BBC Sherlock Fan Forum - Serving Sherlockians since February 2012 / Wifi in 221b

**Posted by Imogene Tilden** October 24, 2012 10:02 pm

This has been bothering me, but maybe just because I like to nitpick...

When we see the screenshot of available wifi networks on Sherlock's screen, there are 5 of them (and only 5 as there is no scroll bar), all labeled in languages other than English:

http://sc.aithine.org/sherlock/203/15/sherlock-203-14524.jpg

Unless Sherlock or John named 221b's wireless in another language, where is their network? Sherlock's laptop was open to the Aldate School webpage, so he was online earlier. This is the point when he realizes there must be a camera hidden somewhere and starts looking for it. When he finds it and sits back down at the laptop, he is quickly able to pull up an image from the camera. He should only be able to do this if the camera is either:

a) connected to 221b's wireless network.
b) he knew the unique IP address for that camera and accessed it over the web. (Using one of those 5 networks...)
c) he was able to join one of the password protected wifi networks that the camera was connected to.

Perhaps I'm being too nitpicky as I said. Or perhaps someone changed the name of 221b's network (but not the password?) and this is what tipped off Sherlock to search for the camera and allowed him to so quickly pull up an image from it.

Thoughts? Alternatives? Elaborations?

**Posted by veecee** October 24, 2012 10:44 pm

I didn't analyze it as thoroughly as you did, but ther was somethign odd about once he set the camera down on the desk. I kee[ meaning to go back and look at it speciifically, but I get too caught up in the story.

**Posted by hypergreenfrog** October 25, 2012 6:46 am

Like veecee, I cannot claim to have analyzed the scene quite so thoroughly, but the 5 networks thing did annoy me a bit.
First of all because, as you said, obviously Sherlock and John have their own wifi set up in the flat, so why does it not show up?
And secondly, I strongly doubt that "foreigners" living in London as criminal agents name der wifi-connections in the native languages? Most people I know here in Austria actually use English names, or simply use codes that only make sense to them.

**Posted by aWorldlyPhilosopher** October 25, 2012 9:37 pm

Imogene Tilden wrote:
Thoughts? Alternatives? Elaborations?

Great catch! Here is a screenshot from another site with the languages of the different networks:

One alternative is that 221B has no WiFi and both SH & JW use mobile network cards. However, JW asks if WiFi is available when visiting the boomerang crime scent in "A Scandal In Belgravia." Maybe the location was out of data network range?

A far, far different theory is that the "assassins" Mycroft mentions were actually put there by Mycroft to protect SH & JW, and the camera was there to make sure they were safe. Remember, SH removes the camera shortly before he and JW are forced to go on the run. That is also the last time Sh will be in 221B until he reveals himself to JW...presumably early in the next episode.

**Posted by The Doctor** October 30, 2012 4:37 am

If the 221b boys were serious about online security, they'd surely NOT use WiFi, not even encrypted?

**Posted by Sherlock Holmes** November 23, 2012 9:31 pm

Hang on...it says "select the network you want to join"...Surely, if they were already on a network (ie. their own), then it wouldn't show up on that list, only other possible networks that they COULD join. I don't have a Mac though so I'm not sure.