Project: Wireless Hacks!
I’ve started a long-term project for exploring the world of cool wireless technologies. And yeah, don’t confuse the term “Wireless” with ubiquitous technologies like WiFi/Bluetooth/NFC etc., just because you’re not aware of others. I’m talking about doing cool experiments with less popular radio/wireless protocols, some of which are actually used more than WiFi/Bluetooth today. I’ll be doing experiments ranging from Satellite Hacking/Radio Astronomy to cool projects like building a private portable Cellular Network. In short, I’ll be writing about lot’s of cool hi-tech stuff, but at the same time I’ll try to make it beginner friendly, so that everyone can have fun. So buckle up kids, because old man Jit is going to take you on a helluva ride! 🚀
The Motivation
I developed interest in Satellite/Radio technology as a kid and always wanted to learn more about how those work at a low level. But, my real interest into Satellite/Radio “Hacking” developed back in 2019 when I read some online articles and watched a couple of videos dealing with Software Defined Radio(SDR). I became so interested in it at that time, that I bought a RTL-SDR kit for exploring this further. But, I was not able to invest time into this because at that time I decided CyberSecurity is the right career path for me and spent all my free time(after my full-time non-cyber job) into learning more about CyberSecurity. And my sad story is that even after spending four years relentlessly learning more about Security and becoming some sort of a Cyber Expert, I’m still unable to land a Junior level CyberSec position. I mean it’s obvious companies are intentionally rejecting/ignoring my job applications, but that is not going to stop me from learning more cool/fun hacking stuff. Anyways, I’ve finally decided to start my Radio/Satellite hacking journey, which’ll span over a decade, and I think I’ll be writing lots of blog posts and diving into different wireless technologies for this project. This is going to be my biggest project yet! And yes, I’m going to do this as a hobby and not for a job, as I don’t think there are any jobs out there which mention “Satellite Hacking” as a job requirement. 🙂
The Hardware
I’ve decided to extend my Open Source expertise to include Open Source Hardware and from now on I’ll be writing about both Open Source Hardware and Software. Open Source Wireless Hardware companies are welcome to contact me directly if they want me to promote their hardware. But do keep in mind that final decision rests upon me whether I want to write about your hardware or not. And don’t expect me to write a blog post immediately, as I’ve started focusing more on making my blog posts of high quality and beginner friendly rather than pushing more blog posts to look more technical. I was looking into this and found that most of the popular wireless hardware tools are not available in India and I may have to import them, which’ll increase cost and time for me. Still, I’ll try to help when possible. Like they say, “Long live open source!”
Conclusion
It’s always easier said than done. Even though I’m a science nerd, the learning curve required for this field, i.e to be a good hacker in radio protocols, seems pretty steep(almost 90 degrees). Right now, I don’t have the time for this as I’ve to focus on getting a job. But once I get what I want, I’ll be free to focus on all the work/projects I’d left hanging and it’ll be like the dawn of a new era for me. Lot’s of cool stuff coming guys, this shit is going to be fun!
