They used the same gate system at my last apartment. It was pretty useless. I had two other roommates and guests would come over all the time, so my phone was always going off. I had a special ringtone when I got a call from the gate and when I heard it, I would just hit 9 reflexively without even thinking about it. I was surely not the only one in the complex to do this -- so if you wanted to get in all you had to do was dial one apartment after the other until somebody let you in without questioning you.
Hacking your apartment's electronic entry system
21–30 of 38 posts
Re: Hacking your apartment's electronic entry system
#22I actually implemented this idea using Twilio almost a year ago and have been using it actively ever since. I give my close friends 4-digit PIN numbers to my condo. When someone dials my number in the directory, it first prompts them for a PIN. If they enter a valid PIN, it welcomes them by name (my friends love this) and unlocks the door. If they enter an invalid PIN or no PIN, Twilio rings my and both my roommates'…
Any particular reason you haven't turned this into a startup?
Re: Hacking your apartment's electronic entry system
#23An apartment I lived in had a similar system. I noticed that the caller ID showed what appeared to be a valid number. So one day I tried calling it while at the door... when it started ringing, I started hitting buttons on the keypad (on the door) and when I hit the # key (or maybe it was *), it picked up. I was then able to dial 9 from my phone, and it let me in.
I no longer live there, and don't have access to an apartment that has one. I'd be interested to see if that works on other systems. If anyone wants to try, let me know if it does.
Re: Hacking your apartment's electronic entry system
#24Earlier quoted context omitted.
Maybe written by a cockroach?
Just wanted to say that this reference made my day. My grandfather introduced me to Archy several years ago, and I have yet to find anyone else that knows about him. and so I don't get downvoted for a comment with no substance, if you don't get the reference, try googling "archy and mehitabel"
Re: Hacking your apartment's electronic entry system
#25I'm sorry to be pedantic, but please use capital letters where needed. I found it rather difficult to read...
Re: Hacking your apartment's electronic entry system
#26I actually implemented this idea using Twilio almost a year ago and have been using it actively ever since. I give my close friends 4-digit PIN numbers to my condo. When someone dials my number in the directory, it first prompts them for a PIN. If they enter a valid PIN, it welcomes them by name (my friends love this) and unlocks the door. If they enter an invalid PIN or no PIN, Twilio rings my and both my roommates'…
Any particular reason you haven't turned this into a startup?
I was going to ask the same question
Re: Hacking your apartment's electronic entry system
#27Would putting the MP3 on your phone and playing it into the entrypads mic get you in as well? I'm picturing waling up to any apartment building, choosing an apartment number at random, and then just playing the MP3 when someone answers (or when voicemail picks up.)
I was thinking of doing this with my answering machine, simply put the '9' MP3 at the beginning or end of my message so that if my wife isn't in and I forget/lose my keys that I can still get in the building.
Although it's a little redundant as I know so many people in the building that I'd probably be let in before the voicemail played the right tone. Plus my in-laws aren't a far walk for me to crash on their spare bed or pick up my spare set of keys.
However, I basically just want to do it to see if it works.
Re: Hacking your apartment's electronic entry system
#28An apartment I lived in had a similar system. I noticed that the caller ID showed what appeared to be a valid number. So one day I tried calling it while at the door... when it started ringing, I started hitting buttons on the keypad (on the door) and when I hit the # key (or maybe it was *), it picked up. I was then able to dial 9 from my phone, and it let me in. I no longer live there, and don't have access to an a…
I just realized that my system appears to work the same way. I always wondered why the caller ID showed a different number for my buzzer from the rental company main lines, so I'll have to program it into my cell phone and see if this works for me.
Great insight, my mind never jumped to this idea. I was thinking of putting the '9' tone on my answer machine.
Re: Hacking your apartment's electronic entry system
#29Or just press the digit at the begining of your voicemail.
That was my idea for this trick, I was wondering if the sound would come out too distorted to trigger the system.
Re: Hacking your apartment's electronic entry system
#30Or just press the digit at the begining of your voicemail.
That was my idea for this trick, I was wondering if the sound would come out too distorted to trigger the system.