Unfinished Windows 7 Hotspot Feature Exploited

An anonymous reader writes with this excerpt from Engadget: "It wasn't all that long ago that Microsoft was talking up the Virtual WiFi feature developed by Microsoft Research and set for inclusion in Windows 7, but something got lost along the road to release day, and the functionality never officially made it into the OS. As you might expect with anything as big and complicated as an operating system though, some of that code did make it into the final release, and there was apparently enough of it for the folks at Nomadio to exploit into a full fledged feature. That's now become Connectify, a free application from the company that effectively turns any Windows 7 computer into a virtual WiFi hotspot — letting you, for instance, wirelessly tether a number of devices to your laptop at location where only an Ethernet jack is available, or even tether a number of laptops together at a coffee shop that charges for WiFi."

Wow

[Arcady13]

Just like I could do on a Mac with the included OS since 2001.

Re:Wow

[RichardDeVries]

Exactly. I can do this with Ubuntu, too.

Re:Wow

[sexconker]

Just like I could do on any recent Windows OS with ICS and wireless adapters, ethernet cables, bluetooth devices, or fucking firewire.

Re:Wow

[fedcb22]

Why set it up as adhoc? If you have a decent card you can put it into master mode and broadcast like an AP.

Re:just like.. internet sharing

[Anonymous Coward]

No. OSX does not allow you to use a single wireless card for both 1) connecting to a wireless network, and 2) broadcasting itself as a hotspot.

Windows has had Internet Sharing since the 90's (oh dear, did Apple not invent that feature?!). The new feature here is virtualizing the wireless card so it behaves as though it's two wireless cards. Try that on any version of OSX and let me know how it goes.

Re:just like.. internet sharing

[gabebear]

Is that similar to the Internet Connection Sharing that Windows has had since (at least) Windows 95?

Yes and no, Windows ICS is only DHCP/NAT software. OSX Internet Sharing also allows you to configure your Wifi card into access point mode. Connectify is promising to allow you to run Windows wifi cards in access-point mode WHILE using it in regular structured mode... which seems like a dubious claim. The makers of Connectify haven't yet listed which cards they are going to support.

In short

• Windows ICS is just a simple DHCP and NAT server
• OSX IS is a simple DHCP and NAT server, plus access-point mode supporting WEP
• Connectify claims to be a DHCP and NAT server, plus access-point mode supporting WPA, plus structured mode

Re:Wow

[maxume]

It's better than ICS, the host laptop shows up as an access point that the other laptops can connect to (in my experience, connecting to an access point is quite a lot easier than setting up an ad hoc network).

Re:just like.. internet sharing

[Useful Wheat]

Now slow down a minute.

My very first laptop that I purchased back in 2003 could do this, and it was running Windows XP. I used this feature almost every day in the dorms to put up a wireless network with Internet so that we could have some small lan parties. The Internet was a little slow with a huge group of people using a single connection, but it worked really well. This feature worked naively in Windows XP and didn't require an additional software or special tinkering, you just had link the Ethernet to the wireless port. It also worked in reverse (You just had to swap a check box), but I never had the opportunity to try it.

What this feature does (in addition to that) is reshare a wifi connection with a single wifi card. That way 1 person could pay for the wireless Internet, and then immediately reshare it on the same computer.

Just because you didn't know a windows machine could do it, doesn't mean it can't. Apple is not the foundation of all ideas when it comes to computers. Sometimes Microsoft gets something right too.

Re:Wow

[jim_v2000]

Your Mac will show up as an actual access point instead of an ad-hoc wireless network with ICS enabled? No, it won't. This is different then what Windows, OS X, and desktop Linux distros have been doing before.

Standard functionality...

[Nethemas the Great]

This has been standard and expected functionality in Linux for years; practically as long as wi-fi cards have been supported. Why the hell is this news? Microsoft didn't even complete the support, it's a third party hack... This is worse than the claim that Aero Glass was revolutionary.

Re:Wow

[Josh04]

Actually, it does. Loads of wireless cards are capable of being put in AP mode, which is not the same as ad-hoc. This is not different.

Re:Wow

[lwsimon]

No, ICS sets up an ad-hoc network. This sets the card into master mode *while simultaneously allowing you to send and recieve on another network*.

It really is pretty cool

Re:Wow

[CrashNBrn]

From TFA (reformatting/emphasis mine):

The resulting Connectify differs from ICS that Windows already supports via an "ad hoc" network connection, which lets several Windows computers share a single connection.
1) It shows up as a real wireless access point.
2) ICS returns to default settings every time you shut down a connection.
3) You can join another wireless network and still run the Connectify Hotspot on the same Wi-Fi card.

Re:Wow

[jo_ham]

It does indeed show up as an access point.

On OS X itself (that is set up this way) the Airport icon changes into a base station icon with an arrow to show you the card is running in AP mode instead of ad-hoc wireless network (which is a different icon again) or normal wireless client mode.

Direct Link to Download

[ticklemeozmo]

They were vigilant about blocking mailinator domains, so if you just want the direct link to download: http://www.connectify.me/a103dk/ConnectifyInstaller.exe [connectify.me] Or visit: http://www.connectify.me/thanks.html [connectify.me]

Re:just like.. internet sharing

[maxume]

This software is nicer than that, it is using the same wireless hardware to connect to the internet and to offer the access point.

Re:Internet sharing?

[jfim]

What is the difference between this and creating an ad-hoc network and enabling internet connection sharing for the physical port in Vista (and XP, and OS X, and Linux)?

It's an actual access point, not an ad hoc network. My Android Dev Phone 1(which does not support connecting to ad hoc networks) can connect to it.

Re:Wow

[rvw]

Yeah but when you do you cannot connect to another hotspot anymore. And that's what this is about. And this is currently not possible in OSX, and probably not in OS9 (I cannot check that).

Re:Wow

[blackraven14250]

This isn't even remotely ad-hoc networking. This is turning a regular computer into an access point. You can also connect to one wireless network, then set yourself up as an access point to that network, which normally would require two separate network cards.

Mods, please RTFS. People saying "Ad-hoc has been around for years" and similar keep getting all the mod points, even though they're completely missing the point. Apple has something like this since Leopard, not anytime before like everyone here keeps mentioning.

Re:Wow

[morgan_greywolf]

Yes. You can do this with wicd [sourceforge.net]

Been around since 2005

[modemboy]

So this feature was created by Microsoft Research back in 2005, and has been available for download ever since: http://research.microsoft.com/en-us/downloads/994abd5f-53d1-4dba-a9d8-8ba1dcccead7/ [microsoft.com]

I fail to see how this is news, they included it by default in Win 7 and someone accessed it, yay. This has been doable for 4 years...

Clearing the Static

[huckamania]

The resulting Connectify differs from the Internet connection sharing that Windows already supports via an "ad hoc" network connection, which lets several Windows computers share a single connection. "For one thing, it shows up as a real wireless access point," Gizis said. "Two, Internet connection sharing has issues. It returns to the default settings every time you shut down a connection. And three, you can join another wireless network and still run the Connectify Hotspot on the same Wi-Fi card."

One application came immediately to mind, Gizis continued. "You're sitting in a coffee shop that charges you for a wireless connection. With Connectify, I can pay for that connection, and still have all my other devices, like my iPhone, connected to the Internet."

Hardware Supported / Limitations

[clyde_cadiddlehopper]

This comes from the FAQ at the download site (www.connectify.me)

"These older devices are known to be compatible:

Intel 5100/5300 (with latest drivers from Intel's site, version 13.0.0.107)

Ralink RT2870 (in many 802.11n USB dongles)

Broadcom 4310-series (in many Dell laptops)

Realtek RTL8187SE (with the drivers that came with Windows 7)

D-link AirPlus G DWL-G510 Wireless PCI Adapter (driver version 3.0.1.0)

Dell 5520 (builtin many Dell laptops)

Atheros AR5007EG with 8.0.0.238 firmware

These older devices are known to be incompatible:

Intel 3945/4965,2200BG (most Intel cards, unfortunately)

Realtek RTL8187 (like in older 802.11bg USB dongles)

Zydas ZD1211 (also in 802.11bg USB dongles)

Broadcom 4320-series (in many Dell laptops)

Atheros AR9285 (likely others too)

D-Link AirPlus G DWL-G122

Mac Book Builtin Broadcom devices"

Re:Standard functionality...

[crow]

Yes, you can do virtual access points with the Mad WiFi drivers, but I'm not aware of any other drivers that support that. I use this to have my Linux home server provide both a public open network and a private encrypted network with a single physical wireless card.

But it's certainly not standard functionality, or I could have used any supported WiFi card and not be tied to a specific driver.

Re:"Virtual" hotspot?

[blitzkrieg3]

I think the people who modded this "Informative" are a bit misinformed.

Re:Direct Link to Download

[daveime]

Offtopic I know, but your sig, really ...

There is a bottle of Coca Cola on my computer desk. There is a 7-month old puppy sitting by my side.

The fact that the bottle of Coca Cola is on my desk *is* informative. Who's the source, the fucking dog ?