ProxyHam lets you anonymously connect to public Wi-Fi from 2.5 miles away

Shawn Knight

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device connect anonymously miles internet wi-fi security privacy tor vpn wireless internet edward snowden anonymously proxyham benjamin caudill hardware proxy

Remaining anonymous online is a tough task these days. The Tor network and VPNs are popular choices among journalists, activists, whistleblowers and criminals but even these solutions aren’t entirely bulletproof.

For those wishing to add an extra layer of anonymity to their online life, a new device created by security researcher Benjamin Caudill could be just what the doctor ordered.

It’s called the ProxyHam. It’s more or less a hardware proxy that allows the ultra paranoid to connect to a public Wi-Fi hotspot from a distance of up to 2.5 miles away.

ProxyHam consists of two separate devices. The first is a box housing a Raspberry Pi, a trio of 900MHz antennas and a Wi-Fi card which remains at the source of the public Wi-Fi. On the opposite end is another 900MHz antenna used to receive the signal.

Caudill said he considers ProxyHam to be the last or worse case scenario, the absolute fallback plan if everything else fails. It's best used in conjunction with other measures like Tor or a VPN.

ProxyHam will be showcased at the Def Con hacking conference in Las Vegas next month. Caudill said he plans to sell the device at cost for $200. Optionally, interested parties can build their own as Caudill will release the source code, blueprints and hardware list needed to construct it.

Future revisions will include additional features like a self-destruct mode and a system to record audio of the last few seconds before the device destructs. Caudill also wants to make the device smaller so it’d be easier to hide.

Image courtesy Benjamin Caudill

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And no one at the local starbucks is going to find a wireless device plugged into the outlet there suspicious ?

Even worse, if they play it smart and alert authorities and they come jack directly into your public device they have every bit you send/receive without you even knowing about it.

What they should be doing instead is marketing this as a home wifi booster to get proper wireless coverage at home or something useful.
 
And no one at the local starbucks is going to find a wireless device plugged into the outlet there suspicious ?

Even worse, if they play it smart and alert authorities and they come jack directly into your public device they have every bit you send/receive without you even knowing about it.

What they should be doing instead is marketing this as a home wifi booster to get proper wireless coverage at home or something useful.

Because you could get one of those power plug wifi extenders for cheaper?

I am actually more interested in how this thing has a range of 2.5 miles without losing packets.
 
Because you could get one of those power plug wifi extenders for cheaper?

I am actually more interested in how this thing has a range of 2.5 miles without losing packets.

Powerline AV really doesn't work well, I've used multiple kits of the years and they slow down/stop working and generally just don't work as advertised.

2.5miles is nothing for 900mhz, and of course there is packet loss - its wifi after all but it just handles it with re-transmits etc.
That assumes very little obstacles in the way, if you are going through 4 concrete skyscrapers your mileage will vary.
 
And no one at the local starbucks is going to find a wireless device plugged into the outlet there suspicious ?

Even worse, if they play it smart and alert authorities and they come jack directly into your public device they have every bit you send/receive without you even knowing about it.

What they should be doing instead is marketing this as a home wifi booster to get proper wireless coverage at home or something useful.
trust me, nobody at starbucks even knows what a router is.
 
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