 Skinlink Question |
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 Apr 23 2006, 05:46 PM
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#1
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Moving Target  Group: Members Posts: 105 Joined: 20-April 06 From: La Islas de Republica de Bananas (Philippines) Member No.: 8,488  |
Hello, I'm new to this forum and I've been trying to find the answer to this question.
The Skinlink accessory, is the device attached to the item that you want to skinlink or is it attached to the commlink? If it is attached to the item, then you pay 50 :nuyen: per item you want skinlinked then? I'm sorry if this question/topic has been addressed before. |
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Apr 23 2006, 05:54 PM
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#2
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Running, running, running Group: Dumpshocked Posts: 2,220 Joined: 18-October 04 From: North Carolina Member No.: 6,769 |
it goes to the item you want to have skinlinked, imo.
However, it is also my opinion that ONLY those items under "electronic" accessories" can be skinlinked as well, i dont feel like it was the intention that runners and people in generaly be completly immune to hackign simply by spending an additional 05 :nuyen: |
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 Apr 23 2006, 06:06 PM
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#3
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jacked in Group: Admin Posts: 8,529 Joined: 26-February 02 Member No.: 463 |
Each item (commlink, too) has to be skinlinked individually.
It doesn't make you immune to hacking, it only makes you immune to hacking while you have zero connection to the outside world. Bye Thanee |
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Apr 23 2006, 06:08 PM
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#4
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 524 Joined: 12-April 06 Member No.: 8,455 |
If you want to prevent hacking, go into hidden mode. If you want to prevent hacking *and* operate under complete EMCON, switch all your transmitters off and use skinlink only.
Of course, walking around in hidden is suspicious, and going EMCON screams for attention if anybody notices you doing it. |
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Apr 23 2006, 06:44 PM
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#5
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Running Target Group: Members Posts: 1,002 Joined: 22-April 06 From: Canada Member No.: 8,494 |
A perfect example of using skinlink is the Hidden Arm Slide, trodes, and commlink. With these items you can activate the Arm Slide with a mental command and not risk having it malfunction because there is jamming in the area.
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Apr 24 2006, 02:16 PM
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#6
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Neophyte Runner Group: Members Posts: 2,073 Joined: 23-August 04 Member No.: 6,587 |
One neat trick if you want compleat radio science without being suspicious is to skin link all your gear, including smart link goggles and COM link. Turn the transmitter on that COM link off (debatable possibility but you should be able to, the signal hardware can be upgraded independently so if nothing else you can remove it.) then take a cheep COM link, load in with inocus data and no skin link, possibly include AR glasses with no skin link. Your important stuff is now protected and you do not appear to be hiding.
Edward |
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Apr 24 2006, 03:39 PM
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#7
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 371 Joined: 10-January 06 From: Regina Member No.: 8,145 |
Keep in mind that also has severe limitations as your "dummy" Commlink is the only thing that can communicate to the "outside world". Basically you've turned your "real" Commlink into a simple "device hub". If you want to receive Commcalls, send messages, or browse the Matrix for info, this must all be done through that "dummy" Commlink. Then, every time you find something interesting and want to save it to you real Commlink you'll have to turn its Wireless antenna on, then transfer the data.
What's that you say? You'll just Skinlink the dummy Commlink to the real one? Ah, but now you are hackable. The Hacker just needs to go through the dummy Commlink first. Since it's a "cheep" (sic) one, that shouldn't be too difficult. BOTTOM LINE: You cannot make yourself un-hackable in SR4 anymore than you can make yourself "immune" to magic. Its a well known Shadowrun fact that having a team without a Magician is very risky as they are the most effective way to defend against Magical attack. In SR4 the Hacker has the same role only he/she is the electronic defense for the group. |
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Apr 24 2006, 03:57 PM
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#8
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 105 Joined: 20-April 06 From: La Islas de Republica de Bananas (Philippines) Member No.: 8,488 |
Thanks for the replies. So, everything is hackable provided that your commlink is connected to WiFi.
Does that mean my players should install IC on everything they have? One of them created his own IC [Rating 4] with Analyze and Attack on it. He then copied it to his guns (smartlinked), his glasses (smartlinked), his armor (I have no idea why), and pretty much everything he owns. So if an enemy hacker wants to enter his PAN and tamper with his Ares Pred IV (for example), will they have to go through just the IC in his commlink and the Pred (assuming they don't get lost with all the other crap he has linked to his PAN). |
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Apr 24 2006, 04:02 PM
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#9
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Great Dragon Group: Members Posts: 5,430 Joined: 10-January 05 From: Fort Worth, Texas Member No.: 6,957 |
Install IC on things that it won't severely hamper. There's no reason not to. I wouldn't go as far as to put it on my armor, but then again I doubt I'd have wireless armor anyway. What's he using it for that he needs it online?
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Apr 24 2006, 04:02 PM
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#10
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Hoppelhäschen 5000 Group: Members Posts: 5,807 Joined: 3-January 04 Member No.: 5,951 |
Pretty much.
Only thing to remember is that the IC will run at Rating 4 only if provided Response 4... most of the items in his PAN wil have a response from 1-3, so it will belimited to 1-3, running on those. |
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Apr 24 2006, 04:04 PM
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#11
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Hoppelhäschen 5000 Group: Members Posts: 5,807 Joined: 3-January 04 Member No.: 5,951 |
Changing colors, storing data, regulating the thermal dampening - you name it. |
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Apr 24 2006, 04:05 PM
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#12
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Great Dragon Group: Members Posts: 5,430 Joined: 10-January 05 From: Fort Worth, Texas Member No.: 6,957 |
An odd place to store your data, given that it's primary function is to be damaged in combat. Kinda like using a hard drive as a shield.
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Apr 24 2006, 04:07 PM
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#13
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Great Dragon Group: Members Posts: 5,486 Joined: 17-March 05 From: Michigan Member No.: 7,180 |
In theory. IMO it depends on what the IC is programmed to look for. For example, if the hacker sucesfully hacked the PC's commlink (the only real wireless entrance into the system) and set himself up a legitimate account (or hacked his way into the admin account), then he could manipulate the guns from there (since they are connected to the commlink, and that's how the PC uses them). The IC *probably* arn't programmed to think anything is fishy if "admin" wants to managed the protected devices. If they do, they'd be attacking the PC every time he wanted to switch firing modes, or check his remaining ammo. On the off chance the PC left the guns' wireless links active, the hacker could also choose to hack from there, which would bypass the commlink altogether, but the IC would then possibly intercept the hacking attempts. Really, the only reason the hacker would have to hack into the commlink, and then hack again into the guns would be if the PC set them up to have different accounts (which, there is no game-mechanic reason not to do) - in which case the commlink doesn't actually have access to the weapons until the user enters in legitimate account information (password) - but when the hacker got into the PC's system, there is a good chance that the guns would already be connected (since the PC wouldn't want to use a simple action to "log on" to his weapon in the middle of a fight). However, when just hanging around, he wouldn't need to keep his weapon's "online" and it would add another line of defense since hte hacker would have to move from the commlink node to the gun node (rather than just send commands from the commlink). |
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Apr 24 2006, 04:09 PM
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#14
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Hoppelhäschen 5000 Group: Members Posts: 5,807 Joined: 3-January 04 Member No.: 5,951 |
Only if you managed to find a way to store data on the fabric and plates. ;)
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Apr 24 2006, 04:13 PM
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#15
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 105 Joined: 20-April 06 From: La Islas de Republica de Bananas (Philippines) Member No.: 8,488 |
It's on his chameleon suit, he uses it to control the colors of the outfit. Same reason as in his Urban Jumpsuit too. |
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Apr 24 2006, 04:17 PM
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#16
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 105 Joined: 20-April 06 From: La Islas de Republica de Bananas (Philippines) Member No.: 8,488 |
Sorry, he installed both biometric (DNA) sensors and skinlink to his guns (to prevent other people from picking it up and using it on him.) He said that the IC is programmed to allow him to use it because he has a DNA connection (his hand) which also provides the skinlink connection. On the other hand, if he is holding it and one were to hack into the damned commlink ... I guess he is screwed. :D Happy days once more. |
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Apr 24 2006, 04:27 PM
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#17
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Great Dragon Group: Members Posts: 5,430 Joined: 10-January 05 From: Fort Worth, Texas Member No.: 6,957 |
Because only fabric and plates get hit when shooting at armor. :) |
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Apr 24 2006, 04:29 PM
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#18
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 137 Joined: 21-February 06 From: Lenexa, Kansas (Yes Kansas, we ain't all hicks y'all.) Member No.: 8,291 |
That's basically the boat you are in. The advantage of skinlinks is that they force the Hacker to hit your commlink first as opposed to just hitting stuff directly. Get your hacker to hook you up with l337 IC and hopefully that will slow the other hacker down until yours can take care of him. Of course a little ballistic persuasion applied to the enemy hacker is the best IC there is IMO. 8)
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Apr 24 2006, 04:54 PM
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#19
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Target Group: Members Posts: 43 Joined: 18-April 06 From: midwest Member No.: 8,478 |
ballistic persuasion... :) i think i found my next negotiation specialization.
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Apr 24 2006, 06:25 PM
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#20
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 524 Joined: 12-April 06 Member No.: 8,455 |
Let's see...
Run primary commlink with transceiver off, using a hardline to run to trodes, and skinlink from there to other gear in your PAN, with tranceivers also turned off (but skinlink on) for the rest of them. You are now "offline" and protected from hacking or DF, but cannot interact with AR, the matrix, or your buddies beyond the range of your voice. Has its uses, though. Now, add a second commlink, hardlined to the first. This is your firewall; it contains a fake system emulator running very little as camo, and a big OS running fat IC beneath it. The IC should be sniffing every pulse that comes in, and provide a decent line of defense. The primary commlink, meanwhile, should also be running some defenses; basically, if it comes from the trodes hardline, it's o.k., if it comes from the firewall hardline it has to go through security and doesn't get certain permissions at all. Now, a hacker has to hack into the firewall, figure out that it's a fake, discover the hardline port (maybe not *that* hard if they can trace the data packets), sleaze past the IC into the primary commlink, figure out what *it's* doing, sleaze past its own IC, and hack it to either open it up or spoof it into believing that the hacked commands are really coming from the trodes hardline. If either IC catches the hacker, it sends you a warning message and you pull the hardline to the firewall and go offline. Not a perfect setup--hey, no different from a 2-tier corp mainframe, just smaller and easier to beat--but the fact that the system can be rapidly and manually isolated on any detection gives you an advantage, especially since someone shooting for a commlink isn't expecting it to be that hard to begin with. |
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Apr 24 2006, 06:54 PM
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#21
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jacked in Group: Admin Posts: 8,529 Joined: 26-February 02 Member No.: 463 |
The perfect weapon against skinlinks: Stick-n-Shock with RFID and skinlink. 8)
Bye Thanee |
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Apr 24 2006, 07:35 PM
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#22
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Beetle Eater Group: Dumpshocked Posts: 4,797 Joined: 3-June 02 From: Oblivion City Member No.: 2,826 |
You can have the gateway commlink disconnect from the network every few turns using an external timer, as well. Dumping any snoopers before they get deep.
And if you're getting hit with Stick-n-Shock, I imagine you have bigger problems than PAN disruption. |
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Apr 24 2006, 07:38 PM
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#23
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Great Dragon Group: Members Posts: 5,430 Joined: 10-January 05 From: Fort Worth, Texas Member No.: 6,957 |
That's an interesting idea. What negative effects would it have on your use of the matrix? For example, if you start a search and then get dumped for a split second, perhaps because your connection sucks, do you have to start the search over? |
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Apr 24 2006, 08:02 PM
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#24
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Beetle Eater Group: Dumpshocked Posts: 4,797 Joined: 3-June 02 From: Oblivion City Member No.: 2,826 |
Cookies? I think if you're keeping the same access code, then you should be able to start near where you left off. Obviously not with hacking since the point is to not have cookies... |
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Apr 24 2006, 08:05 PM
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#25
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jacked in Group: Admin Posts: 8,529 Joined: 26-February 02 Member No.: 463 |
Certainly... but I wasn't thinking of PAN disruption... more like PAN intrusion (planting some trojan-like software into the commlink, maybe, to activate it for wireless connections in order to access it). Bye Thanee |
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