That means you won't be accessing anywhere close to 200 people.

Ah, but if you can only access System x 2 other comlinks, couldn't those comlinks also access that comlink's System x 2? Besides, we've seen examples in the past where limitations on how many things you can have on your subscriber network were bypassed; Deus had many more remote drones than would normally be allowed, springs to mind.

As for the comlink's owner noticing that something's wrong with their comlink, couldn't you set up some sort of Virtual Machine that made it look like everything was ok, just running slower?

But you have to command them all to do the same thing. If you wanted those agents or drones to be doing different tasks, then it's 1 to 1 for subscriptions to drone/agent.

Depending on what you wanted to use a large network of hijacked comlinks for, this might not be a problem.

Again, I ask, wouldn't it be possible to set up a Virtual Machine that duplicates the functions that the comlink was providing for its legitimate user, but with a diminished processing capcity? Sure the guy might notice that his response has gone sluggish, but it'd be less obvious than a total loss of functionality.

I can imagine a scenario where the runners knock out a scientist/guard/lackey and then the hacker does exactly what is stated above. The commlink would still be on (perhaps not if it was a cyber-commlink, but you'd select a target with a non-cyber one anyway), and the hacker can masquerade as the lackey's commlink that way in secured internal systems. If it gets traced, it goes back to the lackey (dumped into a convenient closet somewhere).

Well, spoofing a datatrail only adds +1 per hit to the threshold on a trace. Using his commlink to do operations just makes it so that if they do trace you, it will go back to the dupe's location instead of you and your team's.

Oddly, this only can be done when a trace is just running...

That's only if they successfully hack into the commlink that they are tracing, assuming you are using the dupe's commlink persona to do your dirty work (and thus, that commlink's OS). Remember, Trace only tracks a persona icon back to its original source, using that persona's datatrail. Once they've traced your dupe's persona that you are controlling, they can attempt to hack the dupe's commlink, and gain access to any connections that the commlink is connected to, including your commlink. However, the initial response would probably be sending the troops in to the physical location of the persona's originating commlink, which would still be the dupe's commlink.

This won't work if you are using your own persona and own OS (originating from your own commlink), and I know there are GMs whose heads are probably imploding right now. But this would be similar to the rules for uploading Agents into another node rather than running it off of your persona, as Agents aren't linked back to you unless they are loaded from your persona. Heck, alternatively, you can even spoof your datatrail to match someone else's Access ID (a simple Hacking + Spoof (2) test) to do pretty much the same thing, and you don't even have to hack their commlink. When the heat goes down, just switch off your commlink or go into Hidden mode. When they search for the particular Access ID you've spoofed, they'll get your dupe.

Especially if you keep in mind the reduction of Response by running Programs:
If you command those hundred of Frames to log/hack into a certain system, all at once...

are you sure? that seems silly.

hm. i suppose. it still seems like a very limited-use trick, given

a) how easy it would be for the owner of the hacked commlink to just reboot;
b) how unlikely it is that the commlink you've hacked will have sufficient system and response to run your programs;
c) how long it will take, given (a), to upload your programs.

hacking commlinks can be pretty handy, though, especially in cybercombat (if you can escape cybercombat for a few passes). for instance, you can load an IC frame onto their system, forcing them into cybercombat in multiple nodes, which really sucks for them. you can delete their programs. you can go for the throat and force a reboot.

Kinda. *shrugs*

It is defined as feeding false infos to the trace... the Stealth Program works as a precaution, though, reducing their dicepool.

But the trace wouldn't necessarily have to be running yet. Since the trace isn't actively requesting info from the hacker's commlink (Well, at least not until he's completely fragged it isn't), feeding false info to the program would consist mostly of leaving false info in the places the trace program would be looking for it.

Yup, which is why I said you should knock the dupe out first.

Probably. But it would only take a Complex Action at the most (maybe one Complex Action per program, to be fair) to do it. It's something that you do if you have time on your hands to prepare and want to be all clever and shit. Not something you are doing when you are going for speed and in a pressure situation.