Your thoughts? Jamming wireless network camera transmissions

[Nortonics 0]

Seems to me it would be quite easy to jam a low power 2.4 gig wireless transmission - both wireless video links as well as wireless network links. Looks like some stuff is even available out there to help:

 

http://www.globalgadgetuk.com/wireless.htm

 

Heck, being in Ham Radio myself, I could easily muster up a multi-watt 2.4 gig transmitter driving a tiny beam antenna which would likely guarantee swamping any 2.4 gig receiver front end for sure. Could also just drive it into a high-gain omnidirectional antenna (again, tiny size at these frequencies) and just about blow any chances of any 2.4 gig activity within a block or so without too much problem.

 

I'd be willing to bet there's all sorts of ways to destroy a wireless video signal from getting to the receiver of most any wireless security camera system, at least gear running the oh so common 2.4 gig frequency range.

 

Seems to me that this is a severely simple limitation to inject into a product (security system) that should attempt to be bullet proof.

 

Comments? Ideas? Personal experiences?

[WirelessEye 0]

When we ran 2.4 we never had issues, but direct spectrum is much easier and less expensive to jam then higher frequencies that use OFDM

[scorpion 0]

There are jammers for sell outside of the U.S. Do not get caught with one. These are highly illegal!

 

You can get in trouble in many different ways. Someone has paid for the rights to use these freqs (such as cell phone providers etc.) and you can be prosecuted for theft of service.

 

Most "jammers" on the market kill a wide spectrum of freqs. Fire one up in a downtown business district and you will kill wireless access, cell phones, pagers, comercial phone wireless headphones, wireless cameras, as well as other devices.

 

If you fear an "Attack" you can try to overcome this by using higher wattages rather then using a wattage that is just bearly getting your signal to it end point. Using poles, or towers or mounting antennas on the highest part of the building can help get you above "street" level attacks.

 

If you plan on setting up a lot of wireless projects you can get info from the FCC on all of the listed transmitters in you local area. Everyone is aware of radio stations, tv stations, and other transmitters but sometimes people are not aware that commercial accounts have transmitters such as plumbers, electricians, school bus districts, and no one thinks about all of the fast food drive thrus. When you see one of these freq lists you will be very suprised how many listed transmitters there are within a 5 mile radius!

 

If you attack one of my systems I have radio direction finding and can triangle you in less than 5 seconds. Video is emailed to all law enforcement agencies involved and they are in turn emailed to the responding squad car. I hope you can run very fast! Dont forget to bring a disguies change!

[VST_Man 1]

most "jamming" I've seen was done with a baseball bat & wire cutters. I even have a client who was robbed of 8 cables, yes...just the cabels, from a 150ft. tower that was online. Happened on a Friday evening, just after dark.

 

electronic jamming? I'd worry more about physically protection of the antenna, cabling, power, ect. One trick at a resturant was for the employee to click the circuit breaker to the DVR......knew it would be safe to steal after the "beeping" stopped in the main office........UPS beeped when on battery. Anyway.........knucklhead did not see the hidden camera I had on the panel(s).

 

I've seen some antena installed where you could toss a rock and knock it off the air. Commonsense applies I guess.

[WirelessEye 0]

I agree electronic jamming is difficult at best. The difficulty only increases as the frequency goes higher. You would need a spectrum analyzer to find the equipment, if you could even "see" it. Then you would have to "just happen to have" a jammer that worked in that frequency range. Then you would have to be in range with the jammer. Then you would have to know how to use it. Too many variables to be concerned.

[kensplace 0]

Jamming is only likely to occur in high profile robberies/crimes.

 

If someone wanted to rob the bank of England, they would go to the trouble of jamming wireless CCTV (if they used it, which I doubt they would). But for a small business, its highly unlikey, as it would not be profitable for the bad guys to do so.

[rory 0]

No laws down here, you guys can come down and jam away all day long ..