Risks of Accessing Internet Through Unknown Wifi AP?

[artemicion]

I'm contemplating not ordering my own internet and leeching off a neighbor who's got an unprotected wireless router running (yes I'm stealing and a horrible person - moving on).

I am wondering about the security risks, however. I know that it's theoretically possible for him to look at the packets I'm sending through his router, so how severe are the security risks? I would think it would be highly unlikely to break the encryption of any secure sites even if he could read all my packets but I'm no encryption expert so I'm not sure. I guess the probability that he's doing something like that is relevant considering I'm in a residential neighborhood so it's not like this person gets a whole lot of traffic going through his router.

It also worries me a little because I tried to log on to his router (because I figured if the person hadn't changed the default settings on his router then he probably left his network unencrypted out of ignorance) but he DID change the default password for administrative access to his linksys router. So he bothered to change the admin password but didn't bother to encrypt his wireless? Network name is the default network name too ("linksys"). Fishy?

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And the next Question probably would be.
How I can train my Wireless Signal to open the neighbor's fridge and treat myself to few cans of brew!

Locked By JackMDS
Forum Mod.

 

[boomerang]

You want to steal your neighbors wireless but you're concerned that he may be doing something 'Fishy'?

 

[xSauronx]

Originally posted by: artemicion
I'm contemplating not ordering my own internet and leeching off a neighbor who's got an unprotected wireless router running (yes I'm stealing and a horrible person - moving on).

Fishy?

*sigh*

what youre proposing to do is illegal. you dont need advice, you need a thread lock and, *crosses fingers* (since youre so cavalier about it all) a vacation.

 

[artemicion]

woah, dayum. Harsh response from the community that embraces stealing from the RIAA. But maybe you have firm stances on that too *shrugs*.

IMO, if someone leaves their internet unencrypted is sharing it for the rest of the world. It's like someone who leaves their garbage cans at the edge of their property. If I walk by and I have an empty banana peel in my hand, I'm gonna use it without asking permission. Hell, I've walked up people's driveways to use people's garbage. It's not like I'm burdening them either way.

But now that you mention it I do remember hearing about prosecutions for jumping on a neighbors unprotected wireless network a while ago (as well as fits of outrage from the community - but evidently not you two). I assumed the prosecutions failed just because the cases seem so frivolous. But whatever. Fine, I'll stop :roll: