07-13-2005, 02:00 PM
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Contributing Editor Emeritus
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 8,228
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Is It OK To Use An Open WiFi Connection Without Permission?
Earlier this week, we told you about a guy that was arrested for using someone else's WiFi connection. One of our readers, Buss, was wondering what your ethics were in this area. Is it ok to use someone else's connection if they are dumb enough to leave it open or is it hands off unless you get permission first?
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07-13-2005, 02:06 PM
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Philosopher
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 539
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if i, per chance, find a network and my computer lets me surf with it, then i do it.
if i find a network and it's protected, then i know this person does not want to share his network.
cracking is bad!
so basically i think it's up to the owner to make sure his network is secure. it's not that "unlawful" surfing is actively breaking into something. the owner is broadcasting his signal all over the place. so if someone uses it, then tough luck.
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07-13-2005, 02:08 PM
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Thinker
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 439
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I must say that it is not OK to use someone elses wi-fi. As easy as it is to say "they're not going to be bothered by such little impact" the fact is, they pay for that service and should get all they pay for. If they are downloading a large file and you come in and surf the internet, you are unknowingly slowing down their connection.
The fact that it is unsecured is irrelevant. It's not much different than walking up to someones open car window and stealing something. "Hey! It was unsecured, so they must want other to take stuff out! They're just being friendly and giving their stuff away."
The difference that does exist is that there is an unlimited supply of data bits. But the user has to pay for how fast he uses those bits. There is no way of anyone parked outside to know how much of an impact he is having on the owner.
Robb
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07-13-2005, 02:14 PM
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Thinker
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 439
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by dMores
so basically i think it's up to the owner to make sure his network is secure.
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True, just as it is up to an owner to lock his car or house door. But the fact that they don't doesn't give everyone the freedom to walk into someone's house, or get in their car.
Not everyone who has a wi-fi network knows how to secure them, or even the fact that they can be secured. Most wi-fi routers are unsecure by default.
I recently setup a wi-fi router and had a heck of a time trying to make it secure. And I'm quite the geek.
If you have a dollar's worth of nickels sitting out on your desk, and everyone who walks by takes one thinking "he won't miss a nickel", it shouldn't surprise you to find yourself totally broke.
So, yes, people should secure their wi-fi, if they can, but leaving a network unsecured is not blanket permission for the public to use it.
Robb
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07-13-2005, 02:15 PM
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Intellectual
Join Date: Mar 2004
Posts: 241
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well, as far as 'no way to tell the impact', you can of course check network activity with any of a number of free utilities if you really want to. My opinion is this: For small bits such as email, headlines, I wont hesitate to use an open network. if i am going to be using it for a longer periord or have some need for more of the bandwidth, I go to a coffee shop which has free access, or to a friends house.
I am not going to pay 90 bucks a month for this access, i dont use it enough to make it worth that (i dont have a tv and so getting cable would be another waste). i dont do any gaming online, maybe 1 gig of transfer a month including 2 books a month from audible.com, and about 3 hours of surfing a month outside of work. most of my surfing is done while at the office.
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07-13-2005, 02:22 PM
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Thinker
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 439
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by foebea
well, as far as 'no way to tell the impact', you can of course check network activity with any of a number of free utilities if you really want to.
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You're assuming the owner would know how to do that. I'd bet there are many non-savvy wi-fi users that are wondering why their connection is so slow.
Quote:
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Originally Posted by foebea
I am not going to pay 90 bucks a month for this access.
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But it's ok for someone else to have to pay that and have others steal part of their bandwidth?
Robb
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07-13-2005, 02:26 PM
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Intellectual
Join Date: Mar 2004
Posts: 165
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I'm not answering the poll, because it's situational. Is it OK to knowingly surf a residential WiFi network? Absolutely not! But there are cases where I can understand why it would happen.
What if I pull up next to a coffee shop that states "Free WiFi access" in the window, and there are several residences nearby. So I pull up to the drive-thru of the coffee shop, pull into a parking spot to enjoy my coffee and start enjoying the browsing experience. But instead of using the coffee shop's network, I'm using a residential connection.
Another situation... what if I am in an office building, and one of the businesses has a WiFi hot spot? So I am in my own office in my own company and have my device connected to my laptop through activesync, but instead I end up surfing the other business's connection by accident because my cable is not plugged in well.
These are just two examples of an almost infinite number of possibilities why people shouldn't be prosecuted for illegal WiFi access. It's up to the owners of those networks to lock them down.
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07-13-2005, 02:33 PM
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Sage
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 740
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After 9/11, i remember seeing a news report that said it was a breach of National Security to have an open wi-fi network because there was no real way to isolate cyber-terrorist activity if everybody and their brother, had an unsecured wi-fi network.
I don't know if that's changed or not; but I think router venders need to do a better job at making security work on their wireless products for the non-techie. Most people don't have security enabled because they can't get it working...
__________________
Kind Regards,
Christopher Spera
Gear Diary Review Team
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07-13-2005, 02:34 PM
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Neophyte
Join Date: Apr 2006
Posts: 8
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doing it by accident is one thing, doing it on purpose, is another. I'm not totally against doing it, I mean, if its there, and I want to get online, I'm doing it, but if you get caught doing it, you'reeven more of an idiot than the guy who left his hotspot open.
chilling outside of someone elses house with your laptop in your SUV is jut dumb.
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07-13-2005, 02:34 PM
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Thinker
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 439
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This whole discussion is in the same arena as "sharing" files, or downloading MP3s (non-legally), borrowing someone's MS Office CDR or hooking into someone's cable.
It's all about "stealing" something that is non-tangible. You can't touch it, it occupies no space, you can't give it back, it's limitlessly reproducible.
I suspect that people who think it's OK to "share" files, feel it's OK to steal wi-fi.
It's wrong. If you didn't pay for it then you can't use it.
Robb
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