# Way to keep a secret, guys! **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [November 19, 2013, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/way-to-keep-a-secret-guys/674277 "2013-11-19T18:28:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![TBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@TBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TBG)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2013, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/way-to-keep-a-secret-guys/674277/21 "2013-11-20T00:20:06Z")
> [@Moonlitherial](#): > > I know that neighbors of some friends of mine used the same wifi hardware that we had and never changed the admin password from the default. We upgraded their firmware for them one night. 😃 I found someone nearby using the default admin password. I thoughtfully logged in and changed that for them. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![jabiru](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/bbce88/32.png) [@jabiru](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jabiru)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2013, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/way-to-keep-a-secret-guys/674277/22 "2013-11-20T00:20:47Z")
Our home WiFi was named, until quite recently, AFP Surveiilance Van #15 (Australian Federal Police). Then we had to get a new modem and the sods called it Optus 01. How boring. ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2013, 5:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/way-to-keep-a-secret-guys/674277/23 "2013-11-20T05:55:18Z")
> [@Cat\_Whisperer](#): > > Why, I suspect you’re using sarcasm right now! :eek: > > Our home network is named “Galactica.” My brother-in-law (a Mac geek) has named his “The Collective.” 😃 A friend of mine called his “Galactica Actual” ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2013, 6:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/way-to-keep-a-secret-guys/674277/24 "2013-11-20T06:12:58Z")
> [@TBG](#): > > I found someone nearby using the default admin password. I thoughtfully logged in and changed that for them. 😉 That _was_ very thoughtful of you. 🙂 > [@Zebra](#): > > A friend of mine called his “Galactica Actual” OOOoooh, that’s even better! ---
**Author:** ![deltasigma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e5b9ba/32.png) [@deltasigma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/deltasigma)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2013, 6:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/way-to-keep-a-secret-guys/674277/25 "2013-11-20T06:33:54Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > Why in the world would it do that? Why doesn’t it just ask all the surrounding networks for their SSID? That’s what I was taught it did–that’s why you never hide your SSID, because then you actually do have to send out the SSID. > > Not that my SSID is all that unique, or that the data available online can trace it. Google doesn’t drive through every street in my hometown. Since a wifi signal can, in theory and [probably in actual practice](http://www.kurzweilai.net/wi-fi-signal-used-to-track-moving-humans-even-behind-walls) be used to track your movements within your own home and without access to the actual datastream, turning off the transmitter might not be a bad idea - depending on your level of paranoia. edit: this is why I try to move as little as possible. It seems like the only sensible alternative. 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![chappachula](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d2c977/32.png) [@chappachula](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chappachula)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2013, 8:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/way-to-keep-a-secret-guys/674277/26 "2013-11-20T08:15:41Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > and, sure enough, right there is an unmarked white van sitting in the parking lot. Oh my God!!! Another white van!!! I saw one just like it pass me today on the highway!!! And there’s one parked outside my office every day!!! And there’s another one parked on my neighbor’s driveway every night!!! Apparently, there a lots of FBI agents, all over the place. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2013, 8:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/way-to-keep-a-secret-guys/674277/27 "2013-11-20T08:28:10Z")
Nearly every time I ride the Megabus between Kansas City and Chicago, there is some joker with that “FBI Surveillance Van #” SSID set up on his phone. ---
**Author:** ![drewtwo99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d07c76/32.png) [@drewtwo99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drewtwo99)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2013, 9:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/way-to-keep-a-secret-guys/674277/28 "2013-11-20T09:42:26Z")
Next time I set one of these up I’ll name mine: ForAGoodTimeText[myphonenumber] and see how many responses I get 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Dervorin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Dervorin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dervorin)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2013, 11:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/way-to-keep-a-secret-guys/674277/29 "2013-11-20T11:08:53Z")
My router has two wi-fi networks, one of which is called ZombieGoose, and the other is TopSecretFBIVan. Considering that I live in London, the likelihood of encountering an FBI van must be quite small. I haven’t actually checked to see if anyone has tried to connect to this, though. Some of these, if real, are pretty awesome: [http://www.studentbeans.com/worldweirdweb/a/wins/21-genius-wifi-network-names4160.html](http://www.studentbeans.com/worldweirdweb/a/wins/21-genius-wifi-network-names4160.html) If I was to do this again, “Pretty fly for a Wi-fi” would be near the top of my list! ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2013, 1:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/way-to-keep-a-secret-guys/674277/30 "2013-11-20T13:05:28Z")
> [@chappachula](#): > > Oh my God!!! > Another white van!!! > > I saw one just like it pass me today on the highway!!! > And there’s one parked outside my office every day!!! > And there’s another one parked on my neighbor’s driveway every night!!! > > Apparently, there a lots of FBI agents, all over the place. 🙂 Very funny. 😛 Of course, the difference between all those other white vans and this one was that this one tagged itself as “FBI surveillance van #3”. Before I started this thread I didn’t know that this was some sort of running gag and just attributed it to another in a long line of FBI fuck-ups. ---
**Author:** ![Rick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9f8e36/32.png) [@Rick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2013, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/way-to-keep-a-secret-guys/674277/31 "2013-11-20T13:14:14Z")
My home network used to be Skynet. Then I changed it to FBI surveillance van #7 ---
**Author:** ![Ranger\_Jeff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranger_jeff/32/2065_2.png) [@Ranger\_Jeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranger_Jeff)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2013, 1:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/way-to-keep-a-secret-guys/674277/32 "2013-11-20T13:23:17Z")
I think if you really want to inspire fear you’d want to name it “RIAA Surv Van #4295” ---
**Author:** ![Hypno-Toad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b2d939/32.png) [@Hypno-Toad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hypno-Toad)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2013, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/way-to-keep-a-secret-guys/674277/33 "2013-11-20T13:38:32Z")
Dr. Forbin might be a good one. Or WOPR. Maybe Cyberdyne Industries. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2013, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/way-to-keep-a-secret-guys/674277/34 "2013-11-20T13:47:37Z")
If I could I’d change it to that alien one from Doctor Who. But I suspect that non-standard alphabets are not supported. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2013, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/way-to-keep-a-secret-guys/674277/35 "2013-11-20T16:57:45Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > Of course, the difference between all those other white vans and this one was that this one tagged itself as “FBI surveillance van #3”. What makes you think the Wi-Fi was coming from that van, or from any vehicle? ---
**Author:** ![Gagundathar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a183cd/32.png) [@Gagundathar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gagundathar)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2013, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/way-to-keep-a-secret-guys/674277/36 "2013-11-20T17:09:49Z")
> [@Zebra](#): > > A friend of mine called his “Galactica Actual” I am going to name our new QOS channel this. Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2013, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/way-to-keep-a-secret-guys/674277/37 "2013-11-20T17:37:38Z")
My wifi is named PEBKAC. I doubt that any of my neighbors get it. I used to know a guy who would open up his laptop when he was driving around (as a passenger) and would try to connect to any open networks he could find. Then he would look for printers, and if he found one he would print out a page with instructions on how to secure their wifi. I’ve heard of people using “VIRUS INFECTED WIFI” and “ALL TRAFFIC MONITORED” as names to keep people out. I also heard of someone naming his something like “I dare you to hack this” and came back a few days later to find that the name had been changed to “challenge accepted”. Not sure how true that one is since it’s one of those FOAF stories. ---
**Author:** ![Lemur866](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lemur866/32/434_2.png) [@Lemur866](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lemur866)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2013, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/way-to-keep-a-secret-guys/674277/38 "2013-11-20T17:40:12Z")
> [@Zebra](#): > > A friend of mine called his “Galactica Actual” As if Adama would ever let you network two computers on his ship. ---
**Author:** ![Andy\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@Andy\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy_L)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2013, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/way-to-keep-a-secret-guys/674277/39 "2013-11-20T17:42:56Z")
> [@Gyrate](#): > > If I could I’d change it to that alien one from Doctor Who. But I suspect that non-standard alphabets are not supported. “HOWTO: Make a Doctor Who “Bells of St John” Style WiFi Name” [HOWTO: Make a Doctor Who “Bells of St John” Style WiFi Name – Terence Eden’s Blog](http://shkspr.mobi/blog/2013/03/howto-make-a-doctor-who-bells-of-st-john-style-wifi-name/) ---
**Author:** ![Catamount](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/catamount/32/2840_2.png) [@Catamount](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Catamount)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2013, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/way-to-keep-a-secret-guys/674277/40 "2013-11-20T17:45:34Z")
> [@engineer\_comp\_geek](#): > > My wifi is named PEBKAC. I doubt that any of my neighbors get it. I love it. I’m the one who introduced the term “Pebcak error” at my workplace. They already knew about the ID-10-T errors. I think I’ll name my next wifi network Fnord just because. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/way-to-keep-a-secret-guys/674277.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/way-to-keep-a-secret-guys/674277.md?page=3)