Re: ethernet on PalmOS

[rain forest puppy <rfp () wiretrip net>]

Ok, lots of messages saying that Palms have modems, Palms have infrared,
and Palms have wireless ethernet.

Now, let's look at this from the scenerio as presented:  I walk into a
datacenter, using my itty-bitty palm I secretly plug into a core switch
and nmap away.  Wow, awesome.  Now, let's look at the suggestions:

Modem:  great...ppp, let alone ppp to the internet.  You now need a modem
to dial into, and if the client's network is behind a firewall, you can't
get at it with general ISP.  So, while do you're you're secret 'walk in
and nmap', you're going to ask if they have a ppp capable modem setup
on the inside?  Ruins the stealth approach...

Infrared: how many server systems have infrared ready and raring to go in
a datacenter?  "Excuse me, I want to scan your network with my palm...can
I install this infrared receiver on your Exchange server?"  Tis hath no
stealth...

Wireless: biggest candidate, provided what are you wireless-ly connecting
to?  A suave Cisco wireless bridge?  You going to tote one of those along
with you, so you plug in your wireless bridge, and then your Palm talks to
it?  "Don't mind me as I lay another Cisco into your infrastructure.  BTW,
can you update your routing tables to incorporate my wireless bridge?"
Stealth it not be...

Let me tell you where I'm coming from.  As of now, you can walk into
someplace with a Libretta in your pocket, using a PCMCIA ethernet card,
plug a dangling cable into a port, and sniff away, without requiring
wireless bridges, infrared recievers, or a modem pool.  I belive that was
the question posed for the Palm as well.

Otherwise, if you need a PC to interface with/through, or an (expensive)
Cisco router/wireless bridge, what's the point of scanning from your Palm?

Some people I believe mention some future products that provide ethernet
connectivity, which may provide what is asked.  But it seems that it's not
quite possible right now.

- rfp