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VirDeBello
8 Jun 2008, 01:55pm
I was wondering what do you guys think morally and legally about using unprotected wireless networks to use for internet. For awhile when my internet was down I used my neighbors wireless internet (Mind you I live by apartment complexes so I have no clue who that person was...) to play games and what not.

My question is do you think ethnically its right to use a person's wireless internet? And for argument sake lets say they are computer noobs. They just use the internet to check for e-mail and thats it.

And the other half is do you think you could get sued or arrested or whatever for using someone's unprotected/unpassworded wireless internet. There are good arguments from both sides saying that its illegal and thats its okay to use an unprotected wireless source. I know certain countries like Australia, you have to pay per Gig you use. But here in the good ol' US of A, its an unlimited service payed monthly. So whatcha guys have to say aboot this?

phatman76
8 Jun 2008, 02:53pm
I was wondering what do you guys think morally and legally about using unprotected wireless networks to use for internet. For awhile when my internet was down I used my neighbors wireless internet (Mind you I live by apartment complexes so I have no clue who that person was...) to play games and what not.

My question is do you think ethnically its right to use a person's wireless internet? And for argument sake lets say they are computer noobs. They just use the internet to check for e-mail and thats it.

And the other half is do you think you could get sued or arrested or whatever for using someone's unprotected/unpassworded wireless internet. There are good arguments from both sides saying that its illegal and thats its okay to use an unprotected wireless source. I know certain countries like Australia, you have to pay per Gig you use. But here in the good ol' US of A, its an unlimited service payed monthly. So whatcha guys have to say aboot this?

If someone is retarded enough to not encrypt and lock down their wireless network, then they are asking for you to use it. There is nothing wrong with it. If they are savvy enough to figure out you are taking their bandwith, they would just lock you out (nobody would sue you except, like, a massive company or the gov.t).

I live in a suburban neighborhood and sometimes use my neighbor's (a good friend) unprotected wireless network when I am out of range of mine. Whenever he brings his laptop over I am happy to open up my network to him also.

Of course, piggybacking on someone's internet wireless is different than going through their files if you break into their network. That is tantamount to breaking into an unlocked car.

LegalSmash
8 Jun 2008, 03:11pm
If someone is retarded enough to not encrypt and lock down their wireless network, then they are asking for you to use it. There is nothing wrong with it. If they are savvy enough to figure out you are taking their bandwith, they would just lock you out (nobody would sue you except, like, a massive company or the gov.t).

I live in a suburban neighborhood and sometimes use my neighbor's (a good friend) unprotected wireless network when I am out of range of mine. Whenever he brings his laptop over I am happy to open up my network to him also.

Of course, piggybacking on someone's internet wireless is different than going through their files if you break into their network. That is tantamount to breaking into an unlocked car.

Its called War Driving (silly name), and it depends on the locality you are in. some states make it illegal to use an undisclosed, open source without permission of said source's owner. Its dependent on area, and of course, being caught.

VirDeBello
8 Jun 2008, 03:22pm
Its called War Driving (silly name), and it depends on the locality you are in. some states make it illegal to use an undisclosed, open source without permission of said source's owner. Its dependent on area, and of course, being caught.

I thought War Driving was when you got a van, put computers in the back that are able to hack wireless networks and drive around your town hacking into people's personal networks and obtain information?

Jager
8 Jun 2008, 04:41pm
no vir , war driving is trying to find weakly encrypted or open wireless connections and either using them or logging them for future use.

I am of two minds on this issue, 1, since all major ISPs do have a bandwidth limit of which they dont tell you about, and will cap you if you hit it even if you pay for "unlimited", then its a pian in the ass to have somone leeching off a wireless connection that somone else is paying for, especially since most people who do use wirelss networks without permission tend to play in the VERy grey area of torrenting music sharing etc etc. so you run the risk of getting hit for somone elses crap so in that sense not cool

other side of the copin though, it takes no brains to encrypt a wireless connection hell the tutorial cds will walk you through it, so an open connection is asking to be used.
generally If i am having to tap into an unknown wireless network for whatever reason i do it only to get the basic of stuff done, email, webpage loaded for directions etc. gaming on somones wireless connection if they dont have enough bandwidth can actually keep them from getting any work done while your playing for free.

cliffnotes, its not cool to do ethically or morally and try to keep it down to essential stuff, not gaming and high bandwith crap.

Itch
8 Jun 2008, 09:20pm
The only thing I've ever done was to turn on Mac address based security and then change the admin password on the wireless router (I've found that most people never change it from the default). When they are locked out of their own wireless I let them know the password and give a friendly warning.