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hardwarekid9756
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- Jul 15, 2008
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Well, I've def used unencrypted local WiFi between internet connections.
I was once told that, in the US State of Colorado, as long as the network is unencrypted, if you use less then (but not including) 20% of their monthly bandwidth traffic and no more then 33% of their available bandwidth at any given time, you actually can't get tried. Never decided to put it to the test, but yeah.
And one of my most favorite things to do back when I was a little s#!7-head hacker-wannabe teenager, I had a linux laptop loaded up with AIRSnort, and I loved going to Hotels and stuff that were just setting up WiFi, cracking their measly 64-bit WEP keys and changing the passwords. It was so hilariously funny I don't know what I did with myself. Like Tuan was saying, it seems NO ONE changes their Login credentials for the actual router. I wasn't really BlackHacking as my goal was to raise awareness of router login info...but I definitely wasn't WhiteHacking either ^.^ Just call me a Grey Cap ^.^
I was once told that, in the US State of Colorado, as long as the network is unencrypted, if you use less then (but not including) 20% of their monthly bandwidth traffic and no more then 33% of their available bandwidth at any given time, you actually can't get tried. Never decided to put it to the test, but yeah.
And one of my most favorite things to do back when I was a little s#!7-head hacker-wannabe teenager, I had a linux laptop loaded up with AIRSnort, and I loved going to Hotels and stuff that were just setting up WiFi, cracking their measly 64-bit WEP keys and changing the passwords. It was so hilariously funny I don't know what I did with myself. Like Tuan was saying, it seems NO ONE changes their Login credentials for the actual router. I wasn't really BlackHacking as my goal was to raise awareness of router login info...but I definitely wasn't WhiteHacking either ^.^ Just call me a Grey Cap ^.^
In my opinion, the AP has to be secured and broken into for it to be stealing. I would also point out the person doesn't own the spectrum. I would, however, consider it stealing if folks were charged based on data used rather than a single monthly fee as your actions would directly cost the person money. If you're not costing the person anything and you haven't broken in it can't be stealing. I've done it but the experience is typically horrible. Worse even than 3G service on my iPhone which is hard to do.
tweak13
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- Sep 11, 2008
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Im sure probably 90% of the people posting here are flat out lying about stealing protected wifi as its not as easy as some think (or claim). Say what you want.
On the other hand a public wifi signal is just that and a private signal is well private.
In that perspective I have leeched a public signal before.
On the other hand a public wifi signal is just that and a private signal is well private.
In that perspective I have leeched a public signal before.
I'm on a borrowed network right now!
The neighbors and we get along pretty fine. There's this trust relationship. Then there's the other neighbors who also have unencrypted wifi. They are old and know next to nothing about it.
Occasionally I download a file, watch a youtube, but make sure I'll never make abuse of the line.
In my line of thought, all is fine if both parties agree.
In the past we had internet which we shared freely as well.
I see no reason why it would harm anyone but the ISP.
The ISP can say what they want, but if I'm browsing on my neighbors wifi, and he agrees, then there's where the law goes.
No ISP could sue me, because it only takes me 2 doors to get into his property and be online there. The (literal) 2 x 1 foot wall and 3 foot pathio between his property and mine are nothing.
Then there's this offline network I'm working on setting up.
I use his network to download files, while he can use mine (Adhoc)to share files or just play multiplayer games together. It goes faster than over the internet.
I'm all for: Unencrypted is shared!
I'm against breaking WEP or WPA encryption to enter a network. I would never do such a thing, for there must be a reason why people put a lock on their internet, nomatter how easy to break it is.
On the other hand, if a neigbor of a neighbor has a network signal you can connect to, and a neighbor, everytime he connects his wifi obscures that wifi signal with his, what do you do?
I want to raise another question, on a WEP/WPA encrypted network, is it legal to connect to it (send packages) or not?
Because everytime you enable the wireless on your pc/notebook/laptop, it will send a signal to wireless routers around you.
So if that is allowed, are you allowed to do that 1000x per seconde?
Why? To slow down other networks, hoping that user will get frustrated, and put his router in another place where it does not obscure (or obscures less) other networks.
If no, then where do we draw a line of how many times one can connect to a network per amount of time?
The neighbors and we get along pretty fine. There's this trust relationship. Then there's the other neighbors who also have unencrypted wifi. They are old and know next to nothing about it.
Occasionally I download a file, watch a youtube, but make sure I'll never make abuse of the line.
In my line of thought, all is fine if both parties agree.
In the past we had internet which we shared freely as well.
I see no reason why it would harm anyone but the ISP.
The ISP can say what they want, but if I'm browsing on my neighbors wifi, and he agrees, then there's where the law goes.
No ISP could sue me, because it only takes me 2 doors to get into his property and be online there. The (literal) 2 x 1 foot wall and 3 foot pathio between his property and mine are nothing.
Then there's this offline network I'm working on setting up.
I use his network to download files, while he can use mine (Adhoc)to share files or just play multiplayer games together. It goes faster than over the internet.
I'm all for: Unencrypted is shared!
I'm against breaking WEP or WPA encryption to enter a network. I would never do such a thing, for there must be a reason why people put a lock on their internet, nomatter how easy to break it is.
On the other hand, if a neigbor of a neighbor has a network signal you can connect to, and a neighbor, everytime he connects his wifi obscures that wifi signal with his, what do you do?
I want to raise another question, on a WEP/WPA encrypted network, is it legal to connect to it (send packages) or not?
Because everytime you enable the wireless on your pc/notebook/laptop, it will send a signal to wireless routers around you.
So if that is allowed, are you allowed to do that 1000x per seconde?
Why? To slow down other networks, hoping that user will get frustrated, and put his router in another place where it does not obscure (or obscures less) other networks.
If no, then where do we draw a line of how many times one can connect to a network per amount of time?
I work on the road and sometimes have done it to access information that I need on the fly and dont want to pay at Starbucks just a few minutes of internet. Now I am from Puerto Rico living in the sates. Now in PR the goverment has made it legal to access some else wifi if its not protected.
This is for the bandwidth is infinite crowd. Nope. Bandwidth is not a capacity, like a glass of water. It is a flow rate, like a hose. If you connect to my bandwidth and use half the flow rate, it takes me twice as long to do anything. Time is money, so yes, it is stealing. Hence, I have my connection secured. I don't know if it's illegal to use open, unsecured bandwidth, even hacking secured bandwidth.
If you really don't want someone on your net, probably best to not use wireless. But, at least use a good long and complex WPA2 password. That, and firewall your computers as well. Layered protection.
If you really don't want someone on your net, probably best to not use wireless. But, at least use a good long and complex WPA2 password. That, and firewall your computers as well. Layered protection.
LOL OK I see we all try to justify are reason for stealing internet connections. Yes I have used an unsecured connection, and I don't see no problem with that. I do see it as stealing, but being bad fells so good. LOL j/k ... I say if its open then its like a door that open. It means welcome please use my connection, but only for checking emails. Oh also for checking out Tom's Hardware. 
as far as i am concerned, an unsecured connection is an open invitation. stealing only takes place when you break into a "secure" router. if you are too stupid to secure your signal, then too bad for stupid you.
Oh, and then to add - if you have ever lived in an apartment complex, with several unsecured connections... then log into each and every one of them - change the SSID to something entertaining that tells a story if read across several of them... then I have no idea what you're talking about either. This isn't NBC.COM! WHERE AM I!?
scryer_360
Distinguished
- Jan 13, 2007
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I just walk on the city, and I find lots of totally open, unprotected wifi, named "JonnyHouse", "mineIsBiggerThanYou", "CrysisGateway".
It cannot be considered steal. If reasonable to suppose that if the network is unprotected, the owner means to share it
Lots or routers are not only unprotected, but also with default factory settings. His owner had not a slight idea about it.
Somedays, I even fix them for free
It cannot be considered steal. If reasonable to suppose that if the network is unprotected, the owner means to share it
Lots or routers are not only unprotected, but also with default factory settings. His owner had not a slight idea about it.
Somedays, I even fix them for free
Never stolen or been stolen from. I still use the 'dinosaur' technology known as cat5 cabling. Antiquated as it may be, it is extremely hard to steal my bandwidth when you need to plug directly into the router that's sitting 5 feet from me
I'll probably never use wireless either. I hate laptops, and wiring a desktop is a piece of cake.
I'll probably never use wireless either. I hate laptops, and wiring a desktop is a piece of cake.
While I was waiting for my internet connection to be installed, I borrowed a couple of unprotected networks. I even upgraded their firmware and made sure their firewalls were configured correctly
spoondigity
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- Apr 3, 2002
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[citation][nom]Curnel_D[/nom]Have you ever 'run out' of bandwidth? You cant consume bandwidth. You can use it. Like I said, it's like a radio. Letting your windows down so everyone can hear your music doesnt consume more music or sound. It's the same with bandwidth. When I use the bit of bandwidth in a sec when I submit this comment, it's not going to etch away at a pool of avaliable bandwidth sitting underneath the earth. The fact that I use it doesnt mean someone else may not get bandwidth at some point. As long as the internet backbone stays solid, bandwidth renews itself.[/citation]
The point you are missing Curnel (or trying to avoid through your poor justification) is that bandwidth by definition isn't the amount of data over time, it is the amount of data at one point in time (and the time indiciation is only for complete definition/comparison. So in simple terms, bandwidth is how wide the hose is, not how long the hose is. Width is very obviously finite.
So when you get on someone's wifi and use some portion of it, you are taking that portion away from them for the period that you use it.
I have used a neighbors unsecured bandwidth for short periods of time when I couldn't get reception on our router, but I don't try to justify it to anyone else. Especially with the poor explanation you are using.
The point you are missing Curnel (or trying to avoid through your poor justification) is that bandwidth by definition isn't the amount of data over time, it is the amount of data at one point in time (and the time indiciation is only for complete definition/comparison. So in simple terms, bandwidth is how wide the hose is, not how long the hose is. Width is very obviously finite.
So when you get on someone's wifi and use some portion of it, you are taking that portion away from them for the period that you use it.
I have used a neighbors unsecured bandwidth for short periods of time when I couldn't get reception on our router, but I don't try to justify it to anyone else. Especially with the poor explanation you are using.
If it is unsecured it is not stealing... Hell, windows will connect you automatically without you even knowing sometimes...
My favorite thing to do when I find an unsecured router is to check it for default admin passwords. If they are there, I usually go into the router and optimize it for the overlap that occurs in our neighborhood... We cannot all be running on channel 6 peeps... That is probably more criminal that piggybacking on an unsecured router....
My favorite thing to do when I find an unsecured router is to check it for default admin passwords. If they are there, I usually go into the router and optimize it for the overlap that occurs in our neighborhood... We cannot all be running on channel 6 peeps... That is probably more criminal that piggybacking on an unsecured router....
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