Wi-Fi??????

[tallyho8]

Since I have high speed cable, my son whose house is 500' from mine, rigged up antennaes that look like Pringles cans on my house to transmit and on his to receive and his internet is lightning fast and doesn't slow mine down noticably.

When my cable was out he aimed his antenna across the Mississippi River and picked up a connection from at least a mile away.

 

[CurlyDave]

It really doesn't matter what the owner of the source thinks--law enforcement believes that picking up a "stray" wi-fi signal is stealing.

 

[/pine]

law enforcement believes that picking up a "stray" wi-fi signal is stealing.

that is debatable...I personally know a "person" in law enforcement that has been all across the country testifying in child pornography cases...he recently asked a federal prosecutor about accessing openly broadcast wi-fi signals and was told that unless there is a local ordinace specifying said access that it was NOT illegal...the duty lies with the person that is broadcasting the signal to encrypt (WEP) their broadcasts...

 

[Scooby074]

It really doesn't matter what the owner of the source thinks--law enforcement believes that picking up a "stray" wi-fi signal is stealing.

Maybe, but has anyone ever been convicted? The law in canada at least says that you cant use a network when your unauthorized. However many librarys, coffee shops, schools etc have wide open networks as a public service. Therefore unless you have expressed permission to use it, your technically in violation, but nobody that i know of has ever been charged.

My take is different and by the letter of the law illegal. Its up to YOU to secure your network.

If someone hacks into your encrypted network, then they should be charged with that offense, however if its open, your just asking for people to use it. Like listening to a radio station.

On a related note, i hate WIFI for the above reasons. My network is hardwired.

EDIT: /pine beat me too it my darn slow typing

 

[/pine]

On a related note, i hate WIFI for the above reasons. My network is hardwired

me too...if I have company with a laptop I turn the radio on to give them access then shut it back down but always use WEP...

 

[aczlan]

me too...if I have company with a laptop I turn the radio on to give them access then shut it back down but always use WEP...

If you have the capability to, I would recommend using WPA or (preferably) WPA2 for your network. WEP encryption will keep most random strangers from connecting, but it can be cracked in 20 minutes. WPA encryption can theoretically be cracked (but is MUCH harder to crack) and WPA2 encryption is impossible to crack with todays technology.

Aaron Z

 

[Alan L.]

I don't consider it stealing at all. When I have my laptop I latch on to whatever I can get. If its not secured then they must intend for anyone within range to get it. This would go double if I am in my own house. You don't want me to have the signal, then get your signal out of my house.

 

[BarryinMN]

Hmmm.

Maybe the provider wants you to use his access point. Then he can take a look at your surfing habits, hard drive, accounts and passwords at will.

 

[Scooby074]

Wep is weak. and may not protect your data, however it shows that your trying to prevent access and therefore if someone is on your network theyre "hacking". So theyre there uninvited. This could provide deniability if your network is used for illegal purposes.

 

[/pine]

and WPA2 encryption is impossible to crack with todays technology.

Unfortunately for most...todays crackers (as opposed to hackers) use "tomorrows" technology... there is NOTHING that can't be cracked...just do a search for "cracking WPA2"

The way most signals are hacked/cracked is they use a program that interupts the connection...then as the connection is being re-established the credentials (encryption key etc) are intercepted...and IPs logged...

for my rare use of wireless WEP is sufficient...if the signal is interupted my software matches IPs with MAC addresses...if they don't match it sets off an alarm...it is easy to fake an IP but not the MAC...

It easy to download and burn any one of several "special" Linux CDs that have all the cracking scripts installed...all anyone needs is a laptop and a CD to crack just about any "protected" network... the best way to truly protect a network is to monitor it