Don't be stealing WiFi know, you hear? (busted in St. Petersburg)
Here is a interesting story on WiFi wardriving.
This guy in St. Petersburg,Fla was sitting in his SUV using someone's access point. What a bold SOB Third-degree felony for him.:approve:
I'll bet the network owner renames his 'linksys' network and turns on WEP now.
They aren't sure why he was using it. Than the go onto to say no working phone number found for the guy. Hmmmm if he can't afford a phone I guess he can't afford internet service. There are free hot spots everywhere now. Why not use one of them?
This guy in St. Petersburg,Fla was sitting in his SUV using someone's access point. What a bold SOB Third-degree felony for him.:approve:
I'll bet the network owner renames his 'linksys' network and turns on WEP now.
I completely disagree that this is a third degree felony. I think the person charged should get off because of "entrapment". Basically the person who set up the wifi network should know it is based on FREE radio waves and should have the knowledge to encrypt his network. The guy who accessed his network was using free unencrypted radio waves nothing else. Personally if he had HACKED into the system, I would say go to jail, BUT, if you are capable of setting up the network, then encrypting it isn't that complicated. It's a no brainer, supposed "victim" get a clue.
k i dont believe this is read that you CAN connect to a wireless if it doesnt have any passwords locks on it but if your stealing info like credit cards then you shouldnt do that but this is just stupid, i will find where it says in the law where you can connnect if they dont have a password lock!
I completely disagree that this is a third degree felony. I think the person charged should get off because of "entrapment". Basically the person who set up the wifi network should know it is based on FREE radio waves and should have the knowledge to encrypt his network. The guy who accessed his network was using free unencrypted radio waves nothing else. Personally if he had HACKED into the system, I would say go to jail, BUT, if you are capable of setting up the network, then encrypting it isn't that complicated. It's a no brainer, supposed "victim" get a clue.
So basically, if you don't know how to set up encryption, or if your 10 year old disables it without your knowledge, you're just SOL, is that it? And I suppose if you forget to lock your door, people have the right to walk through your house? And anyway, it's not about the "free" radio waves, it's about the internet access, which isn't free.
WEP Connection is so easily to setup, not setting encryption on should mean that you allow others to use your connection. If a person is using an unencrypted Wi-Fi connection it should be lega, but if it is encrypted and the other person uses it, it should be illegal.
Although... stealing any kind of personal information is illegal. So, that never changes.
k i dont believe this is read that you CAN connect to a wireless if it doesnt have any passwords locks on it but if your stealing info like credit cards then you shouldnt do that but this is just stupid, i will find where it says in the law where you can connnect if they dont have a password lock!
Personally, I never "steal" WIFI, but, I feel if someone sets up a WIFI network which is basically a radio network and doesn't encrypt it, then they are responsible enough to realise it is FREE RADIO WAVES and should encrypt to prevent such criminal things. Lets face it a hacker can steal your bandwidth irregardless of whether it is dialup, broadband or WIFI. Anyone who uses these things to do damage by theft of credit or otherwise, or by other things is a criminal. And should realise the consequence.
Realistically though. If I turn on the WIFI function in My Axim and I read a network and click it to set up an internet connection, I expect that if it is free, I might connect. Free WIFI is all around us. When I went to the first McDonalds where WIFI was advertised as free, I tried many different actions to get on the network only to realise later that you needed a coupon, which I failed to ask for at the drive in window. They said it was FREE! lol. Just didn't give directions on how to get there.
I am not in defense of "WAR DRIVERS" but, if you have an open WIFI connection lacking any defense measures, then call it free. I mean, if my Axim connects with it and is able to use it is just as free as any other government/business who makes wifi available to the general public. How can I discern whether the connection is a local public library or a persons house?
So basically, if you don't know how to set up encryption, or if your 10 year old disables it without your knowledge, you're just SOL, is that it? And I suppose if you forget to lock your door, people have the right to walk through your house? And anyway, it's not about the "free" radio waves, it's about the internet access, which isn't free.
You should know how to set up an encrypted network and keep your children from disabling it before you create a wireless network.
When walking around Manhattan and I turn my Axim X50v on and I get 20 networks and three Are wide open, I surf! I am not stealing a damn thing. When I am done the same amount of bandwith is there as when I found it. Secure it or keep your stinking radio waves out of my X50v. Gee I may be on for 5 maybe 10 whole minutes! I do not hack. Free hot spots are getting fewer and fewer. I have DSL with a wifi router and I have it turned off because I do banking on my pc. And one last thing I do not believe when people say thay do not connect if they need to and there is an open hot spot. If that makes me a bandwith thief than so be it. Secure your net works , I maybe comming to your town.
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It may not be illegal to camp out on someone's wifi, but it sure isn't right. It's just like stealing cable.
Say the owner has a usage cap and is limited to a certain bandwidth(MB's per month), and he has people mooching off of his connection, his service shuts off early, he has to pay for more bandwidth because the ISP sees his traffic spike,
he gets pissed at the ISP and he cancels his service and the ISP has lost money.
The UK has this type of service so this may only happen in those areas. Those ISP's should educate their customers about security, as should ALL ISP's. But some people just don't get it, very sad.
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Palm IIIX >> Visor Deluxe >> HP Jornada >> Palm Tungsten T3 >> Dell Axim x50v
It generally doesn't have any impact on the user if you mooch of their signal. Most DSL/Cable deals in the states do not depend on how much you download each month. The real loser is the provider, since you are getting access to services without paying the ISP.
I live in a townhouse complex. There are several unencrypted networks here, and I could easily have free access if that was what I wanted. I do pay for a DSL line though, and use WEP encryption. If I just relied on a neighbor's signal, I think that would be like stealing services from a provider.
However, last week, I was staying at my mom and dad's place and brought my Axim with me. For a while, I was picking up an unencrypted signal from somewhere (don't know where) and used it to check my e-mail. Also, I picked up a stray signal in the airport (which was not a a free "hotspot"). Again, I used it to check my e-mail. I guess I don't feel bad about that kind of spot use, but don't make a habbit of it.
That said, I completely respect those of you who think it is wrong.
It surprises me that there are a number of people here that feel that poersonally owned WiFi should be free for the taking. As a minimum in most states it is considered theft of service. As to those saying "If you dont know how to secure it dont have it" I would ask can someone show me how to set the clock on my VCR.
This guy in St. Petersburg,Fla was sitting in his SUV using someone's access point. What a bold SOB Third-degree felony for him.:approve:
I'll bet the network owner renames his 'linksys' network and turns on WEP now.
Using my X50v, I make it a point to try to connect while waiting in the car for my wife, to see what WiFi points are around. Today, while she was picking up a prescription at a pharmacy, I was able to check out the DrudgeReport.
Is this illegal? Is this open WiFi putting the drug store's info at risk? If it is, I'll call them.
Whoops!
I noticed the link and read the story. Can someone access their records from infront of their store? Is it a perk for their customers?
It surprises me that there are a number of people here that feel that poersonally owned WiFi should be free for the taking. As a minimum in most states it is considered theft of service. As to those saying "If you dont know how to secure it dont have it" I would ask can someone show me how to set the clock on my VCR.
Ron
Simple, Hit menu on the remote... Find the settings dialouge, and type in the time.. If it is a emerson hit menu, 2, 1, and then type the time... Do you want to know how to set up timed recordings?
Really, I purposfully leave my access point open, If someone is doing something crazy then I will ban their mac, we pay $40 bux a month for broadband, and our company has said and I quote, "We bring in enough money that one shared connection for a whole neighborhood would be ok, but, It might slow your connection, Would you like to increase to the 1gigabit service?"
I disagree with the felony too, because I think that if you have a WIFI network, it is YOUR responsibility to secure it. I personally have mine WEP encrypted. I don't tap into other people's networks, I just bring my Axim with me when I go places to see how many unsecure networks I can find.
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Third-degree felony for him.:approve:
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