptops purchased at the same time.
Steve
While you *could* in theory get into a situation where someone else is in the hotel with that bogus MAC address, it's a pretty unlikely happening. Even if you travel with co-workers who have similar laptops purchased at the same time.
Steve
May 22, 2007 | 5:17 pm
#28
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May 22, 2007 | 5:39 pm
#29
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Most hotels these days do good to get you checked in to the room you reserved and point the way to the elevator.