How is business class Wi-Fi on the Surfliner?

[Spokker]

First, is the Wi-Fi any good? Is it any faster than 3G speeds? Does it maintain a connection well between Los Angeles and San Diego? I'll be traveling South of LA.

Second, what is the wireless security like? Is it encrypted? Do you log in?

If it's just an open unencrypted wireless access point, I don't know how anybody would feel comfortable doing work on the train as sensitive information may be available to anyone snooping around.

 

[Acela150]

First, is the Wi-Fi any good? Is it any faster than 3G speeds? Does it maintain a connection well between Los Angeles and San Diego? I'll be traveling South of LA.

Second, what is the wireless security like? Is it encrypted? Do you log in?

If it's just an open unencrypted wireless access point, I don't know how anybody would feel comfortable doing work on the train as sensitive information may be available to anyone snooping around.

The Surfliners Don't have wifi. AFAIK. If they did it would be mentioned on this Amtrak site. The only train in CA that offers wifi is the CS.

 

[Spokker]

Wi-Fi is offered in business class on the Surfliner. I recall seeing signs at a station or two advertising it. I'm just trying to find out how it works. There doesn't seem to be much information on it.

 

[SP&S]

WiFi is offered according to this link. I don't know the details of how this one works and the web site is sparse on specifics. In general, treat any public hotspot, even if you have to log on, as a security risk. Most run with little or no security, for to add security would require somebody on the spot to give technical assistance. Keep your firewalls up and think twice about sending sensitive information. Most people don't give it a second thought, though they should.

Wednesday the 16th I'll be on the CS LAX-PDX in a bedroom (can't wait, can't wait) and am interested to see how well it works in the parlour.

 

[Spokker]

Yeah, which is why it confuses me that they advertise that you can work on the train with WiFi. Sit in business class and steal trade secrets all day.

 

[rrdude]

Yeah, which is why it confuses me that they advertise that you can work on the train with WiFi. Sit in business class and steal trade secrets all day.

It's not that EZ, if your own personal computer is configured properly.

It's not hard, by any means, for a true hacker, but "Joe average computer user" is not gonna be doing it.

If you are uber-concerned about PC security, get your own air-card.

 

[PerRock]

I would assume it is no less secure than the wifi at Starbucks, and if I were 'trading secrets' I personally would feel more inclined to do it on the trains wifi then the Starbucks one. mainly because there is going to be less people snooping around the train wifi (it is moving...) then a wifi network at Starbucks. But then people use Starbucks wifi all the time for business.

peter

 

[amamba]

If its anything like the wifi on acela, its just an open network.

 

[TransitGeek]

When using any public hotspot, even an encrypted one, you're exposing your data to everyone else on that access point at least. Even if Amtrak were to encrypt the wi-fi, that'd only protect you from folks not on the train, and maybe riff-raff in Coach that don't get the passkey. Anyone who had access to the free wi-fi could snoop you happily.

Consider using a VPN (many corporate and university users already have one) or SSH tunnel (any Linux/UNIX hacker worth his weight in Cat-5 can set one up for you), or be careful to only use SSL-encrypted web sites to transmit sensitive data. By the way, this includes your e-mail client- I cannot count how many e-mail logins I've sniffed out of the air on campus.

 

[Spokker]

In any case, my girlfriend is back from her trip and she reports that the Wi-Fi works but goes in and out quite a bit between LA and SD. Between SD and LA it worked a little better. She also confirmed that there is no log-in and it is indeed an unsecured open network.

She also said that if she were paying, she would never take business class as it's not worth the extra cost. Her firm paid for the ticket.

 

[Cristian]

Wednesday the 16th I'll be on the CS LAX-PDX in a bedroom (can't wait, can't wait) and am interested to see how well it works in the parlour.

I did SEA-VNC two weeks ago and the WiFi connection only worked towards the end of the second day. YMMV.

 

[transit54]

When using any public hotspot, even an encrypted one, you're exposing your data to everyone else on that access point at least. Even if Amtrak were to encrypt the wi-fi, that'd only protect you from folks not on the train, and maybe riff-raff in Coach that don't get the passkey. Anyone who had access to the free wi-fi could snoop you happily.

On a more technical note, isn't that not the case with WPA? My understanding is that if WPA is employed packets cannot generally be sniffed even by others with the key.

 

[TransitGeek]

When using any public hotspot, even an encrypted one, you're exposing your data to everyone else on that access point at least. Even if Amtrak were to encrypt the wi-fi, that'd only protect you from folks not on the train, and maybe riff-raff in Coach that don't get the passkey. Anyone who had access to the free wi-fi could snoop you happily.

On a more technical note, isn't that not the case with WPA? My understanding is that if WPA is employed packets cannot generally be sniffed even by others with the key.

From the air, yes. However, whether or not you hear packets destined for others on the router depends somewhat on the design of the router- while connected, you may well see other folk's packets transiting the router. (This is protocol-dependent as well- you may see some sorts of packets and not others.) Furthermore, while you may be secure from other users on the wireless network, there may well be monitoring equipment past the access point that you are unaware of (most likely watching for pr0n surfers or file-sharing). The safest thing to do is to establish an encrypted connection that extends all the way from your machine to a trusted network somewhere else.

 

[Duke of Anhalt-Dessau]

Works fine for me. It's slow if it's a full train (like the 775) and sometimes the early morning trains don't have it turned on, but it's generally okay. Speeds vary, a lot ports are blocked, and I think relies on 3G/Cell towers as places with poor reception gets slower service. Anyway, if you connect and still can't go online, manually go to 192.168.1.5/freefi/index4.php and you should be given the login button. Then, a short ad later, you should be online.

 

[AlanB]

Speeds vary, a lot ports are blocked, and I think relies on 3G/Cell towers as places with poor reception gets slower service.

Odds are good that it's the same system that Amtrak currently uses on the Acela trains, and AFAIK will eventually show up on all trains over the next few years. That system uses cellular modems from the 4 big service providers and the system automatically switches to the carriers providing the strongest signals.