Warchalking Is a Myth

In 2002, the news media latched onto something called warchalking. Warchalking is the act of making chalk marks on buildings or sidewalks to denote the presence and availability of wireless networks. Playing off of the practice of hobos during the Great Depression who would mark homes or areas to communicate information about the area to other hobos, warchalkers use a series of symbols to alert others as to what type of wireless network they will find in that area. Three primary symbols used by warchalkers are illustrated in the following figures. Figure 1.1 indicates an open node, or one in which WEP encryption is not utilized and individuals are encouraged to use. The Service Set Identifier (SSID) or network name is chalked above the symbol and the available bandwidth speed is chalked below the symbol.

Figure 1.2 indicates a closed node. One that is not open for public use. The SSID or network name is chalked above the symbol and nothing is chalked below the symbol.

The symbol in Figure 1.3 indicates a node with WEP encryption enabled. This should be viewed as an unequivocal stop sign. The SSID and contact information to arrange for authorized access are chalked above the symbol and the available bandwidth is chalked below the symbol. Aside from hot spots such as Starbucks, there have been very few actual sightings of warchalked wireless networks. Despite the media hype surrounding warchalking, it is generally viewed as a silly activity by WarDrivers. A recent poll on the NetStumbler forums (https://forums.netstumbler.com) was unable to find even one person that had actually chalked an access point. The results of the survey can be seen in Figure 1.4. More information on the NetStumbler Forums and other online WarDriving Communities is presented in Chapter 8 of this book.