USING YOUR NEIGHBORS WIRELESS SETUP: What conseaquenceS?

[amnesiac]

I was walking around 2nd street in Long Beach and found ~30 APs in a 1.5 mile stretch.

Most were WEP enabled or filtered, but I found more than a handful of D-Link, Belkin, and Linksys routers with default settings. Fun.

 

[Lifer]

Originally posted by: vi_edit

how can u secure a wireless network? my cousin has one, and I think I should secure it for them, but the problem is I dont know how or what to use

WEP - Wireless Encryption Protocol. 128bit strength.

i thought WEP was Wired Equivalent Privacy.

Originally posted by: mmx
wep. No i told my friend just toto talk to them and pay $15 to them so u can share the connection. That way she has awesome speed for $15.

now THAT is most likely against their TOS and therefore highly illegal.

 

[ViRGE]

Originally posted by: Lifer

Originally posted by: vi_edit

how can u secure a wireless network? my cousin has one, and I think I should secure it for them, but the problem is I dont know how or what to use

WEP - Wireless Encryption Protocol. 128bit strength.

i thought WEP was Wired Equivalent Privacy.

There's no formal definition; both are used, and for all intents and purposes, both are correct.

 

[Indolent]

Originally posted by: Lifer

Originally posted by: vi_edit

how can u secure a wireless network? my cousin has one, and I think I should secure it for them, but the problem is I dont know how or what to use

WEP - Wireless Encryption Protocol. 128bit strength.

i thought WEP was Wired Equivalent Privacy.

Originally posted by: mmx
wep. No i told my friend just toto talk to them and pay $15 to them so u can share the connection. That way she has awesome speed for $15.

now THAT is most likely against their TOS and therefore highly illegal.

I would argue that the TOS is wrong. The neighbor pays for a service, they should be able to use it or resell it however they see fit.

That would be like buying a case of beer and not being able to share it with your friends.

 

[Indolent]

Originally posted by: amnesiac
I was walking around 2nd street in Long Beach and found ~30 APs in a 1.5 mile stretch.

Most were WEP enabled or filtered, but I found more than a handful of D-Link, Belkin, and Linksys routers with default settings. Fun.

I was also suprised at the amount of wireless networks with default settings. I was just doing a little driving around downtown Milwaukee and over half of the setups were default. This was around the commercial area where I would assume has a lot of confidential data going through its networks.

 

[deerslayer]

Originally posted by: Millennium
Hopefully they would catch you and teach you to spell.

 

[Spac3d]

I can't get my wireless network to work with WEP

It finds the network, accepts connection, but 0 packets are moved. Does anyone know if it cuts down the distance?

 

[MrYogi]

I found several open APs using netstumbler near circuit city, best buy and a local bank.

 

[MangoTBG]

Originally posted by: Indolent



I would argue that the TOS is wrong. The neighbor pays for a service, they should be able to use it or resell it however they see fit.

That would be like buying a case of beer and not being able to share it with your friends.

By that logic buying a CD/DVD or paying to watch a movie, recording it and distributing them would be 100% legal. I agree with you, though. However, the law does not. It's THEIR service that THEY are providing YOU. They have every right to give you guidelines as to not repackage that service. With a decent upstream/downstream off of cable couldn't you run your own dial-up ISP off of the cable line? That's no different then this.

 

[MangoTBG]

BTW, I'm clueless to WiFi. Let's say I had a laptop and found one of these unprotected APs. I'd be able to use these APs to access the net and use their bandwidth?

 

[Indolent]

Originally posted by: MangoTBG

Originally posted by: Indolent



I would argue that the TOS is wrong. The neighbor pays for a service, they should be able to use it or resell it however they see fit.

That would be like buying a case of beer and not being able to share it with your friends.

By that logic buying a CD/DVD or paying to watch a movie, recording it and distributing them would be 100% legal. I agree with you, though. However, the law does not. It's THEIR service that THEY are providing YOU. They have every right to give you guidelines as to not repackage that service. With a decent upstream/downstream off of cable couldn't you run your own dial-up ISP off of the cable line? That's no different then this.

The cd/dvd thing has more to do with copyrights, which the internet service does not. I see your point but, I still think if I am PAYING them for a service, I should be able to use it however I want. I wouldn't be cheating them out of extra bandwidth or using it without paying. They are getting paid for all of that bandwidth that is being used.

*edit* I guess I misread your post a little. We are thinking the same way, It's just the law that isn't.

 

[Indolent]

Originally posted by: MangoTBG
BTW, I'm clueless to WiFi. Let's say I had a laptop and found one of these unprotected APs. I'd be able to use these APs to access the net and use their bandwidth?

Yes, with the AP's set up with default settings, it is that easy. A couple simple steps to protect it (wep, mac filtering) would stop the majority of people from being able to hack into it.

 

[z0mb13]

ur gonna go to a federal pound me in the ass prison!!

 

[Indolent]

Originally posted by: z0mb13
ur gonna go to a federal pound me in the ass prison!!

That reminds me... It's been a while since I've watch Office Space. I gotta dig that out again soon.

 

[MangoTBG]

You got me on the copyright issue, but what about running an ISP off of a really good cable connection? I mean you could get like 2 or 3 dozens of subscribers that are running at 36k and 56k (I never had a modem go the fastest speed, but I haven't had the "pleasure" of playing with 56k this may have changed?).

Either way, I'm sure that they have lines in the TOS about this, and they could nail someone for that even if it was one person.

What about subleasing? I know my Apt. complex is so anal about it. They'll kick you out without hesitation if they remotely think you're subleasing.

 

[Kaervak]

Originally posted by: MangoTBG
Either way, I'm sure that they have lines in the TOS about this, and they could nail someone for that even if it was one person.

Every TOS I've ever read for cable providers has something against you reselling their connection.

 

[Indolent]

Originally posted by: MangoTBG
You got me on the copyright issue, but what about running an ISP off of a really good cable connection? I mean you could get like 2 or 3 dozens of subscribers that are running at 36k and 56k (I never had a modem go the fastest speed, but I haven't had the "pleasure" of playing with 56k this may have changed?).

Either way, I'm sure that they have lines in the TOS about this, and they could nail someone for that even if it was one person.

What about subleasing? I know my Apt. complex is so anal about it. They'll kick you out without hesitation if they remotely think you're subleasing.

I would think running an ISP off a good connection should be allowed, (not sure where you'd find that many people that want dial up but who knows?) But, the greedy companies think they should be the only ones making the money so they lobby the politicians and the next thing you know, they get what what they want. Who would have thought :disgust: Like most things, it comes down to ANNOYING politics.

Subleasing I would see how the owner would have a point. When renting, you are not paying for a service nor do you own it. They would want to make sure decent people are renting their place so it doesn't get trashed etc... They would trust themselves with judgement of character of who they accept.

*spelling

 

[MustangSVT]

honest l337 h4x0r?

 

[TheBoyBlunder]

If you're feeling nice and you have broadband of your own:
Go help 'em secure it for a small ($15) or so fee.
If you're feeling nice and you do not have broadband, I'd ask 'em if you could share the connection for a small fee per month.

If you're feeling like a jerk just keep leeching until they notice.

 

[Indolent]

Originally posted by: TheBoyBlunder
If you're feeling nice and you have broadband of your own:
Go help 'em secure it for a small ($15) or so fee.
If you're feeling nice and you do not have broadband, I'd ask 'em if you could share the connection for a small fee per month.

If you're feeling like a jerk just keep leeching until they notice.

Chances are if they left it at default settings, they aren't going to notice until their computer geek/relative comes over and tells them how to secure it.

 

[AgaBoogaBoo]

Originally posted by: Indolent

Originally posted by: Lifer

Originally posted by: vi_edit

how can u secure a wireless network? my cousin has one, and I think I should secure it for them, but the problem is I dont know how or what to use

WEP - Wireless Encryption Protocol. 128bit strength.

i thought WEP was Wired Equivalent Privacy.

Originally posted by: mmx
wep. No i told my friend just toto talk to them and pay $15 to them so u can share the connection. That way she has awesome speed for $15.

now THAT is most likely against their TOS and therefore highly illegal.

I would argue that the TOS is wrong. The neighbor pays for a service, they should be able to use it or resell it however they see fit.

That would be like buying a case of beer and not being able to share it with your friends.

No comment but nice example about the beers. You deserve one, :beer:

 

[TheBoyBlunder]

Originally posted by: Indolent

Originally posted by: TheBoyBlunder
If you're feeling nice and you have broadband of your own:
Go help 'em secure it for a small ($15) or so fee.
If you're feeling nice and you do not have broadband, I'd ask 'em if you could share the connection for a small fee per month.

If you're feeling like a jerk just keep leeching until they notice.

Chances are if they left it at default settings, they aren't going to notice until their computer geek/relative comes over and tells them how to secure it.

Just like most people with wireless...

 

[stev0]

Originally posted by: Nocturnal
There is no consequences as of yet. That is why war driving is legal. Is it ethical? No. Legal? Yes.

fun? yes

that is all.

 

[Pacfanweb]

So if I got a wireless NIC, installed it and it found a neighbor's wireless connection, would there be any way for them to tell who was leeching?
Or could they only tell that the leeching was happening, not who it was?

 

[Miramonti]

If you can see their files does that mean they can see yours?