WiGLE.net consolidates the location and information of 802.11a/b/g/n and cellular networks world-wide into a central database, with user-friendly desktop and web applications that can map, query and update the database via the web.
WiGLE.net is a submission-based catalog of wireless networks. Overall, WiGLE aims to show people about wireless in a more-technical capacity then your average static map or newspaper article.
What has this project been used for?
Educating the Public: When WiGLE started in 2001 the default for WiFi was to have no encryption at all. An end user had a choice to turn on weak encryption (40-bit WEP), or pay extra for slightly less weak encryption (128-bit WEP). Most users didn’t realize that their private networks could be accessed by anyone in the area (at various distances with antennas and amplifiers). WiGLE, and Wardriving in general, helped to educate users and put pressure on manufacturers to make network security better and easier. Nowadays WPA2 is the standard and defaults to “on” for most manufactured devices.
Site Surveys: Security professionals use WiGLE to monitor what businesses they consult for are broadcasting over wifi radios. If you have an insecure network you are vulnerable, whether or not it appears in WiGLE. But WiGLE could let you know that an employee or attacker has set up a rogue wifi router on your private network.
Journalism: WiGLE is a handy resource for journalists looking for data points on Wifi proliferation, statistics and security. WiGLE keeps statistics on manufacturer distribution, top SSID’s, encryption modes, channel selection, geographic distribution and much more.
Finding Useable Networks: Using the “Free Net” search WiGLE users can find legal-to-use open networks near to their current location. They can also find local government open wireless networks, a cable company wireless offering that they are already paying for, or a local coffee shop that has a network available for use.
A Fun Hobby: Many users enjoy trying to detect as many networks as possible, to compete on the leaderboard and see parts of their city/town that they’ve had no reason to visit before. Teams can compete to see which car can find the most networks in a set amount of time.
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