Multiple Commlinks?

Now, I couldn’t find anything in the rules prohibiting this and I don’t really see why it should, but I’d like other peoples view on this.

How useful would a character (Hacker) be with multiple commlinks?

I’m thinking of a Decker who uses either twin commlinks and switch between the two so that it becomes possible to juggle double the amount of programs at the same time OR using a main commlink that is used THROUGH another commlink that acts like a firewall filled with one or two IC programs and a few Agents with attack programs.

Having two commlinks and working through one of them effectively adds a second firewall since another Hacker has to hack through the first firewall and beat the IC & Agents before having the ability to even start hacking the main commlink’s firewall that operates through the first one.

How far could one stretch this? Having a Hacker using several high class commlinks just to be ultra safe from hacking by using 4-6 commlinks with maxed firewalls and some IC? Wouldn't it, in the end, degrade the speed of the commlink due to working through several other commlinks?

I'd say it would work, you would be limited to the smallest response at a guess.

Although there is one vulnerability to this, someone with good Scan, Spoof and Exploit programs could find the hidden commlinks, and neatly sidestep several, if not all of those extra commlinks. And if you boot them off by shutting it down, you have to rebuild the daisy chain.

If they were seperate nodes then the inner node would not be able to access other wireless nodes directly and you'd have to use only the outer commlink. Multiple commlinks would work as a distributed network I think, but layering them wouln't.

The question is interesting on a complete different level, too:

This would enable one to use the Signal of an external Commlink instead af the limited Signal of an internal one.

You all are taking over-simplified computer rules (SR4) and then trying to explain them in logical terms...

Kind of like trying to explain religion in logical terms....

Just add in this line when you get stuck..

Step A.
Step B.

(Insert Miracle)

Step C.

Sorry, but that does not even touch the issue.


The whole thing of layering Nodes works - in fact, its pretty normal:
To connect to a Node out of your reach, you have to leapfrog your connection through others.

As long as those Node have a public access or you got the passcode, there is no hacking required - in this case of layered Firewalls, the opposition has to hack them all to reach your 'real' Commlink.

Is there a possibility of the signal degrading due to leapfrogging through a large amount of nodes - except for the logical problem of not being able to use a program/signal higher than the weakest commlink in the chain since it works like a bottleneck?

As a player i see a lot of fun applications for a team to work with several high end commlinks that the hacker use as a minefield of firewalls and agents with attack programs just to protect his own connection.

As a imaginary GM i could see blatant abuse of this when a team uses multiple commlinks and then something even stronger to leapfrog the signal through.

The fun part is that in order to trace the signal they (the opposition) would have to jump through each node and fight every IC unless they could do something when they hack the first firewall.

Let's say that they hack the first commlink and gain access to the OS, could they then track down the FIRST commlinks password and skip the intervening commlinks and go directly to the source? Ok, the hacker COULD probably cut the link to that particular commlink and leave the intruder inside a commlink filled with IC and let him fight his way out.