where can I buy cheap basic RFID 'kit', hopefully with long range tracking?

[Squid]

http://www.simplyrfid.com/nox-rfid-sting-kit/ This "kit" includes all sorts of things like hi-def cameras and TRAINING FOR THREE PEOPLE at their office in VA.

I just want a dozen tags and one or two scanners.

Hopefully a tag that can be located by the scanner at distance of 10ft or more through sheetrock.

[SecTrainer]

http://www.simplyrfid.com/nox-rfid-sting-kit/ This "kit" includes all sorts of things like hi-def cameras and TRAINING FOR THREE PEOPLE at their office in VA.

I just want a dozen tags and one or two scanners.

Hopefully a tag that can be located by the scanner at distance of 10ft or more through sheetrock.

Squid, you need to provide more information - the type of property you're trying to track and the situation in general. RFID might not be what you're looking for.

[DonTheo]

Squid, I agree. I think I know what you are trying to accomplish but I would just be guessing. What ever you choose, don't buy on price. Price is a factor but don't let it be the only one. I will be honest a tell you I did not read the product specs all that well, but from what I saw, it does not tell you much about the specifications.

[Squid]

this would be for college dorm type situation.

implant in various "hot" items and see who steals them (assume they are taken back to dorm room at least at first)

also maybe a "hidden" 'gate' detector that records time of chip passing gate to check against CCTV

[SecTrainer]

this would be for college dorm type situation.

implant in various "hot" items and see who steals them (assume they are taken back to dorm room at least at first)

also maybe a "hidden" 'gate' detector that records time of chip passing gate to check against CCTV

Are these things electronic? Approximate size? (Perhaps some examples?) And, are they being stolen within the dorm itself or stolen elsewhere on campus and carried to the dorm?

Here's what I'm thinking. Overwhelmingly, campus thieves are opportunistic amateurs. This means three things:

1. They're attracted to high-value "shiny objects".

2. They're likely to commit their crimes anywhere on campus that they spot an opportunity.

3. Having stolen something on campus outside the dorm setting, they may very well NOT bring the item back to the dorm. They might not even live in the dorm at all.

As such I might think not about seeding a dozen bait items, but only one or two particularly irresistable items instead - specifically, a laptop and a smartphone. Both of these share one feature: They can be tracked effectively with software or apps running on them, without investing in RFID/EPS systems and the like. I would then use them just like the "Bait Car" show catches car thieves. With some idea of where and when the thefts were occurring, I would plant these items where the thief can't help but notice them.

A used laptop/phone can be acquired very cheaply for this purpose - and they can be used over and over.

I'll leave phone-tracking apps to others on the forum who may have more experience with them. I know that there are a number of them but can't make any recommendations.

In the case of laptops, there have traditionally been two separate ways to track them through software installed on the laptop: GPS and LPS. GPS you already know about. LPS, or Local Positioning System, doesn't use GPS signals, but tracks laptops through their Wi-Fi connections.

The problem was, each one has its benefits and limitations. To gain the benefits of both and avoid the limitations, you either had to install both or choose which one to use. However, that's changing. For instance, there's free open-source software called "Prey" that can use several technologies for tracking: Check it out at http://preyproject.com/

The point here would be this: By adopting this approach (or one that you modify to suit yourself), you can track the stolen item through space and time regardless if the thief were to avoid the RFID system, and you don't even have to guess where to put the detection system (tag receivers), go through the trial-and-error of discovering their range and limitations, etc. You can also use this method to address thefts anywhere on campus without installing receivers all over the place, which would be prohibitive. The campus is already covered with Wi-Fi receivers, no doubt! Also, it doesn't even matter if you're anywhere in the vicinity of the bait object when it's stolen. You can track it down hours later. An RFID or EPS system pretty much requires on-the-spot response - or then you have to tie it to cameras, etc. Then, he's wearing a hoody or a baseball cap pulled down around his bellybutton and you can't see his face, etc., etc., blah, blah. Very messy, and you won't do a good job of it cheaply.

So - if you're having thefts from administrative offices, for instance, you plant the laptop there. If the thefts are happening in the athletic locker rooms, you plant the phone there. If things are being stolen from parked cars, the cafeteria, the quad, the library...you plant them here, there and ANYWHERE...

Savvy? Using "bait" that can take advantage of a *software* tracking solution frees you from the constraints and limitations of a *physical* tracking solution (you can track the object just about anywhere if need be) - and it's much cheaper, too. Heck, the college might even have a used laptop sitting around that could be donated to the project for "proof of concept" without spending any money at all.

...and even if ALL you want to do is find out who's stealing stuff on the 5th floor of the McKinney dorm, it works just as well for that kind of very limited situation too.

[DonTheo]

Look at "catch a thief". It is made specifically for applications on campuses. I have used similar devices myself and what I like is that one can set a perimeter the device must pass outside of and then it will text you and notify you. Excellent for vehicle surveilance too. Of course it is GPS based and there is a fee.

Some things that all these manufacturers don't tell you. The article must belong to you or your client. This applies mainly to vehicles. The other issue is a 4th ammendment issue. Is the college private or public? If it is private, you can do just about anything you want. They are paying to attend on your property abd there is usually a disclaimer of some type they sign.

If it is public, like a State college, you need to be more carful of how you track them. For example, when they are in there room, it could be considered their home and all kinds of legal issues arise. That's why I like the GPS and the boundries and path tracking of the device. With just a few units you can go back and see the actual path it took which is also integrated with the time.

The unit I have is about 200 dollars and I pay 34 a month for it. I think that is for tracking at 10 second intervals but you can go down to four seconds, just costs more. I deactivate it when I don't need it and just pay an activation fee when I do need it. This I pass on to the client.

[SecTrainer]

Squid -

"CatchAThief" does not work reliably indoors, is not unobtrusive such as software, and you have to have a separate monthly service plan for each tracking device. It wouldn't be my choice for your situation although, like many other tracking services that are nearly identical, it could be useful for other applications.

With respect to any legal issues that may be involved, the college (whether public or private) has legal counsel who know how the law applies with respect to privacy, domicile, etc. You'll want to get legal advice there, and I'm reasonably certain the college would want any solution that you might adopt to be cleared through counsel anyway, since virtually any system has the potential to be intrusive, depending on the nature of the system itself, how and where it's deployed, etc.

One thing of note, however, is that the college has this legal advantage: They can take an administrative approach toward the thief rather than a criminal approach, and by doing so avoid certain legal pitfalls that would attach to a criminal action such as a prosecution. For instance, the college has administrative remedies such as suspension or expulsion from the college. Such actions are not subject to the sort of constitutional constraints (e.g. search and seizure) or judicial review that would apply to a criminal investigation, any more than they apply to an employer investigating incidents of theft, etc. in the workplace. Also, the burden of proof in an administrative action that would pass muster in a civil court (if one is brought for a "wrongful" administrative action) is merely the reasonable belief that it is more likely than not that the individual committed the offense.

The matter of privacy on college campuses, and within certain spaces on campus, is highly nuanced and can't be summarized in a nutshell. These nuances are the reason that college counsel who specialize in the law relevant to the campus venue should be consulted, but the bottom line is that generally speaking the college not only has wider latitude to deal with such things than, for instance, the police would have, but also has an affirmative legal obligation to maintain a safe and secure campus for students, which means they can justify certain actions that a law enforcement agency could not. Remember - the constitutional constraints apply ONLY to the limits on GOVERNMENTAL actions. This is entirely separate from civil law related to privacy.

[DonTheo]

Squid:

I disagree on the RFID vs The GPS solution. I would think you are talking about bikes and backpacks and those type of items. You are better off to track them as they are picked up and see how many stops they make. Your map will give you the exact time it passed by each and every camera and which ones.

The problem with what I understood you wanting to to is maybe walk down a hallway and detect a stolen object in a room is that there are usually two people residing in th room, guests and maybe even cleaning and maintenance people coming and going.

Everyone will deny it and you will need hard evidence on how it got there.