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From: Don Y <blockedofcourse@foo.invalid>
Newsgroups: sci.electronics.design
Subject: Re: public APs
Date: Sun, 4 May 2025 05:31:32 -0700
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On 5/4/2025 2:00 AM, Martin Brown wrote:
> On 03/05/2025 22:34, Don Y wrote:
>> I seldom use public wifi.  But, had the occasion to TRY to do so
>> at a local library branch.
>>
>> Dismayed to find no HTTPS support; they apparently have an
>> "agent" interposed between all network accesses.
>>
>> Is this common?  I.e., how do people do banking or other
>> "secure" transactions?  Or, do they just use them to
>> "check pricing" at other stores?
> 
> The one in my public library is properly secure. In fact it is so secure that 
> some of the libraries own computers won't talk to it at the moment after a 
> recent upgrade to the Wifi router.

Oops!  Are the "library's own computers" connected wirelessly to their
network provider?

Here, the workstations IN the library -- and the computers used by the
librarians -- have wired connections.  The wireless AP is only for
the convenience of people who want to bring their own laptop into
the coverage area *or* (more commonly) their cell phone (to avoid
"data plan" charges as well as homeless people who don't have a
"home" in which to have wired service.

Bringing your own bit of kit in allows you to avoid any snoop-ware
that may be installed on the "public access" machines on the library's
wired network (there are no options to connect to the wired network
other than using a prewired machine).

And, the whole point of HTTPS is to safeguard against MitM attacks
and spoofing.  (else, your ISP could just as easily be snooping
your traffic; I suspect some of the bigger/national ISPs here
regularly watch for torrent traffic, warez sites, etc.)

[The library implements some sort of black/white-listing service
but I suspect it is contracted out as they don't have the skills
or "internet awareness" to know what might be "inappropriate use"]

The question posed is whether or not "every" such AP (coffee shops,
department stores, doctor offices, etc.) has such a MitM proxy
in place, censoring transactions.  And, if not, WHY not?  (this
seems a social vulnerability)

> I have a portable sat on my desk that I need to reset the forgotten/not known 
> admin password for right now. Unable to install the latest network drivers 
> because they don't know what the admin password was set to by someone about 5 

I put sticky labels on each of my devices with the UID of the
"priviledged user" along with the password.  I figure if someone
has broken into my home, a password is not going to deter them
from taking what they want (I don't encrypt disk drives)

[FBI visited the local library branch some time ago and carted
off a workstation.  Apparently, someone had sent a threatening
note using it (so they obviously track traffic and connection
history).  Biggest privacy risk, IMHO, is using their printer
as it caches documents on an internal disk...]

> years ago. Yes their PCs are quite elderly and run into the ground but plenty 
> good enough for web browsing. For some reason the "L" key consistently seems to 
> wear out fastest to blank - any ideas why?
> 
> Followed by S, C, H, N, D & O but they still remain legible (sort of).

I don't "touch type" but my fingers tend to know where the
keys are, regardless of label (though there seems to be
a noted differential in nerve impulse propagation that
leads to "teh" instead of "the", etc.)

I periodically clean the keyboards, removing the keycaps and
soaking them in soapy water.  Then, after drying, test my memory
of the keyboard layout by putting them back in place, unaided.

> Only the very top left half trace of the vertical for the L remains.

My mice tend to see more wear than the keyboard.  Of course,
fewer "keys" involved there.