Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Computing/2016 May 31

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May 31

Hidden cameras over WiFi

There are hidden cameras/microphones that can use a house's wireless network. If the network's name and password are changed, will this disable the devices ability to connect to the internet?

And can any such devices use the cell phone system? Bubba73 ^{You talkin' to me?} 23:08, 31 May 2016 (UTC)

It certainly is possible to transmit audio and video (or stills) by cell phone. I don't know if any spy cams currently use this method, though. StuRat (talk) 23:29, 31 May 2016 (UTC)

There are many spycams/security cameras that use the GSM/GPRS network(s), here is an example. Some are able to use WIFI as well (which is usually the preferred method, because it is cheap and easy), here is an example. And GPS trackers often use text messages. The Quixotic Potato (talk) 02:58, 1 June 2016 (UTC)

IMO a key point here is why do you want to know? If you want to buy one then what can be found matters. If you're concerned about the presence of these, then you might as well assume it exists if it's possible. There's no reason why a camera using mobile phone networks can't exist so even without the above link you should assume they do. Even a camera using the Iridium satellite system can exist although the antenna requirements will be more stringent and these will be very expensive to operate and I think only able to transmit a tiny amount of video or even images. (Probably not real time video.) Clearly if the device can't access the wifi network then it can't use it. And since the device isn't magic, if password of the network is was using changed and it doesn't know the new one then it won't work. Still the device could have using Aircrack-ng or something to try and break the network. Or it could be using or capable of using some other wifi network (with the permission of the provider of the network or not) so changes to your network aren't going to matter much or at all even if it's only capable of wifi. Or it could have sufficient access the the mobile phone network that it can send an alert so the person in charge of the camera can figure out what to do. And it could use the mobile phone network in the mean time to send the video. And given how small storage can be, it could store many days of video until somehow it gets access to some wifi network. Or whatever. Nil Einne (talk) 14:11, 1 June 2016 (UTC)