Is this Illegal?

[plastick]

hey im gettin a wireless nic so that i can see if i can find any open access points in my city here so i can use the internet without paying for it... (just for casual browsing and whatnot...)

anyway, i wuz just wondering if this is even possible, since i have no experience w/802.11
also, if its illegal (i wont be hacking into anything)

 

[natto fire]

Not right now, but in New York they are tring to make it illegal to have an unsecured network.

 

[sswingle]

Do you speak any english? I'll try to decipher what you typed though.

It depends on the access point. If you are using your neighbors, thats not very legal. But if your area has free access points setup, then go ahread and use them.

 

[plastick]

Originally posted by: ScottSwingleComputers
Do you speak any english? I'll try to decipher what you typed though.

It depends on the access point. If you are using your neighbors, thats not very legal. But if your area has free access points setup, then go ahread and use them.

i love you.

yeah im just looking for open access points like whatever is open.. i dont even care..

 

[spidey07]

Many cyber attorneys believe it is.

 

[tyanni]

Its illegal in Florida...

 

[DaCurryman]

Originally posted by: tyanni
Its illegal in Florida...

Yup...illegal in Florida

Link to Article

 

[spidey07]

Originally posted by: DaCurryman

Originally posted by: tyanni
Its illegal in Florida...

Yup...illegal in Florida

Link to Article

Yep...about as illegal as downloading movies.

 

[JRock]

Originally posted by: plastick

Originally posted by: ScottSwingleComputers
Do you speak any english? I'll try to decipher what you typed though.

It depends on the access point. If you are using your neighbors, thats not very legal. But if your area has free access points setup, then go ahread and use them.

i love you.

yeah im just looking for open access points like whatever is open.. i dont even care..

As long as your just browsing and not accessing bank accounts and paying credit card bills... If you are I have an access point you can use

 

[grappa]

The basic truth:


Check the laws in your state. It may or may not be illegal. Just be aware that if the person whose broadband you're using finds out and doesn't like it, he/she may try the law in court with you on the other side.

 

[imported_michealo]

unless you plan on sitting outside someplace like panera's in the parking lot, it's hardly worth it

 

[blemoine]

Is it legal? Probably not. My personal rule of thumb is: I would not try to hack a secure access point but if my neighbor makes no effort to secure his AP i see no problem with doing some casual surfing on his dime. I don't see a problem as long as i am not abusing the connection(running BT). i also would not expect signal quality. Use common sense and you should be ok.

 

[plastick]

hahaha i wont be runnin BT

ya i dont see how i could get caught if all im doing is casual browsing...

eh i probably wont even get a signal..

 

[Joemonkey]

Originally posted by: grappa
The basic truth:


Check the laws in your state. It may or may not be illegal. Just be aware that if the person whose broadband you're using finds out and doesn't like it, he/she may try the law in court with you on the other side.

I can't find anything in KY about this...

 

[BriGy86]

its 802.11

 

[wexsmith]

Don't you guys read the news? There was a guy in Florida arrested over this very thing back in July. The network was unprotected and he was only using it for casual surfing.

Guess what? Third degree felony! That's right dumb dumbs...it's illegal.

However, with that said, it all comes down to interpretation of laws. The association with the access point through the air is not a crime. The airwaves are owned by the government, not the homeowner. If you're using equipment to pick up the signal then no crime is committed.

What they would get you on if they were going to press charges is the unauthorized use of the ISP network, assuming you weren't doing any illegal activities on top of that.

The case in Florida all boiled down to the mans intent. Pay attention. That's the key word. If you have no intent on harming the network or abusing its traffic in any way then you'll probably have no worries. However, depending on who's network, what type of business they're in or how wealthy the individual or organization is, you could be looking at a world of trouble. At the very least it may cost you big monetarily just for court fees.

Bottom line? Don't do it if you don't want to get in trouble. Chances are you'd never been caught or charged with the crime, but I'd hate to seen a fellow AT member in that kind of trouble.

 

[Joemonkey]

What about this situation:

I was working on my father in law's computer the other day fixing their setup of 3 PCs that use wireless adapters to share his dial-up connection. after a site survey I found 3 access points all named Linksys, one of which was his. I wasn't sure which one, so I double clicked the first Linksys I saw and now he has broadband internet access.

He asked me how much trouble he could get into, and I told him the worst that could happen is that whichever neighbor it belonged to could ban his MAC address and he would have to go back to dial-up. He only uses it sparingly, and turns his PC off when he is done working on it. I figure if the neigbor has no security set up, he is allowing anyone with access to the signal to connect.

I'm sure there are plenty of people out there with wireless cards that do not know the ins and outs of setting it up, and if simply connecting to the first access point they can find gets them on the internet, why go any further?

 

[plastick]

Originally posted by: BriGy86
its 802.11

*sighs* of course.. i knew 804 just sounded weird..

 

[plastick]

Originally posted by: wexsmith
Don't you guys read the news? There was a guy in Florida arrested over this very thing back in July. The network was unprotected and he was only using it for casual surfing.

Guess what? Third degree felony! That's right dumb dumbs...it's illegal.

However, with that said, it all comes down to interpretation of laws. The association with the access point through the air is not a crime. The airwaves are owned by the government, not the homeowner. If you're using equipment to pick up the signal then no crime is committed.

What they would get you on if they were going to press charges is the unauthorized use of the ISP network, assuming you weren't doing any illegal activities on top of that.

The case in Florida all boiled down to the mans intent. Pay attention. That's the key word. If you have no intent on harming the network or abusing its traffic in any way then you'll probably have no worries. However, depending on who's network, what type of business they're in or how wealthy the individual or organization is, you could be looking at a world of trouble. At the very least it may cost you big monetarily just for court fees.

Bottom line? Don't do it if you don't want to get in trouble. Chances are you'd never been caught or charged with the crime, but I'd hate to seen a fellow AT member in that kind of trouble.

right.. Well i was just thinking that if i set up my 2 stations up with a p2p wireless network and then see an unknown access point show up, how am i to know what it is ?(assuming i am a total noob) Then i connect and have access to the internet via someones unsecured wireless... i cant help that!

like i said, i wont be hackin'

 

[plastick]

Originally posted by: Joemonkey
What about this situation:

I was working on my father in law's computer the other day fixing their setup of 3 PCs that use wireless adapters to share his dial-up connection. after a site survey I found 3 access points all named Linksys, one of which was his. I wasn't sure which one, so I double clicked the first Linksys I saw and now he has broadband internet access.

He asked me how much trouble he could get into, and I told him the worst that could happen is that whichever neighbor it belonged to could ban his MAC address and he would have to go back to dial-up. He only uses it sparingly, and turns his PC off when he is done working on it. I figure if the neigbor has no security set up, he is allowing anyone with access to the signal to connect.

I'm sure there are plenty of people out there with wireless cards that do not know the ins and outs of setting it up, and if simply connecting to the first access point they can find gets them on the internet, why go any further?

Yep Joe, thats exactly what i am talking about.. only i am kind of hoping for this kind of situation since i want to use the internet from home!

 

[wexsmith]

Originally posted by: Joemonkey
What about this situation:

I was working on my father in law's computer the other day fixing their setup of 3 PCs that use wireless adapters to share his dial-up connection. after a site survey I found 3 access points all named Linksys, one of which was his. I wasn't sure which one, so I double clicked the first Linksys I saw and now he has broadband internet access.

He asked me how much trouble he could get into, and I told him the worst that could happen is that whichever neighbor it belonged to could ban his MAC address and he would have to go back to dial-up. He only uses it sparingly, and turns his PC off when he is done working on it. I figure if the neigbor has no security set up, he is allowing anyone with access to the signal to connect.

I'm sure there are plenty of people out there with wireless cards that do not know the ins and outs of setting it up, and if simply connecting to the first access point they can find gets them on the internet, why go any further?

As long as his neighbor isn't a dick and doesn't try to press charges then he's fine. You really should change the default name of the router though. Gotta remember that it's important to secure your own network too!

 

[wexsmith]

Originally posted by: plastick

Originally posted by: wexsmith
Don't you guys read the news? There was a guy in Florida arrested over this very thing back in July. The network was unprotected and he was only using it for casual surfing.

Guess what? Third degree felony! That's right dumb dumbs...it's illegal.

However, with that said, it all comes down to interpretation of laws. The association with the access point through the air is not a crime. The airwaves are owned by the government, not the homeowner. If you're using equipment to pick up the signal then no crime is committed.

What they would get you on if they were going to press charges is the unauthorized use of the ISP network, assuming you weren't doing any illegal activities on top of that.

The case in Florida all boiled down to the mans intent. Pay attention. That's the key word. If you have no intent on harming the network or abusing its traffic in any way then you'll probably have no worries. However, depending on who's network, what type of business they're in or how wealthy the individual or organization is, you could be looking at a world of trouble. At the very least it may cost you big monetarily just for court fees.

Bottom line? Don't do it if you don't want to get in trouble. Chances are you'd never been caught or charged with the crime, but I'd hate to seen a fellow AT member in that kind of trouble.

right.. Well i was just thinking that if i set up my 2 stations up with a p2p wireless network and then see an unknown access point show up, how am i to know what it is ?(assuming i am a total noob) Then i connect and have access to the internet via someones unsecured wireless... i cant help that!

like i said, i wont be hackin'

Connecting to someones access point isn't illegal. Using their internet is. There's no 'gray' area anymore. It is downright illegal.

Hacking? What does hacking have to do with this? I'm talking about a completely unsecure wireless network. Using it's internet is treading on dangerous ground. Like I said in my original reply, "What they would get you on if they were going to press charges is the unauthorized use of the ISP network."

If you're willing to take that chance then do it. It's your hide and you've been informed. You can justify yourself and "run scenarios" 'til the cows come home and it doesn't change anything. Using someones internet without permission is against the law.

 

[BriGy86]

Originally posted by: plastick

Originally posted by: BriGy86
its 802.11

*sighs* of course.. i knew 804 just sounded weird..

no prob.

as for your internet, i know a person that lives in an apartment, and he is going to pay for the cable, then 2 other people are going to pay their share and have access to the WEP or WPA key

so they are splitting the connection 3 ways

you might want to talk to your neighbor about that depending on if they are a dick

but this i think is also illegal (depending on the ISP terms and conditions)

but there is a lot less likely chance that you will have a prick reporting you

 

[ColKurtz]

I think what's been left out of the discussion is that... the best place to get sound legal advice is from anonymous people on an internet message board.

 

[BriGy86]

Originally posted by: ColKurtz
I think what's been left out of the discussion is that... the best place to get sound legal advice is from anonymous people on an internet message board.

QFT :thumbsup: