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Show HN: Gping.io – Like TinyURL for your car

gping.io

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Re: Show HN: Gping.io – Like TinyURL for your car

#21

Post by serf »

btgeekboy wrote: post #18

I own a wifi-based OBDII adapter, but two things concern me about it that likely apply here as well. 1) It's always on, as the port is always powered, to my knowledge. I usually only drive on the weekends. Should I be unplugging it after each drive? 2) Security. The wifi adapter presents an open wireless network; I assume security on these bluetooth modules is also similarly lacking. What can an attacker do given the…

> What can an attacker do given the device's built-in capabilities, and what else can they do if they're able to compromise it?

well, bmw DIY people have been using the OBDII port (over bluetooth, wifi, and cabled) to rewrite ECM fuel and ignition mappings between models for a very long time...

the least clever destructive thing I can think of is just zeroing an ECM out as much as is allowed by the hardware.

p.s. i'm sure other car communities do similar stuff; i'm just not well versed on them.

Re: Show HN: Gping.io – Like TinyURL for your car

#22

Post by btgeekboy »

serf wrote: post #21
btgeekboy wrote: post #18

I own a wifi-based OBDII adapter, but two things concern me about it that likely apply here as well. 1) It's always on, as the port is always powered, to my knowledge. I usually only drive on the weekends. Should I be unplugging it after each drive? 2) Security. The wifi adapter presents an open wireless network; I assume security on these bluetooth modules is also similarly lacking. What can an attacker do given the…

> What can an attacker do given the device's built-in capabilities, and what else can they do if they're able to compromise it? well, bmw DIY people have been using the OBDII port (over bluetooth, wifi, and cabled) to rewrite ECM fuel and ignition mappings between models for a very long time... the least clever destructive thing I can think of is just zeroing an ECM out as much as is allowed by the hardware. p.s. i'm…

Yikes. Well that pretty easily validates that decision to not leave it plugged in continuously.

Re: Show HN: Gping.io – Like TinyURL for your car

#23

Post by kekub »

Can you elaborate on a "free" prepaid plan? I do not know anything about RingPlus. However I know that there are a few prepaid providers that offer 100mb/free a month. Would that fit?

I am also interested in which data is transmitted when? Is the data requested when I access the Webservice or is it being sent at specified intervals?

Re: Show HN: Gping.io – Like TinyURL for your car

#24

Post by usaphp »

kingkool68 wrote: post #10

For $99 Automatic already does this https://www.automatic.com

But you can hide your phone somewhere under the carpet or something and use an portable battery to have juice for weeks, this can work as a nice anti thief device. Automatic s' dongle can be easily located by a thief.

Re: Show HN: Gping.io – Like TinyURL for your car

#26

Post by kevhito »

kekub wrote: post #23

Can you elaborate on a "free" prepaid plan? I do not know anything about RingPlus. However I know that there are a few prepaid providers that offer 100mb/free a month. Would that fit? I am also interested in which data is transmitted when? Is the data requested when I access the Webservice or is it being sent at specified intervals?

Checking the RingPlus site, the "free" plans seem to be $0/month for service + $X per unit of usage. One of their plans, for example, is $9 for (250 minutes voice + 250MB data + 250 sms + 250 mms). There is also an overage charge, but I don't know what that means. They are also ad supported, apparently, playing an audio ad before each outbound voice call you place.

This seems reasonable for some people. By contrast, for a tracfone, in addition to voice-minutes/data/etc. you also have "service days" that must paid for, even if you don't use the phone at all.

Re: Show HN: Gping.io – Like TinyURL for your car

#27

Post by kevhito »

botw wrote: post #25

'gping.io only needs basic data services and consumes no "minutes". ', how is that achieved?

I think they mean it only uses the "data" (MB) portion of your usage, not the "voice minutes" part. As long as they keep below a few MB per month, the cost for RingPlus will be very low. Example, they give you a trial with 100MB literally free, so perhaps they can make that last a few months or years with typical usage.

Re: Show HN: Gping.io – Like TinyURL for your car

#29

Post by el_benhameen »

btgeekboy wrote: post #18

I own a wifi-based OBDII adapter, but two things concern me about it that likely apply here as well. 1) It's always on, as the port is always powered, to my knowledge. I usually only drive on the weekends. Should I be unplugging it after each drive? 2) Security. The wifi adapter presents an open wireless network; I assume security on these bluetooth modules is also similarly lacking. What can an attacker do given the…

I think the other poster has spoken to #2 pretty well, but as for #1, I've had a USB OBDII dongle plugged into my car continuously for the last two years without issue. I imagine the wifi chip causes yours to draw a bit more power than mine, though I previously had a Bluetooth module plugged in and it didn't present any issue either. I think it's likely fine.
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