Airpass – Easily overcome WiFi time limits • Hacker News Board

Re: Airpass – Easily overcome WiFi time limits

#31

Post by jeroenhd » Sat, Jun 21, 2025, 4:53 PM UTC

rafram wrote: post #9

classichasclass wrote: post #3

Alternatively, if you don't want to run the whole Electron app, the money is this line: sudo.exec("/System/Library/PrivateFrameworks/Apple80211.framework/Versions/Current/Resources/airport en0 -z && ifconfig en0 ether `openssl rand -hex 6 | sed 's/$..$/\1:/g; s/.$//'`",

Why does a Mac-only app that shows a menu bar icon and a notification popup need to be Electron…? That’s 30 lines of Swift, max.

If you don't know Swift, but do know Electron, it's easier to do it in 30 lines of Javascript.

People who don't like the developers work can always write and publish their own application, of course.

Re: Airpass – Easily overcome WiFi time limits

#32

Post by km3r » Sat, Jun 21, 2025, 4:54 PM UTC

ammar2 wrote: post #7

Glad this feature is built into most modern operating systems these days. For MacOS (Sequoia+) you can just forget the network and reconnect to get a new MAC address [1]. Android's documentation for if it decides to generate a new address per connection is a little vague [2], but I'm guessing forgetting and reconnecting works as well, you may also need to flip the "Wi-Fi non-persistent MAC randomization" bit in devel…

Yeah I had to flip the developer setting toggle, but worked flawlessly for my flight (American Airlines has a watch an ad for 20 minutes of free internet that only works once per MAC)

Re: Airpass – Easily overcome WiFi time limits

#33

Post by polivier » Sat, Jun 21, 2025, 5:01 PM UTC

On Linux you can use `macchanger` to change your MAC address from the terminal.

Re: Airpass – Easily overcome WiFi time limits

#34

Post by [deleted] » Sat, Jun 21, 2025, 5:01 PM UTC

dizhn wrote: post #30

sodality2 wrote: post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It just resets the MAC address, making the router believe it's a new device, thus not subject to the "x minute" free WiFi.

That won't circumvent the sms code requirement most free wifi services use.

[deleted]

Re: Airpass – Easily overcome WiFi time limits

#35

Post by catlifeonmars » Sat, Jun 21, 2025, 5:08 PM UTC

dizhn wrote: post #30

sodality2 wrote: post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It just resets the MAC address, making the router believe it's a new device, thus not subject to the "x minute" free WiFi.

That won't circumvent the sms code requirement most free wifi services use.

I have never seen this before

Re: Airpass – Easily overcome WiFi time limits

#36

Post by manbitesdog » Sat, Jun 21, 2025, 5:08 PM UTC

SR2Z wrote: post #29

rafram wrote: post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why does a Mac-only app that shows a menu bar icon and a notification popup need to be Electron…? That’s 30 lines of Swift, max.

If you want a frontend for you app, you probably just use Electron and get it over with in a few minutes instead of digging through the docs for Qt or some other framework. Is it worth it? Probably not, since this is a single-platform app to start with, but JS+HTML are easy to theme and customize, and Qt is... not quite as simple.

Now that you can build such an app with AI in under 20 minutes with a manageable codebase you can properly understand and control, I don't think that's a good excuse anymore

Re: Airpass – Easily overcome WiFi time limits

#37

Post by pcl » Sat, Jun 21, 2025, 5:12 PM UTC

glerk wrote: post #12

Alternatively, disconnect from the wifi, use this command and reconnect: sudo ifconfig en0 ether 02:11:22:33:44:55 Just ran into this on icelandair.

That’ll buy you one new turn of the crank; you’ll need to change numbers once every expiration period.

Re: Airpass – Easily overcome WiFi time limits

#38

Post by whatevaa » Sat, Jun 21, 2025, 5:16 PM UTC

jeroenhd wrote: post #31

rafram wrote: post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why does a Mac-only app that shows a menu bar icon and a notification popup need to be Electron…? That’s 30 lines of Swift, max.

If you don't know Swift, but do know Electron, it's easier to do it in 30 lines of Javascript. People who don't like the developers work can always write and publish their own application, of course.

It's hard work writing free stuff for others, much easier to criticise stuff instead of getting your hands dirty.

Re: Airpass – Easily overcome WiFi time limits

#39

Post by paxys » Sat, Jun 21, 2025, 5:16 PM UTC

manbitesdog wrote: post #36

SR2Z wrote: post #29

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If you want a frontend for you app, you probably just use Electron and get it over with in a few minutes instead of digging through the docs for Qt or some other framework. Is it worth it? Probably not, since this is a single-platform app to start with, but JS+HTML are easy to theme and customize, and Qt is... not quite as simple.

Now that you can build such an app with AI in under 20 minutes with a manageable codebase you can properly understand and control, I don't think that's a good excuse anymore

> with a manageable codebase you can properly understand and control

Yeah, that definitely describes every AI codebase I have seen..

Re: Airpass – Easily overcome WiFi time limits

#40

Post by whatevaa » Sat, Jun 21, 2025, 5:17 PM UTC

manbitesdog wrote: post #36

SR2Z wrote: post #29

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If you want a frontend for you app, you probably just use Electron and get it over with in a few minutes instead of digging through the docs for Qt or some other framework. Is it worth it? Probably not, since this is a single-platform app to start with, but JS+HTML are easy to theme and customize, and Qt is... not quite as simple.

Now that you can build such an app with AI in under 20 minutes with a manageable codebase you can properly understand and control, I don't think that's a good excuse anymore

If you don't know the language, how can you properly understand and control it?