Keyless Entry Security

DampCat

DampCat

DampCat

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Leafy Cheshire
How do people secure keyless entry? I'm wondering if i just dont understand how it works.

I've seen a lot of vids of cars being nicked by a couple of crims with a tablet and a phone. One range extender, one app that replicates they key.

I picked up one of those key wallets, it's lined with something. But as a test I took the wallet with key into the car and it still starts. Are they just designed to hamper the range and because it's IN the car, even in the wallet, it's going to work? but it may be enough the block the signal from outside?

I understand if someone wants to take the car, they're going to; but I can at least make it harder than next door's car.
 
The idea of those wallet things is so that people cant pick up the keys signal from outside your house. Obviously it will work if you take it in the car :p

The only proper solution is a good old fashioned stoplock or disclok.
 
Let's hope that manufacturers will soon allow us to toggle this feature on and off, a bit like many do with the anti-hijack type unlocking.

Yes I can see the benefits of keyless entry for some but personally I'd rather be able to select the "inconvenience" of pressing a button to improve security.
 
They are doing things for example the new 5, x5 and soon to be released 3 now have remotes that stop transmitting if it detects no movement after a while. Something that I suggested in another thread ages ago.
 
Faraday bag for keys and there is no problem. Defeats the object of keyless as you need to take it out to use it but at least the car is still there to use.
 
IAmATeaf said:
They are doing things for example the new 5, x5 and soon to be released 3 now have remotes that stop transmitting if it detects no movement after a while. Something that I suggested in another thread ages ago.
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That's a good move. It's something I hadn't thought of but should do the trick.
 
Just store it in a tin. On some cars you can disable it on the ECU, but then it becomes a pain to start the car as there is obviously no key hole. You'd have to use the emergency procedure every time. You can't just go back to a button press to unlock but keep the keyless start bit :/

But yea, worst idea ever for securing such a expensive item. It was clearly thought up by someone who had no clue about security.
 
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IIRC the car is transmitting and the key responds... and it only works if you're a couple of feet away. I can't see how they can get your key signal unless you hang your keys on the front door.
 
acemastr said:
IIRC the car is transmitting and the key responds... and it only works if you're a couple of feet away. I can't see how they can get your key signal unless you hang your keys on the front door.
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They key is constantly polling the car, which is the security flaw.

Thieves will use a device to repeat the signal and make the car think the key is next to it or inside it. The range is really only limited by how good the equipment your using to boost the signal is. You could in theory send the signal round the world and unlock a car on the other side of the planet :P
 
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acemastr said:
IIRC the car is transmitting and the key responds... and it only works if you're a couple of feet away. I can't see how they can get your key signal unless you hang your keys on the front door.
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There are tonnes of vids showing how it works. One guy holds his phone next to the car door, the other walks around the house with a tablet allowing it to boost the signal from the key in the house to the phone by the car.

So does keeping it in a tin stop signal completely or is it just dampening it down enough to not be found from outside?
 
DampCat said:
There are tonnes of vids showing how it works. One guy holds his phone next to the car door, the other walks around the house with a tablet allowing it to boost the signal from the key in the house to the phone by the car.

So does keeping it in a tin stop signal completely or is it just dampening it down enough to not be found from outside?
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It blocked it completely when I tested it. Even right against the car it wouldn't open.

The signal won't penetrate metal. Tin foil will probably work as well but there can't be any gaps at all.
 
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Rf gets blocked pretty easily by metal. I had a conversation yesterday with one of my colleges and he swears blind his insurance is invalid if he doesn't put he's keys in a tin/cage. Personally I think it's bs and he's wrong but happy to be proved otherwise.
 
theone8181 said:
Rf gets blocked pretty easily by metal. I had a conversation yesterday with one of my colleges and he swears blind his insurance is invalid if he doesn't put he's keys in a tin/cage. Personally I think it's bs and he's wrong but happy to be proved otherwise.
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I brought my car into the dealership for a service earlier this week and while in the waiting area overheard a pretty irate lady complaining about her car with keyless entry and how it was stolen. I assume she will have incurred some financial loss (not covered by her insurance co?), otherwise she wouldn't have reacted the way she did.
 
Not sure about other manufacturers but with Land Rover / Range Rover you can enable and disable keyless entry using a series of button presses of the fob when inside the car.
 
Ultimately how much you want to inconvenience potential thieves depends how much you want to inconvenience yourself.

Something as simple as a switch hidden wired in line to the fuel pump relay trigger is enough that while they can open the car t they can't start it, and they're certainly not going to sit there working out why it doesn't start
 
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