The laptop does all of the work for you. There is no reason to avert your eyes from the road while driving. Always pay attention to the road. If something happens on the system, find a safe place and stop before trying to use the laptop. Don’t let a computer crash turn into a car crash.

Disconnect cables that may get in your way before entering and exiting the car at pit stops. Cables have a way of finding human appendages. One frantic exit at the Quick Stop can pull cables loose, never to connect again.

You will be surprised where wireless networks appear. And you will be even more surprised when the names people have chosen for their network SSID comes across your screen. Be prepared for the humorous, laughable, obscene, and bizarre.

A remarkable number of access points are using the default configuration. Many people buy an AP and just plug it in. Since most APs are designed to work out of the box, people just leave them at the minimum configuration. The results of your war driving will reveal apparent default configurations. Compare what you find with the SSIDs listed in Table 5-3. If the SSID is the default, it’s a good chance the owner just plugged in the new AP and left it that way.

The message boards on Netstumbler.com have many threads on the SSIDs, war drivers have discovered. This is by far the most interesting social aspect revealed by war driving.

While war driving, you will discover that about 30 percent of the networks recorded have WEP Encryption enabled. This 30/70 “rule” has been evident since the earliest war driving results were posted online. A default SSID that is not WEP-enabled is almost surely a default configuration.

There is no set rule of where to find the best locations. Since wireless networks are used everywhere, the best locations are, well, everywhere! Here are some simple tips to help keep you on your way:

A huge number of networks are “wide open,” meaning you could jump onto the network and surf the Web, check e-mail, or access computers on that WLAN. This tactic is ill-advised and probably illegal. Even if the “door is open,” it may still be considered a crime to use a network without permission.

Be sure to get permission from the network owner before trying to use any resources on that network, including the Internet. Disable the TCP/IP interface on your computer to avoid accidentally associating with a network.

Although few laws or court cases approach the subject, war driving is generally considered lawful (by non-lawyer war drivers) since it does not intrude upon network resources or cause monetary loss. The fuzzy gray line of legality appears when resources are tapped. However, there are actions that are certainly illegal. Be a good neighbor and look but don’t touch.

This chapter has introduced the enlightening and entertaining hobby of war driving.With the basics covered here, you should be ready to choose a Wi-Fi adapter, war driving software, GPS, and antenna to install into a car and be ready to go on a war drive.

There are plenty of options available depending on the equipment you have handy, but the essence is clear. Load some software and take a drive. This is such a new phenomenon that you will be one of the few who have first-hand access to wireless usage in your neighborhood. Not only that, it’s fun to go on a drive and see the invisible wireless waves. Read on to Chapter 6, “War Driving with NetStumbler”, for an in-depth look at NetStumbler in action. NetStumbler is more than a war driving software. Learn about its easy-to-use features and interface in the next chapter.