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curmudgeon32

macrumors regular
Aug 28, 2012
240
1
funny ive been able to imessage for free on southwest by connceting to the wifi and not paying. Have they blocked the imessage ports after discovering this trick?

shame lol.

Haven't done this on Southwest, but I definitely get iMessages through some of the underground wifi signals in the subway here in NYC — the networks themselves often are free but require jumping through really irritating hoops like watching videos and crap like that. I never bother to log in, but it's nice to get messages in and out.
 

Evil Spoonman

macrumors 6502
Jan 21, 2011
330
171
California
I'm curious how they achieve this...

iMessage uses standard secure HTTP port 443. Do they open the port then rate limit it? That would make sending photos really slow. It really seems like you could just browse anything through 443 if they have opened that port.
 

KPOM

macrumors P6
Oct 23, 2010
18,031
7,872
Ok. So if I am understanding this correctly Wi-Fi access on southwest is Wi-Fi that is limited by Apps or sites?

Once you have Wi-Fi anywhere else I have never questioned whether or not we can use HBO-GO, VoIP, etc.

Wow

Pretty much every airplane wi-fi service I've ever used limits access to streaming sites. Airplane wi-fi just doesn't have the bandwidth.
 

drtywhat

macrumors newbie
Aug 11, 2010
7
1
The best part is I am on a southwest flight right now. I am a-list preferred. I get free wifi. I just iMessaged my wife and then had a 10 min FaceTime conversation with her too!!!!:D
 

bradl

macrumors 603
Jun 16, 2008
5,927
17,405
The best part is I am on a southwest flight right now. I am a-list preferred. I get free wifi. I just iMessaged my wife and then had a 10 min FaceTime conversation with her too!!!!:D

Actually, this is good to know. This tells me that they aren't blocking every port, and that some good things are allowed with the WiFi access they have.

I'm thinking along the lines of LiveATC while in flight, so you could basically create your own version of United Airlines' Channel 9.

BL.
 

kdarling

macrumors P6
iMessage uses standard secure HTTP port 443. Do they open the port then rate limit it? That would make sending photos really slow. It really seems like you could just browse anything through 443 if they have opened that port.

iMessage also uses port 5223.

Additionally, it has to talk to configuration.apple.com, which they could block.

Seems likely that Southwest is fully aware that passengers will soon be allowed to use their devices during flights and are cashing in as much as they can before the FCC says it's ok.

The proposed use of phones during flight would NOT be to the out-of-range towers far below you. It would be to an onboard mini-cell, which the airline would charge you to access.
 

mrgraff

macrumors 65816
Apr 18, 2010
1,089
837
Albuquerque
The proposed use of phones during flight would NOT be to the out-of-range towers far below you. It would be to an onboard mini-cell, which the airline would charge you to access.

I wonder why that important detail is being so under-reported.
 

Vendrazi

macrumors newbie
Aug 29, 2010
8
0
Yes. I have a port to VPN through now for $2 Internet!

You know they have to pay for infrastructure, right?

No, no, no -- it's all about you saving SIX DOLLARS.

Let's give it up for the hacker over here, who is so clever he can save SIX WHOLE DOLLARS! Whoo hoo! SIX DOLLARS that will buy him two coffees or half a movie ticket! BUT HE'S CLEVER.
 

iMouse

macrumors 6502
Jul 23, 2002
254
17
Boardman, Ohio
You know they have to pay for infrastructure, right?

No, no, no -- it's all about you saving SIX DOLLARS.

Let's give it up for the hacker over here, who is so clever he can save SIX WHOLE DOLLARS! Whoo hoo! SIX DOLLARS that will buy him two coffees or half a movie ticket! BUT HE'S CLEVER.

I was kinda referring to using the $8/day Internet + VPN as a means of defeating the block on video streaming.

Let's give it up for the n00b who thinks VPN usage instantly = hacker.
 
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