Tracking People and Devices

[gangaskan]

The provider should have the tools, but their terms may not be desirable (notably, price).

gotta pay to play brother, i know its not cheap, but you still face legality issues and getting that from the carrier is the best choice .....


you still haven't provided us with enough information, i feel that you are going to be using this information in an illegal matter, you should tell us what it is for, not just "oh, i need to trak some phonez cheaply"

 

[MRD]

Its possible, just not legal without a warrant.

Possible... maybe. Impossible is a strong word. However, it involves cracking some serious encryption, so it's not trivial.

 

[FireMogle]

I think it would be easier to just inject the people with a radioactive marker and track that. Girlfriends love that kind of stuff.

 

[MRD]

You've been watching way too much 24.

 

[FireMogle]

You've been watching way too much 24.

It was actually Heroes. But either way I suppose that the concept is the same.

 

[Ascii2]

I think it would be easier to just inject the people with a radioactive marker and track that. Girlfriends love that kind of stuff.

Unless it is the mobile device that its position is desired to be know, and not necessarily of a person. A person need not maintain the mobile device's tracking beacon on its person.

I suppose that a radioactive isotope may be incorporated into a mobile device, but I am uncertain on the cost to track it (by energy signature I presume).

 

[Ascii2]

If you want to just track some random number, you cannot do so under US law. Not only is it illegal, it's not possible without some serious hacking.

Legality is not a requisite to the information I had requested. Legal issues are to be left to the United States of America qualified legal professionals.

I have seen a few websites where people let you track them via their cell phones. You click a link and it shows you where they are. I do not know exactly how this works, but it's their own phone, so it's legal if they really want to give that info out.

Some may transmit the position data via regular cellular technologies like GPRS (like Mologogo which I had motioned in a previous post in this thread).

I believe that it should be possible to eliminate the middle-men (and their costs) allowing for tracking of the devices more directly. I do not believe that use of GPS driving assisting devices require a subscription to use the GPS functions (although I have never used one myself). Perhaps with a GPS receiver device, a notebook computer, and modified firmware or software application for the phone device to be tracked; a phone device may be cheaply tracked.

 

[MRD]

Ok, so say the phone transmits its location to the nearest tower. In theory, *maybe* you could access this information if you were able to receive it (it is, however, encrypted, and would not be easy to access). However, once it hits the tower, it moves over land lines from one location to the next. Information about the location is not transmitted to the other user, and it is not transmitted from any tower into the air.

So if you're in one place, and the cell phone you wanted to track is out of range, you can't directly access the info coming from the cell towers. There is no way to access the internal, wired network of the cellular company that knows where the person is. I'm sure those networks are quite well protected.

I cannot fathom any way to figure out a person's location unless you are right near them (in the range of a cell tower), and even then it would be nearly impossible as you'd have to break the encryption.

The information you are looking for is simply not transmitted everywhere. It's only transmitted (encrypted) local to the phone, and there's a reason those cell towers are so big... so they can receive signals that a smaller antenna could not. Buying a cell tower is obviously not an option... so you'd have to be far closer to the cell phone than the tower would.

Even with legal issues aside, this is not something that is technically feasible in any way I can imagine, short of finding a way to break their encryption (also illegal) AND setting up your own personal network of cell towers over the entire area where the person might be (not too likely...)

 

[TempliNocturnus]

Legality is not a requisite to the information I had requested. Legal issues are to be left to the United States of America qualified legal professionals.

Every technically feasible way to do what you're asking, involves illegal actions. So regardless whether or not you're trying to track someone against their will, is irrelevant; people here don't want to discuss anything illegal.

Some may transmit the position data via regular cellular technologies like GPRS (like Mologogo which I had motioned in a previous post in this thread).

I believe that it should be possible to eliminate the middle-men (and their costs) allowing for tracking of the devices more directly. I do not believe that use of GPS driving assisting devices require a subscription to use the GPS functions (although I have never used one myself). Perhaps with a GPS receiver device, a notebook computer, and modified firmware or software application for the phone device to be tracked; a phone device may be cheaply tracked.

You pay for GPS services with your tax dollars, if you're an American. GPS was created by the DoD, made free to the public (kinda like how the internet began), and maintained by the United States Air Force. If you want to use GPS technologies to track something, you would have to set something up so that it logs the path taken. The only practical way you would be able to utilize such information, in real time, would be through a wireless internet service, such as Clearwire.

So basically, a laptop with a USB GPS receiver, and a clearwire express card. The easiest way to access the data would probably be through a remote access service, such as logmein.com, or VNC software. No modifying firmware, writing a special program, or anything like that. Only problem is if your target ends up somewhere clearwire doesn't cover, or if it gets pretty cloudy/rainy, you'll loose your ability to track.

 

[EchoTheDolphin]

Legality is not a requisite to the information I had requested. Legal issues are to be left to the United States of America qualified legal professionals.

Some may transmit the position data via regular cellular technologies like GPRS (like Mologogo which I had motioned in a previous post in this thread).

I believe that it should be possible to eliminate the middle-men (and their costs) allowing for tracking of the devices more directly. I do not believe that use of GPS driving assisting devices require a subscription to use the GPS functions (although I have never used one myself). Perhaps with a GPS receiver device, a notebook computer, and modified firmware or software application for the phone device to be tracked; a phone device may be cheaply tracked.

OCForums is not your personal hacker army. I highly recommend you end your line of discussion seeing as you've posted your indication of active interest in breaking quite a few laws. Granted, not illegal in and of itself, but if you get caught, the evidence is plainly and simply here.

Also, you're not going to be able to track a phone without having direct access to it, seeing as they don't send signals to GPS systems. You'll also need at least 3 points from which to gather the signal outgoing 'ping' of the phone in order to actually triangulate it's position. Nevermind the fact that you'll have to have the knowledge and skill necessary to find out what that phone's unique signal is and modify it that your third-party hardware can see in a sea of other phone signals. Which in reality can't be done with your budget.

So, unless you plan to physically break into every transmission tower (near where you want to track whatever) and install modified hardware/software in every single one of them PLUS break the encryption, OR build your own network of towers and STILL manage to break whatever encryption the service provider uses, there's no way to do it. With one last exception


You personally know quite a few people in the necessary service provider/law enforcement service that all working together would be corrupt enough to just hand out this information to you. If you have this kind of hookup, tracking a cell phone would be cakepie.

So, in agreement with the others, it's not impossible, it's very difficult to accomplish. Not to mention any of these courses of actions probably have repercussions that far outweigh what it seems like your trying to accomplish. I guess unless it's tracking a shipment of cash so you can rob it

 

[OldSkool]

Legality is not a requisite to the information I had requested. Legal issues are to be left to the United States of America qualified legal professionals.

Hey pal, legality is at the forefront of the issue here and is the concern and responsibility of everyone on these forums. Why do you think you cannot so much as talk about game cracks, or pirating? Legality IS a concern.

This thread is reported. End of story.

 

[gangaskan]

Hey pal, legality is at the forefront of the issue here and is the concern and responsibility of everyone on these forums. Why do you think you cannot so much as talk about game cracks, or pirating? Legality IS a concern.

This thread is reported. End of story.

i still find it funny he has still failed to discuss why he wants this, we all know its for illegal matters (tracking ex gf or whatever)


guess some people do not get the hint, hopefully, ascii2's stay here will be short lived?

 

[OldSkool]

i still find it funny he has still failed to discuss why he wants this, we all know its for illegal matters (tracking ex gf or whatever)

guess some people do not get the hint, hopefully, ascii2's stay here will be short lived?

Haha, Yeah, he gets all defensive when we ask, like we don't have a right to even question him. I sincerely hope a mod does step in, and hard.

 

[WarriorII]

I am seeking information on how to track GPS-enabled mobile phone devices cheaply.

United States of America regulation background information:

In year 2003, U.S. Government passed policy requiring the ability to track people to a precision of, at maximum, 100 meters. The policy was to become effective in year 2005. The mobile industries complied with the policy by implementing GPS-enabled handset for their networks allowing much more precise tracking of position information in realtime or near realtime.​

Some items I wanted to try are Sprint PCS phones (Motorola RAZR models). I, however, do not use Sprint PCS devices.

This thread is not about tracking people, but rather a component included in mobile handsets after a new regulation (effective year 2005) in the country of United States of America.

Regarding "cheaply":

One time costs may be discarded from consideration if their sum is less than or equal to $250 U.S. Dollars. However, recurring costs (like incremental monthly wireless data costs) should not be discarded. Absolute precision is not necessary.​

Any assistance is appreciated.

I work in this area, I can not believe I didn't see this sooner!!

Requesting Tracking Information on US persons REQUIRES a (EDIT Search Warrant & subpoena - period.

As I do not believe you are in the Law Enforcement Business and posting here in the Forums of how to actually do this - I AM DEAMING THIS AN ILLEGAL ACTIVITY.

We do not discuss Cracks, Hacks or Warez AND BY NO MEANS - HOW TO PERFORM THINGS THAT ARE OUTRIGHT AGAINST THE LAW.

By that I mean tracking persons without legal means. (EDIT: No Search Warrant /No Subpoena)
and only being done by LEA's.

I am CLOSING & LOCKING THIS THREAD NOW.

Untill I can fully read through this, enjoy your freedom,

You may be taking a Vacation if I find it necessary.

WII
Forum Moderator


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