How does this URL know I mean my WiFi booster?

2

I have a Netgear WN1000RP WiFi booster. You can plug it in the wall, then connect to the booster's wireless network from a machine via the SSID NETGEAR_EXT, then use the URL http://www.mywifiext.net or http://www.mywifiext.com in a browser to reach the booster's configuration page.

Does that mean the booster intercepts and scans every DNS request looking for "mywifiext", and in those cases returns the local IP address of the booster itself? Or is some other trick used?

Witness Protection ID 44583292

Posted 2013-09-18T17:01:13.373

Reputation: 339

1I would guess that you are correct. – Frank Thomas – 2013-09-18T17:04:55.723

Most likely, it probably monitors HTTP requests going over port 80 and then redirects to the routers configuration page. – Jason Bristol – 2013-09-18T17:06:15.650

Answers

6

I'm not intimately familiar with the booster you speak of but when you dynamically obtain your IP from the router, you also dynamically obtain your DNS. And, as luck would have it, the router is your DNS... So it just has "mywifiext.net" in its lookup table like any other DNS entry.

Lorin S.

Posted 2013-09-18T17:01:13.373

Reputation: 226

This is pretty much exactly how it works. – Ramhound – 2013-09-18T18:19:34.803

Asked: 2013-09-18T17:01:13.373

Viewed: 519 times

Active: 2019-10-21T11:51:03.630