Smart ID WiFi Detector

Gadgeteer Hands On Review by Julie

December 03, 2003

 

Fans of wireless networking (otherwise known as WiFi, 802.11b, or g) will probably have heard the term Warchalking before. For those of you that are unfamiliar with this term, warchalking is the practice of marking a series of symbols on sidewalks and walls to indicate nearby wireless access points. When these symbols are seen by savvy users, they can use their WiFi enabled PDA or laptop to connect to the Internet wirelessly. This practice  was inspired by hobos during the Great Depression, who would use chalk marks to indicate which homes were friendly to them.

Warchalking, although useful, isn't a widely adopted practice and can not be relied upon when a mobile user is searching for wireless access. The user could always use their WiFi enabled device to scan for available access, but sometimes that isn't quick or convenient. To help solve the issue of speed and ease of use, handheld WiFi detectors have begun appearing on the market. Not long ago, one of our readers reviewed the Kensington WiFi Finder. To say that he was less than impressed with it would be an understatement. Today I'll be reviewing another detector: The Smart ID WiFi Detector.

I didn't become interested in this product genre until I saw the exact detector in use this fall during the 2003 Mobius event. One of our activities involved a scavenger hunt in downtown Seattle, WA. Lucky for our team, Peter Rojas of Gizmodo had this gadget with him, and used it to find a WiFi hotspot that we could take advantage of, for the trivia portion of the hunt. After seeing the Smart ID detector in action, I contacted ThinkGeek.com and asked for a sample to review.

 

The device is small and very pocketable. Made of plastic, it is approximately 4 x 2.25 x .5 inches, and is powered by 2 AAA batteries, which are included.

The front of the detector has 4 red LEDs in a line across the top, one green LED and a detector button. To utilize the detector, you simply press the button. The green LED will light up to let you know that the batteries are working, and that it is looking for a WiFi signal. The 4 LEDs at the top, will pulse to alert you to the presence of a WiFi signal. The more red LEDs that are lit, the stronger the signal. It couldn't get any simpler than that!

Signal detection is instantaneous. Once you press the button, if you only see the green LED and no red LEDs, then there are no WiFi signals (within 500ft outdoors, or 150ft indoors) nearby. This device will detect both 802.11b and 802.11g signals. In addition to WiFi, it will also detect Bluetooth and microwave signals. Don't worry about mistaking the different signals though, when the device detects Bluetooth or a microwave, the LEDs will glow steadily instead of pulsing.

During my testing, I was able to detect the 802.11b access point in my basement, from outside in my yard, the WiFi network at my day job, some WiFi signals while driving around the town of Bloomington, IN, my Tungsten|T's Bluetooth signal from a maximum distance of 3 feet, and my running microwave from about 20ft.

Bottom line: The Smart ID WiFi Detector is fast and easy to use. It's much more convenient to use it to look for a nearby WiFi signal, then to open your laptop or PDA. With this device, you press a button and receive instant feedback. No waiting. About the only info that it doesn't give you, that would be helpful, is if the detected signal is open (unsecured), or closed. But as is, the Smart ID WiFi Detector makes a fun geek tool.

 

Price: $27.99

Pros:
Simple to use
Fast detection

Cons:
Can't show if a detected network is open or closed