Tethering the Kindle 2

posted Mar 4th 2009 12:33pm by
filed under: classic hacks, misc hacks

kindle

This is not an article on how to use your Kindle’s internet connection with your computer. We’ll let [Jesse] explain why:

This is not a tutorial about how to use the Kindle 2′s Sprint connection from your computer. I don’t know that it’s possible to do so without making changes to the Linux installation on the Kindle. I do know that abusing the Kindle’s Sprint modem like that would upset Amazon a great deal.  Bear in mind also that Amazon know where you live. They know your Kindle’s serial number and thanks to the built in GPS, they know where you are right now.

What this is, however, is a nice tutorial on how to connect your Kindle to your computer so that it can use your computer’s internet connection. The instructions assume you are using a Mac, so you may have to adapt it if you aren’t. Basically you put the Kindle in Debug mode and tell it to use the USB tether for it’s network connection. This should allow not only a faster connection, but possibly a chance to see what exactly they are transferring back and forth.

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34 Responses to Tethering the Kindle 2

  • Spork says:
    March 4, 2009 at 12:47 pm

    So, we disable the GPS (cut the power trace) and find out how to mask/change/remove the serial number from our device?

    Really, I think internet and phone is headed for a low monthly fee. Like utilities. Which would eliminate all this nonsense of having to ‘steal’ internet from sprint/amazon.

    Reply Report comment
  • The Moogle says:
    March 4, 2009 at 12:58 pm

    let me ask this… umm why the hell is there a gps in a device who’s only purpose is to let you read books?

    Reply Report comment
  • BigD145 says:
    March 4, 2009 at 1:00 pm

    Amazon is trapped in 1984. Wasn’t that obvious?

    Reply Report comment
  • Insipid Melon says:
    March 4, 2009 at 1:20 pm

    “why the hell is there a gps in a device who’s only purpose is to let you read books?”

    I think you mean it’s only purpose is to let you read books *mobilely.* In which case GPS is a fairly natural addition, especially if, as I assume, it can display maps as well as plaintext.

    Why does the iphone have a GPS?

    Reply Report comment
  • george says:
    March 4, 2009 at 1:29 pm

    @moogle
    it is part gimmick and part alarming big brother trend. selling point for upgrades, like I don’t know, maps and directional information in case you don’t have a phone with gps, or car with gps, or … you get the idea.

    Reply Report comment
  • E911 says:
    March 4, 2009 at 1:51 pm

    @insipid melon:
    “Why does the iphone have a GPS?”

    Because the FCC’s “Enhanced 911″ rule requires all cell phones to be able to report their position to within 100 meters.

    Reply Report comment
  • Givemelove says:
    March 4, 2009 at 1:55 pm

    I agree with Moogle, what’s the point of having a GPS chip in the device???

    Moreover, if there’s already a sprint data connection in the Kindle, why bother hooking it up to the computer to share the computer’s inet connection?

    Reply Report comment
  • Tim says:
    March 4, 2009 at 1:57 pm

    Isn’t the kindle tivo-ised anyway? I doubt you can alter the software.

    Reply Report comment
  • Nick says:
    March 4, 2009 at 2:00 pm

    @moogle & @givemelove:

    The Kindle has GPS because the EVDO PCIe card they chose (Novotel E725) has it built in. I bet its easier to source a PCIe card with GPS than without it… If I were a manufacturer, I wouldn’t waste my time making an EVDO card without GPS.

    I don’t think the e911 rules apply to data-only devices…

    @givemelove: did you even read the summary?

    “This should allow not only a faster connection, but possibly a chance to see what exactly they are transferring back and forth.”

    Reply Report comment
  • shroomz says:
    March 4, 2009 at 2:05 pm

    @e911
    Enhanced 911 has nothing to do with GPS, it is done by triangulation of the three closest cell towers to your phone’s location.

    The iPhone has a GPS because, well, it can.

    Reply Report comment
  • E911 says:
    March 4, 2009 at 2:05 pm

    @nick:
    “I don’t think the e911 rules apply to data-only devices…”

    Since I’m the only one that mentioned e911, I assume that comment was directed at me.

    To clarify, I didn’t say that the Kindle was conforming to e911. I was saying that the iPhone was conforming to e911, becuase it’s a cell phone.

    Reply Report comment
  • E911 says:
    March 4, 2009 at 2:10 pm

    @shroomz:

    You’re right, e911 does not specifically require GPS. It only requires a device to report its location within a certain degree of accuracy, through whatever means necessary.

    Not all carriers can necessarily use triangulation at all times in all locations to give a sufficiently precise location. But they (nearly) always can with GPS, so they do.

    Reply Report comment
  • Givemelove says:
    March 4, 2009 at 2:10 pm

    @nick

    Faster connection / mobility -> what do you choose? In that case, can’t you just read your book on your computer?

    To Understand data traffic you first have to understand how the system is structured; how data is stored; the possible encryption types etc.

    Otherwise, you’ll just see some SSL packets transiting from Amazon to the Kindle… Very useful!

    Reply Report comment
  • Jesse Vincent says:
    March 4, 2009 at 2:36 pm

    Minor quibble with the text of this post: My name is Jesse. Kyle is just some guy who commented on my blog post.

    Reply Report comment
  • Seth says:
    March 4, 2009 at 2:45 pm

    “They know your Kindle’s serial number and thanks to the built in GPS, they know where you are right now.”

    In fact…

    [knock knock]

    Who is it?

    “My name is Jeff Bezos. You stole my Sprint connection. Prepare to die.”

    Nooooooo!!!

    Reply Report comment
  • nick says:
    March 4, 2009 at 4:24 pm

    What I would like to know is, can i reprogram the kindle to use my existing sprint data plan instead of amazons?

    Reply Report comment
  • john says:
    March 4, 2009 at 6:09 pm

    This just goes to show why proprietary devices such as the kindle, iphone, g1 all NEED to be hacked. My cell phone can use it’s gps even if it’s missing the sim, and I can read most all formats as well.

    Reply Report comment
  • punmaster says:
    March 4, 2009 at 10:07 pm

    All other things aside, being able to hook something to your computer is always a good first step when trying to hack it. I agree that the GPS seems a little silly at first, but if the wireless chipset already supports it, then I guess it’s still a plus. Besides, do any of us really buy a wireless capable mobile device nowadays and *not* expect there to be a GPS in it? :P I’ll just be happy when this thing is cracked wide open and homebrew apps will be able to use the GPS for their own purposes. I’m not sure exactly what I’d do with it, but there’s plenty of fun to be had. :)

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  • Michael W. says:
    March 4, 2009 at 10:55 pm

    In response to shroomz post about e911 not requiring GPS. In the case of CDMA-based mobile networks (like Sprints) your phone and data are spread across the entire spectrum of the network. It is not like a GSM-based network where you are assigned a time-slot on a the tower you are connected to on the network. So, yes…you need aGPS or a GPS capability on a CDMA-based network phone in order to comply with e911 req’s.

    In this case, I’m sure it was a card capability on the Kindle and Amazon probably uses the location data for marketing purposes.

    Reply Report comment
  • TomF says:
    March 5, 2009 at 1:20 am

    @michael w.

    Spread spectrum? But GPS also uses spread spectrum. Why should this be a problem for triangulation?

    Reply Report comment
  • Clay says:
    March 5, 2009 at 7:30 am

    Triangulation is a thing of the past kiddies, Many places now you are only being picked up by ONE tower anyway, Not the minimum of three required to triangulate. And without a good signal to 4-5 towers there is no way to get a location within a hundred meters.

    Reply Report comment
  • Clay says:
    March 5, 2009 at 7:34 am

    I wonder about simply removing the EVDO card, Then putting it into another device (Say a laptop) the ESN or whatever is in the EVDO, so the account and connection should follow the card.

    Reply Report comment
  • quidpro says:
    March 5, 2009 at 8:37 am

    What I want to know is, why does my George Foreman Grill have GPS?

    Reply Report comment
  • Erik J says:
    March 5, 2009 at 4:43 pm

    This makes the kindle usable outside of the US. as long as you don’t need a US credit card to make purchases.

    Reply Report comment
  • blizzarddemon says:
    March 6, 2009 at 10:31 pm

    A better question moogle, why the hell is it federally required in cell phones without any software that actually makes use of it.

    Reply Report comment
  • simon c. ion says:
    March 6, 2009 at 10:47 pm

    blizzarddemon:

    IIRC, there *is* software that makes use of the GPS functionality… the E911 system.

    But… if you like…
    *tinfoil hat*
    The GPS functionality is required so’s The Feds can know exactly where you are *at* *all* *times*.
    */tinfoil hat*

    Reply Report comment
  • mkeyFinn says:
    March 7, 2009 at 1:41 am

    GPS chip in the device???

    There might not be a point but I can think of about 20 nice hacks off of the top of my head if an interface protocol could be engineered for it. Do not look a gift horse in the mouth, if you don’t want it turn it off, otherwise it’s a nice feature to later exploit.

    Reply Report comment
  • chianarei says:
    March 7, 2009 at 1:49 am

    oh yeah and the gps in phones activates on 911 calls or is always on, depending on the setting, It then sends whatever info it can to the 911 operators computer, You can disable it by hacking your phone, but next time you wreck a car in the middle of nowhere, or get stuck in blizzard while hiking you might be glad you have it.

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  • j-striker says:
    March 7, 2009 at 9:10 am

    Yeah, the GPS is so Homeland Security knows where you are if you order books or articles on a secret government ‘concern list’ (Terrorist literature, Liberalist literature, and anything that threatens the corporate interests)

    Take a Kindle to an International airport and buy a copy of the Koran and see what happens.

    Come to think of it, ARE you allowed to use a Kindle on a commercial airliner? Is the stuff inside ‘close enough’ to a cell phone from either an actual technical standpoint, or ‘close enough’ from the point of view of the folks who brought us the horror of the liquid water bottle bomb?

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  • Doctor Site says:
    March 16, 2009 at 2:41 pm

    Do you guys have a recommendation section, i’d like to suggest some stuff

    Reply Report comment
  • jeff smith says:
    April 27, 2009 at 8:27 am

    I could’t tell from posts. Can we access the gps like on the original kindle or not. If so, how?

    Reply Report comment
  • CaryMG says:
    June 12, 2009 at 8:31 am

    I like the idea of my Kindle 2 havin’ a GPS ….

    1] Do you *really* think “The Government !!11OneEleven!!1″ gives a flying fuck where you are ?

    2] If “they” really want to get you, don’t you think they could ? And what would you do about it ? *Nothing* ….

    3] My Kindle 2 having a GPS means some sort of mapping functionality’s in the making. I like !

    Reply Report comment
  • Ron says:
    December 25, 2009 at 3:49 am

    somebody figured out how to do real tethering

    http://www.mulliner.org/blog/blosxom.cgi/hardware/kindle2_tethering.html

    Reply Report comment
  • snuff15e says:
    December 29, 2009 at 4:03 am

    Cellphones and the Kindle don’t have GPS. They use TDOA. If they had GPS capability my Iphone would still work when I’m out in the back country of Alaska. GPS uses sattelites, it doesn’t care where you are. Iphone/Kindle needs cell phone towers to ping off of to determine it’s position.

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