QOTD: Have You Ever Stolen Someone's WiFi?

[turbolover22]

I was using someone's wireless for quite a while. After a bit I decided that the connection wasn't optimized for me so I checked the default username/password combination for the router and it let me. I optimized the settings for me, changed from the default password, and locked him out of his own wireless connection. After about a month of my exclusive access to the wireless, I went to connect to the router and the name of the connection had been changed to "Connect MotherF***er". I guess he finally realized that he didn't have access to his wireless. He changed the password locking me out, but didn't restrict access to it. So I could still access the internet using his connection.

About a week after that the teacher in my College Computer Security class was doing a demonstration on wireless security. He had gone driving around town with a program that logs wireless connections nearby and their security settings. I told the class this story. We looked through the list and lo-and-behold there was the "Connect Motherf***er" connection with no security settings still.

 

[quietstorm]

Yes, have used it when have no other way of my own to access the web. Never for the extras/fun, mainly just for email, and once for trying to troubleshoot a finicky router. It was a neighbors, so I mentioned it one day when we were talking tech, and they didn't mind. I leave mine open in non-peak hours a lot; it's just good karma.

 

[suppliesidejesus]

Of course. There was also one time that I was riding around in a friend's car and would change the SSID of the wireless network to "You should really secure this." It was a grand ol' time.

 

[surelock]

I borrow When I need to mostly downloading and such, As far as my setup goes WPA2 AES , MAC filtering , and Invisible SSID

 

[fulle]

Interesting how many people had unsecure WiFi intentionally, to be nice to their neighbors. Its sort of the same mentality of torrent users... who will leech and leech, and one day decide they want to give back some.

When I was in my old apartment, I set WiFi up for my GF's Mac... and left it unsecure on purpose so that my poor neighbors could use the connection. I was working 2nd shift anyway, so it didn't hurt me any.

 

[kittle]

Never have here -- no do I plan to.
Im still old school in that I use a wired network.

As for those "borrow" or "only take a little bit" or "dont take enough to matter"
its a lot like being "a little bit pregnant" or "a little bit dead". Either you are taking someone else's WiFi, or you are not.

Is that legal? I think it depends on where you are.

 

[fulle]

Oh, an easy tip to keep leechers off your WiFi, in addition to setting up encryption and a password:

Just configure your router NOT to broadcast the SSID. Its possible for war-drivers to get in anyway, but most will chose a something more obvious and unsecured. When 14 WiFi networks show up, and 10 are unsecured, and yours doesn't even show up on the list... it reduces the chance they'll leech from you.

 

[Guest]

i always love it when I find and unsecured network. I usually go into their router encrypt the signal and then change the router password

 

[Guest]

I do, only when my ISP su*ks balls and cannot connect me to the internet. But never trying to take over their lines (using all the bandwidth) for downloading or anything like that.

 

[haze4peace]

Yes I have. I wouldn't consider it stealing though, its not like you are depriving them of their internet. I only used it to browse the web and play games though. Out of principle I didn't do any p2p stuff and hog all their bandwidth.

Is there a program that one could use to open your connection to people, but limit their bandwidth to say 30KBps? Along with a webpage that opens up when connected to the network saying something along the lines of we are intentionally leaving this connection open so people can browse the web and play games, low bandwidth activities. Please do not abuse it.
?

 

[dirtykid]

[citation][nom]banana[/nom]@dirtykid, anyone else using MAC filtering:MACs are easily spoofed. The only security worth using is WPA2 with as long a key as possible. MAC filtering, SSID hiding, etc. are utterly pointless and defeated in seconds using a tool like backtrack.[/citation]

True, but seeing as I am not using anything with a wi-fi card these days, I tend to only add a MAC when a visitor needs access, I then remove it after they leave

 

[Vettedude]

When the neighbors have Wireless-N and I have only G....

 

[nachowarrior]

if it's not secured it's not stealing, they're broadcasting into public space, therefore it's public access... if it's secured, that's a different story. that's like askiing me if i've ever stolen someones oxygen from their plants. lame.

 

[The Schnoz]

Not until i got a PSP.

 

[dark_lord69]

I wouldn't really call it stealing. It's more like using cause he can still use it too... Think about it this way. When you go to starbucks your not stealing thier wi-fi are you?

 

[Windaria]

It drives me nuts when you use the word stealing. Stealing is taking (note the word) something that isn't yours, when the person who has it doesn't want you to. Wireless can be secured or not, the SSID can be broadcast or not, and the MAC addresses can be filtered or not. If I setup a connection, I use WPA 2, disable SSID broadcast, and filter MAC addresses. I am obviously NOT sharing my connection. BUT, if you choose to not limit the devices that can connect to your WIFI (no MAC address filtering), you choose to advertise your wireless connection (SSID broadcasting), and you don't put any locks on it (no security), then YOU are openly telling the public that they can connect.

So, when in public, do I use publicly advertised connections? You bet.

The fact that in legal proceedings people are being held accountable for doing this, instead of the owner of the connection point for allowing people to use their connection when they shouldn't, is absurd, and only shows us that the judges, lawyers, and indeed, the legal system, is completely ignorant, and doesn't understand how the technology works.

Leaving a publicly advertised connection unsecured and unfiltered is like removing the locks from your house, putting a sign out front saying "public space, use as you see fit", and not hiring any security to watch who comes in. If people are too technically ignorant to understand that, and people abuse their connection, then it is their fault, and theirs alone.

 

[brendano257]

It's sad...in a ten minute drive through a town I picked up 20+ unprotected Wifi sites on my iPod Touch, one was titled "Pickles!!!" and another was titled "THE INTERNET" most of the others were default "Linksys" and such...but those two were the best. But used for dl'ing and such as an alternative to paying for my own? Nope.

 

[Guest]

I love sharing Wi-Fi, my wireless N router is open to anyone so long as they're not downloading heavily. I also spent a few years borrowing wi-fi from the neighbors, so I feel it's my responsibility to pay that back to the community.

Sharing is nice.

 

[CircusMusic]

I used to not worry about protecting my network... then I stumbled onto http://www.oxid.it/cain.html and found out how easy it is for a person to grab info from users on a network... Now run with WPA2 and am looking into possibly running a radius server if I get the time to set it up..

 

[rpmrush]

Everytime I move to a new place and I haven't set mine up yet, I hop on someone elses for sure. I like the comment, 'it's like the penny dish'. Hell ya it is. If u don't secure it, someone will find it.

 

[rigaudio]

A couple years ago, some guy living in my apartment block had an unsecured wifi connection. Naturally, I borrowed it. He was obviously a complete n00b since the ID was "default" and there wasn't any password, so I helped him out by adding a password of my own. A few weeks later, the ID was secured.

 

[jakesbuddy]

I work for a private investigator in New York City, and you would not believe how many unencrypted signals are out there. We sit in the car all day, and no matter where we go there's an available network. One would think that living in such a cramped, populated area would be an inspiration for the five minutes it takes to throw a password on the router. I think most folks must chuck out the setup cd or they just don't give a sh**. And WEP isn't much better, either. Ten minutes with a Backtrack live cd can fix that. Whatever the case, I have no need for an AT&T connect card...

 

[Gin Fushicho]

Strangely enough I've always walked up to the persons house and asked if I could use it. they also strangely enough said yes. My father however couldnt get the same signal one time and had to steal internet. xD

 

[Guest]

I like making mine look unsecure, but only allowing trusted mac addresses to connect. I'm sure it's pissed a few people off, wondering why they can't connect to the "unsecure" network. If they really need to connect for a short time and can figure out how to get on I wouldn't mind, heh, but I'd pick up anyone killing my bandwidth.

 

[f4nt4sm4]

It's necessary here in my neighbor cause there is no service near my home, so I just constructed a Wi-fi Antenna and hacked every neighbor at will.

That was like 3 years ago and I'm not feeling any remorse