[11428] in Commercialization & Privatization of the Internet
Re: Re[2]: Two-way Internet service from Continental Cable?
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Karl Denninger)
Sat Apr 2 01:24:42 1994
From: karl@mcs.com (Karl Denninger)
To: 0003858921@mcimail.com (Robert G. Moskowitz)
Date: Fri, 1 Apr 1994 22:06:53 -0600 (CST)
Cc: steve@nsf.gov, com-priv@psi.com
In-Reply-To: <25940330220752/0003858921NA5EM@mcimail.com> from "Robert G. Moskowitz" at Mar 30, 94 05:07:00 pm
>
> S said:
>
> >If it's a shared medium, how difficult is it for a moderately capable one
> >of PSI's customers on the cable to listen in on what some other customers
> >are saying? Presumably it's slightly more difficult than hanging a
> >Sniffer on a vampire tap, but I wonder what safety mechanisms PSI has to
> >prevent their customers from wiretapping each other?
>
> Steve, it is soooo simple to turn a PC into an network analyser. I do it
> all the time at work. A number of commercial packages for ~$1K or PD
> packages do it...
>
> Bob
>
The level of granularity in this case is the segment between backbone links
in the Cable TV plant.
Knowing how these things are built (I used to work for a company that made
satcom earth station gear and had close contact with these folks) I'd say
that you could tap roughly 100-200 houses in most areas easily - and in
especially high density areas probably more.
--
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