Track a Stolen PC with Freeware LocatePC - Cybernetnews Essay

[mouser]

Today on cybernetnews is a little tutorial on how to set up the freeware program LocatePC which basically sends you an email every day with information on the computer's internet connection, to aid you in recovering it if it is stolen.

Give a hardy welcome to LocatePC. First and foremost it will keep you informed of your computer’s whereabouts by sending you an email either on a daily basis or anytime the IP address of the machine changes. In the email it will give you all kinds of details that can help you track the PC’s location, such as the ISP it’s connected to and IP address of the machine.

http://cybernetnews.com/2008/05/15/cybernotes-track-a-stolen-computer/#more-12507

[cranioscopical]

Good for you, Mouser, well done!

[mouser]

what did i do, i just posted a link to a story 

[nosh]

Hehehe!

I have something like this for my phone. Darned thing's never been stolen though! 

[scancode]

Hehehe!

I have something like this for my phone. Darned thing's never been stolen though! 

For your PHONE? I want more info pleeeeeeeze

[nosh]

Well, you're in luck coz it was covered indepth by Ghacks a couple of days after I mentioned it.

I use Guardian. I have tested the main feature (message a pre-programmed number silently if an unrecognized sim is inserted) and it works very well. Only catch, your phone has to be running a Symbian OS - but I would expect something similar to exist for other platforms too. Ghacks mentions a utility for Sony Ericsson too.

[scancode]

Nice! All I knew about is the hacked Motorola iTunes corelet, with the SMS sending plugin... So basically we have Motorola, Sony Ericsson and Nokia covered

Only use on Motorola SLVR L7 iTunes Edition (evil grin), or E398/ROKR E1

http://www.esnips.com/doc/d1d78145-796f-4b0d-b09b-78d082f3a0f5/itunes_call_1000_280_alarm4_text

[Deozaan]

I have something like this for my phone. Darned thing's never been stolen though! 

Haha! You sound so disappointed it's never been stolen or lost. 

[Deozaan]

How useful is it really to know the IP and ISP of a system?

I was under the impression that the IP address was fairly general/broad and wouldn't let you precisely locate a machine.

And about the program, if anyone has it installed: I'm curious as to how it works with regard to LAN IPs vs. Internet IPs. Is it going to be stupid and say the IP is 192.168.0.3 or be smart and give the real IP address?

[Carol Haynes]

Won't help much if the first thing a thief does is low level format the hard discs ??

What is really needed is a BIOS based app that can be hidden behind a BIOS password. That way a thief would have to replace the BIOS chip which is not nearly so convenient.

[Deozaan]

I answered my own questions by reading more about it.

It lists both your local IP and ISP IP.

I just couldn't ever get it to send me an e-mail during configuration, so unfortunately it's worthless for me.

[Curt]

You have to type the email address in two different places, and it really shouldn't be an address that will be received on the same computer.

Carol's talk about the BIOS sounds most reasonable, but I don't think LocatePC is targeted against professionals, but amateurs. I have removed my version.

[Deozaan]

You have to type the email address in two different places, and it really shouldn't be an address that will be received on the same computer.

Yeah I'm aware of that. It never got an e-mail through, so I've uninstalled it.

[Carol Haynes]

I have forgotten which machine it was but there is a machine with a cut down version of Linux in the BIOS so you don't need to boot up to use the internet. That would be the ideal guard against theft if you can set that to call home.

[Lashiec]

I have forgotten which machine it was but there is a machine with a cut down version of Linux in the BIOS so you don't need to boot up to use the internet. That would be the ideal guard against theft if you can set that to call home.

A motherboard actually

[Carol Haynes]

Thanks you are better at searching than I am ... even though it was one of my threads originally!

[Josh]

Carol, This already exists (The BIOS tracker). The us army and various other organizations work with OEMs to get this feature implimented in the bios. Even if you reset the bios by removing the CMOS battery, you still have that feature permanently enabled once its turned on for the first time.