The matrix, by RAW, is so messed up that any question pertaining to it can't be responded to with anything other than sensible house rules.

By RAW a matrix node can be made 100% impenetrable by using a nexus and 32+ Agents defending it.
Which means: can you use a cyberlimb as a nexi element, and run an agent on it? By RAW you can use toasters, so why not?

Most nexi are the size of a desktop computer tower or larger—too large to carry comfortably in place of a commlink, but possible to pull on a cart, load onto a drone, or carry in a vehicle.

The servers that run nexi come in a wide range of sizes and processor power, from units the size of a modern-day laptop to a full-blown server tower. The more processor power needed, the more powerful and thus bigger the hardware of the nexus will be.

That said, I find the loophole fascinating: how is a nexus with 32+ agents 100 percent impenetrable? Could you give me some more details?

You just use AR to log into all your devices, load an agent onto all of them, move the persona into your 'front facing' equipment in advance, and order the agent to attack anything that comes into the 'front facing' node that isn't supposed to be there.

It's pretty much unhackable.

If you were actually concerned about this scenaro (personally if a medtech feels they need to take a bonesaw to my ribs the last thing i care about is them damaging my internal air tank)

That means that EVERY cyber that would have a wireless link (aka everything other than dermal plating or whatever) HAS a wireless link. End of story. YES, you CAN turn it off, but doing so requires a few special things:

1) The skills to do it yourself without frying your central nervous system when you mod your own MbW.
2) A REALLY good friend with the skills to do it without killing you in the process and who you TRUST can do it without killing you in the process.
3) A talented team mate who's willing to do it for you who you can trust not to either
A) Fry your central nervous system
B) Leave a backdoor for themselves to easily ice your ass when you betray them/they betray you
C) Sell the access codes to your internal Air Tank to an opposing SR team so they can blow your ass up like a balloon
4) If you've got a talented team mate who you can trust and who can do the job, there's that silly COST to worry about (few runners will sell their services to a Johnson but then give them away to team mates just cause).
5) Enough dough to hire a talented Hacker/TM who can do it for you, and the connections to find one who's trustworthy.
6) The flat out CASH to have customized ware built for you when you get your shiny new implants and have them set the way you want them for security when you buy them. Meaning
A) They're now probably Delta grade ware.
B) They cost a TON more thanks to specific modifications and optimizations you want installed.
C) When you get shot in the back during a run and your MbW III Delta Customized ware is damage, you're going to shell out 10x more than you normally would to get it fixed, oh, and you're harder to treat thanks to your insane level of paranoia having the MEDICAL INTERFACE TURNED OFF

Now, that being said, YES, you can go and have your gear secured by not having a wireless connection. You've spent yourself a TON more cash to do it, but, HEY, you're secure, right?

Now, the SMART runner would simply have the hacker they're working with maintain security on your groups PAN (you're running TacSoft anyway, so he SHOULD be doing that already). Have him load some optimized IC on each of your commlinks (only need one copy of the IC, and copy it to everyone) and put a few Data Bombs in the access areas for your cyber-signals and you're done.

See, shutting OFF the cyber's wireless signal is both expensive and dangerous. Having your team's hacker PROTECT the team's cyber is FREE and SAFE.

I might be using the wrong word, but there's a way to cluster matrix devices such that you combine their power. A cyberlimb is only adding its processing value to a total, which might not be much by itself, but enough limbs (and a comlink) and you get up to a total response rating of 20 or better. Then, the entire cluster is treated as a single node, and with 30 agents running in a node (tasked to defend the node) it's impossible to get into the node, due to dice pool disadvantage (the node gets 6+ dice against you 30 times--what are the odds that one or more agents meets or beats your stealth rating?).

You just use AR to log into all your devices, load an agent onto all of them, move the persona into your 'front facing' equipment in advance, and order the agent to attack anything that comes into the 'front facing' node that isn't supposed to be there.

It's pretty much unhackable.

BBB (p. 304) says that there is no problem with purchasing any gear without wireless option, "though it may get you some funny looks". And that every "device's wireless capability can be turned off with
a simple command". It just has to be manually turned on later (but with DNI or skinlink it should be able to switch on with mental command, I think). So it is not expensive or dangerous in any way.

Erm, if they damage your internal air tank (for example) you blow up. Ever seen a pressurized tank of gas get ruptured? It's ugly. And that Internal Air Tank is INSIDE YOU. "Saw..." "oops..." "BANG!"

Two words:
Cyberware
Scanner

What medtech doesn't have one?

What advantage do multiple front-facing nodes have over the commlink being the only node connecting to the matrix (directly)?

Two points:

Nothing is unhackable.
If you are in public you are withing 3 meters of a wireless node.


You can make things difficult or time consuming to hack, but if it has a legitimate interface (skinlink and dni count for this purpose), then there is a method of hacking into it. The matrix is an all pervasive mesh with a cluster density measured in feet everywhere people congregate. Additionally, the annoying insect-like drones capable of patching into your skinlinked cybertorso are all but invisible. Having a very low signal rating saves you very little.

(skinlink and dni count for this purpose)

Also I don't buy the entire free-for-all mesh network bullshit, set your devices to not talk with some random mesh and instead use the wireless routers we've been told are bolted everywhere WHEN you want to actually connect with anything.

And of course, disable your wireless except for a 'jack ( Yes, Unwired has that stupid rule, but it doesn't make sense so I'll continue happily ignoring it. ) then only subscribe your cyber to your 'jack when you want to update your software.


Oh, and never, ever trust the team's Decker with your cyber security, I mean do you also ask the team's gunbunny to clean and load your firearms?

What can I say, I'm cycinal by nature and my choice of RPGs probably aren't the "most healthy" for my personality. To speak nothing of my choice in girlfriends and exspouse.

*chuckles* That is what the voices in my head keep telling the nice young men in clean white coats. Doesn't seem to help though.


Seriously though, I think tis time for me to head into town and flirt with a certain pretty young lady for a bit and see if ya'll can get mellow Ravor back for a little while.

Thanks, and oh yeah, I can most definently get used to being mellow Ravor, good women are hard to find, and good women who don't mind the fact that you've got custody of young children, even harder. Man I think I hit the fragging lottery, maybe...

However, people on the other side refuse to adress the issue that it's easy to simply buy your cyber with no wireless at all in the first place, and hardwiring everything to a single 'jack or internal 'link is free and easy.

However, people on the other side refuse to adress the issue that it's easy to simply buy your cyber with no wireless at all in the first place, and hardwiring everything to a single 'jack or internal 'link is free and easy.

Which is why I figure that everyone should only have one or possibly two "wireless" pathways leaving his body, and then only have his cyber talk to said pathways when that piece of cyber recieves a DNI command to do so, and to auto refuse any "outside" attempts to connect.

Sure a Decker and hack into your 'jack...

Yeah, but afaik unwired made spoof useless, you have to provide a valid access idea that you've seen used sniffer with spoof...

Yeah, but afaik unwired made spoof useless, you have to provide a valid access idea that you've seen used sniffer with spoof, so if they preshare a list of valid access ids and delete the top one each time it is used and black list the rest, you are stuffed.

I'm not sure entirely what you mean by this, but the impression I get is that unless you have a valid access ID gained by sniffer, you can't use Spoof? Is that what you're saying? [I'd believe it, I'm just not understanding your wording.]

Does anyone see a way around this?

Well remember that in Fourth Edition even 'jacks are wireless...

Datajack: A datajack allows a user to directly interface with any electronic device via a fiberoptic cable. Datajacks also allow users to slot and mentally access chips, softs, and BTLs. Datajacks are equipped with their own memory storage for downloading or saving files. Two datajack users can string a fiberoptic cable between themselves to conduct a private mental communication immune to radio interception/eavesdropping.

And 'jacks are one of the few pieces of cyber that having wireless access actually makes sense for.

As cheap as 'jacks are, everyone should be able to shell out the nuyen for Betagrade, and if you can get in the door, not even Deltagrade is that unreasonable.