Police Networks

[BogoMips]

After being in cop cars far too many times I am filled with curiosity. What kind of network are they on? I think some if not all are wireless these days (I know it is in Milwaukee and I think here in Madison too). Does anyone have more details about this? I am really curious as to find out as much as I can.

Thanks!

[morfius]

Hrms...down here in Oz, they aren't that advanced. LOL. Example: 'Must have good computer skills. E.g be able to open and save files, type up documents.'

But anyway, are you talking about the walkie talkie things? Thats...radio frequency. As for other networks, er... most probally a national or international database of know criminals etc. Who knows, maybe the computer forensic cops got some 'secrets' up their sleves.

[BogoMips]

More specifically...The laptops in the squad cars.

[morfius]

Hrms...not sure about the laptops. Wireless card? over a wide area network...or could be hooked up to the antennas on the back of the cars. who knows...

[Specter6]

Most PDs are on Ethernet Networks. Most have gone to Client-Server systems, but many still run AS400 mainframes over Ethernet.

The MDT (Mobile Data Terminals) are encrypted and sent via radio freq.

I have worked on a couple such systems, and they're quite impressive.

[morfius]

Wow...please tell us more Specter6!

[jcmcb]

Bogo - Why do you want to know?

Answer - It varies city to city. Some places use a Radio based system, other use CDPD modems, and still others use mircowave or wireless lans. It all depends of how much money they have to spend, what there priorities are, and that sort of thing. But its very small amounts of data, and some of the systems are almost 20 years old, so its not very fast....

[BogoMips]

Does it really matter? If you take the time to do some research you will be able to tell I'm not a dumbass kid who wants to gain access to their system. I'm an educated individual (Networking) and in a similar profession. Thanks for your concern however if the world was full of jcmcb's we'd be a lot better off.

[Specter6]

Somebody trying to hack the PD network really doesn't concern me. Most, if not all of the PDs using MDTs have great IT guys (and many of them are cops...). And they take their network security seriously. So if anybody were trying to get in, they'd pretty much be up the proverbial creek when they get caught.

PS - unless you know exactly how their systems work (ie. how to run queries and such - to include the codes used to run criminal history information through NCIC or run DL or reg. checks through NLETS), getting into an LE system would do you little good.

And as far as Bogo is concerned, I think it was more of a curiosity factor than malicious intent.

[Digital_Jesus]

Hey bongomips i live in rockford ill and have had the chance to sit down at one of these laptops after the recent linkinpark concert in madison, hehe they are idiot proff if made to mil spec from what ive been told you can spill anything u want on them drop them from a story up and even run them over with a car the goey wassnt to impresive from what i could tell in such a short time it was a very striped win95 but the only thing the cops seemed to have acces to was telnet witch they used to "chat" and what ever else they do