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Seriously. This should be the default setting on all devices. Accessing random open networks is generally not a good plan for many reasons... Edit: (See below

Seriously. This should be the default setting on all devices. Accessing random open networks is generally not a good plan for many reasons... Edit: (See below comments) I actually have the equivalent of what you are talking about disabled on my phone (android), as it creates a popup context menu that is too easily pressed 'accessing random open networks'. You want the user to have to open the wifi settings and select a network they know / have preconfigured, not some open network that the phone is eager to join.

ehamberg 11y ago
An iOS device will only connect to known networks. By enabling “Ask to Join Networks” it will list networks and ask if you want to join any of them – but only if no known network is in range. This is actually less safe, in that you're just a button press away from “accessing random open networks” instead of having to go into the settings and choose a network – so it makes sense to have it default to off. tl;rl: iOS will only join known networks – toggling this setting will make it easier to join networks when no known networks are in range. edit: Link to the relevant section in the manual: https://help.apple.com/iphone/8/#/iph1b489c85f https://help.apple.com/iphone/8/#/iph1b489c85f
- BenTheElder 11y ago
  I just checked and on my android phone and you're right, I switched the 'notify me when wifi is available' setting off so that I have to select networks manually. I read the previous comment as meaning that iOS would join open networks if that option wasn't enabled. Du'oh. However according to this post by the same researchers: https://www.skycure.com/blog/wifigate-how-mobile-carriers-expose-us-to-wi-fi-attacks/ https://www.skycure.com/blog/wifigate-how-mobile-carriers-ex... There is no way to disable the carrier pre-configured wifi hotspots which have been proven to be easily spoofable.
- tomswartz07 11y ago
  Here's the problem: If a device will "only connect to known networks", that means that it sends out an ARP request. In a nutshell, the phone shouts wirelessly «HEY! IS BILL WI THE SCIENCE FI AROUND?» You can very easily set up a system that will respond to every single ARP request and then 'broadcast' that SSID. If you broadcast the SSID, with no password, and the device sees it, then it will connect to this 'known' network. That's a big problem
  - rlpb 11y ago
    > If a device will "only connect to known networks", that means that it sends out an ARP request. You seem to have confused IP address resolution with wi-fi access point discovery. ARP requests don't happen until after a device is associated with a wi-fi access point. It is possible to arrange for a device to scan for wi-fi networks passively, so the device will not be detected until it actually discovers and attempts to connect to a particular network.

ehamberg 11y ago

An iOS device will only connect to known networks. By enabling “Ask to Join Networks” it will list networks and ask if you want to join any of them – but only if no known network is in range. This is actually less safe, in that you're just a button press away from “accessing random open networks” instead of having to go into the settings and choose a network – so it makes sense to have it default to off. tl;rl: iOS will only join known networks – toggling this setting will make it easier to join networks when no known networks are in range. edit: Link to the relevant section in the manual: https://help.apple.com/iphone/8/#/iph1b489c85f https://help.apple.com/iphone/8/#/iph1b489c85f

BenTheElder 11y ago
I just checked and on my android phone and you're right, I switched the 'notify me when wifi is available' setting off so that I have to select networks manually. I read the previous comment as meaning that iOS would join open networks if that option wasn't enabled. Du'oh. However according to this post by the same researchers: https://www.skycure.com/blog/wifigate-how-mobile-carriers-expose-us-to-wi-fi-attacks/ https://www.skycure.com/blog/wifigate-how-mobile-carriers-ex... There is no way to disable the carrier pre-configured wifi hotspots which have been proven to be easily spoofable.
tomswartz07 11y ago
Here's the problem: If a device will "only connect to known networks", that means that it sends out an ARP request. In a nutshell, the phone shouts wirelessly «HEY! IS BILL WI THE SCIENCE FI AROUND?» You can very easily set up a system that will respond to every single ARP request and then 'broadcast' that SSID. If you broadcast the SSID, with no password, and the device sees it, then it will connect to this 'known' network. That's a big problem
- rlpb 11y ago
  > If a device will "only connect to known networks", that means that it sends out an ARP request. You seem to have confused IP address resolution with wi-fi access point discovery. ARP requests don't happen until after a device is associated with a wi-fi access point. It is possible to arrange for a device to scan for wi-fi networks passively, so the device will not be detected until it actually discovers and attempts to connect to a particular network.