a winter-project: Raspberry Pi as a hotspot provider...

[thedighubs]

good day dear friends,

i am currently musing about a winter-project: i want to create a Raspberry Pi as a little Travel Companion: - in other words a Wi-Fi Finder + Hotspot
i now want to discuss this with you - and need some Ideas, and perhaps some of you can share your experiences, - and lend a helping hand.

short: I want to build a portable device from old Raspberry Pis that scans Wi-Fi networks in cities (visible SSIDs, signal strength, information) and simultaneously provides its own hotspot for my devices. Does anyone have experience with RaspAP or alternatives (hostapd + dnsmasq)? Suggestions, pitfalls, security tips, and sample setups are very welcome!

Background: I have several older Raspberry Pis lying around and would like to build a small travel gadget:

it would be nice if i can:

• scan the surrounding area for Wi-Fi networks (SSID, RSSI, BSSID, channel)
• display (LCD/GUI/web) for quick selection/information
• simultaneously provide my own hotspot (for my devices that i carry with me on my travel)—so the Pi acts as an access point/internet gateway when connected, or as an offline hotspot for local services;

Friends recommended RaspAP to me—it's supposed to offer a simple web UI for setting up the Pi as a router/AP. Is it recommended? What alternatives and best practices are there?

the project goals are the following: it contains a

• scan Tool: Local scanning of the Wi-Fi environment, easy-to-read output (SSID, signal, security, channel, BSSID). and a
• hotspot/AP: the Pi provides a Wi-Fi network for my devices (e.g., "TravelPi-NET").

hmm - how to get started here - do you think that RaspAP is a good approach here!?

look forward to hear from you

greetings

 

[sdifox]

Umm, your smartphone does that, just need a wifi scanning app. Also, your wifi chip can either scan or act as a hotspot, not both at the same time.
Where is the internet service going to come from for you to serve?

 

[KMFJD]

a cyberdeck like this?

https://www.reddit.com/r/cyberDeck/comments/xie47i/vr_wifi_hacking_cyberpack

Sendai7 Is a Cyberdeck Purpose-Built for WiFi Pentesting

ChainsawMcD built a cyberdeck called Sendai7 with the necessary hardware to experiment with pentesting and WiFi networks in general.

www.hackster.io

or maybe grab a flipper zero with a wifi dev board?

Flipper Zero — Portable Multi-tool Device for Geeks

Based on an ultra-low-power STM32 MCU for daily exploration of access control systems and radio protocols. Open-source and customizable

flipperzero.one

 

[lxskllr]

How hard is cracking wifi these days? Back in the day, before good cell phones existed, I used to "hack" wep connections on the road to get data for work, and general amusement. It was barely hacking though. It's like picking a lock that had the key left in it :^D

 

[thedighubs]

good day dear friends, hello dear lxskllr hello dear sdifox and KMFJD 🤩

well many thanks for the quick reply and for all your answers.

Umm, your smartphone does that, just need a wifi scanning app. Also, your wifi chip can either scan or act as a hotspot, not both at the same time.
Where is the internet service going to come from for you to serve?

i live in Europe - where we have pretty good Inet-services. So well there would be no need to do such hard things .- if we can go the easy way..

How hard is cracking wifi these days? Back in the day, before good cell phones existed, I used to "hack" wep connections on the road to get data for work, and general amusement. It was barely hacking though. It's like picking a lock that had the key left in it :^D

.
lxskllr - ...thank you very much: And yes thanks a lot for sharing your thoughts - and ideas.👍

So after reading all your answers I realize: My original idea needs some refining. Instead of thinking of the Pi as a "mobile hotspot that brings me internet everywhere",

well to sume up - the thing that really is interesting to me is to L E A R N.
its all about "learning". that said: I am looking for a nice "Learning-Project:" and yes - i see it more as a learning project and maybe a tool for scanning networks / extending range. A Wi-Fi finder, analyzer, and possibly even a repeater or range extender sounds like a realistic and fun direction to go.

the background: As for me its all bout learning and getting more and more familiar with the options (and possibilities) of the Pi - i continue of course: that said I also still want to play with RaspAP, but probably for other goals (like setting up a local hotspot or testing router-like setups), not as a “magic free-WiFi provider”

.Above all, I’m glad to be here in this forum and to learn step by step.

Looking forward to experimenting more and to coming back with results!

a big big thank to all of you- its awesome to be here.

btw: its great to see that we can discuss so many things here. in one place. Thats just awesome.
plz keep up this great place. its a gold - gold - forum.

greetings

 

[[DHT]Osiris]

How hard is cracking wifi these days? Back in the day, before good cell phones existed, I used to "hack" wep connections on the road to get data for work, and general amusement. It was barely hacking though. It's like picking a lock that had the key left in it :^D

Harder than it used to be. It's still possible but it's usually easier to just find an open wifi than break into a secure one.