any comp nerds in here?

Yes I read it. Did you? I don't think you understand networking.

Jeff, they guy you are responding to (and who has a very thick skull) is not a computer nerd, just a nerd.

Jet Blue pays for the one in its terminal at JFK. McDonalds and other restaurants pay for the internet access at its restaurants.

Their license with the ISP allows them to offer the internet to their costumers. My license with my ISP doesn't allow me to offer it to others, free or otherwise. Members of my family and my guests are welcome to use my internet when they are visiting me. People sitting in front of my building are not.

There are public wireless internet hotspots, like central park where they're installing it and the NYC public libraries (not all of them, though). In addition, many hotels, motels and restaurants offer free wireless access. If go and buy a McDonalds salad and use the WiFi, you're not stealing anything. Likewise, there are free wireless public internet access points where you can use the internet for free, paid for by someone.

The big thing here is that public access points are access points that someone has paid for that the general public can use it. My internet access is not.

I know.

No, I asked for proof that someone was arrested only for using free internet access on a wireless network that was set up without a password key.

That is not the same as snooping into other computers who are also connected to the wireless or wired network.

Anyone who connects to the internet can (wired or wireless) can get their computer hacked if they don't have a firewall (which comes free with Windows XP/Vista , or with most internet routers). This has nothing to do with using a free wireless internet connection.

You're a funny guy. I've forgotten more than you'll likely ever know after 30+ years of handling multi-million dollar analog, hybrid, and digital switching, analog carrier,T1, T3, optical carrier, and mainframe equipment. Savvy, indeed.

Here's another case. Apparently Michigan law does not differentiate between open and secured. Both are considered hacking in the eyes of the state law. I wouldn't imagine Michigan is unique:

I'm done with this dead horse.

Quite frankly, I have no problem with you borrowing the connections while they wired your street. In my book, you're already paying for it. and they were stupid in the first place.

Jeff

This whole discussion has nothing to do with stealing an internet connection from neighbors, it has to do with stealing from the ISP's (neighbors sharing a single connection with consent of each other). Those issues fall under contract law which would be settled by civil litigation, and do not fall under the category of a "crime."

If the ISP finds out that you are sharing your connection , then they can revoke your connection or sue you for damages if they don't like it. They cannot successfully file a criminal complaint.

That's correct. In most cases, I would think that the bandwidth used is far less than anything that the other user would notice, however. Nonetheless, you're interfering with a service that someone paid for without their permission.

And, you're still stealing from the ISP, because it is the ISP that is losing business and is paying extra for the bandwidth that you're using.

(No matter how many GB I and my neighbor who is stealing my ISP access download, I still pay the same rate, even if my neighbor is using my bandwidth up.)

Jeff

Ah HA. I smoke him out. He does work for an ISP and is trying to put the fear of God in consumers for sharing their internet connection with neighbors. Go ahead and sue me.

When it comes to the ISP, it is a civil matter, not a criminal offense. That would be a (supposed) violation of the service agreement.

I used to work for a dial-up ISP.

The presumption is that they don't care if certain people use it (e.g., neighbors that they have given permission to), but it is rather presumptuous to assume that they left the access open for everyone. And, whether or not they did leave their router open for public access (it takes seconds to configure a notebook to work with a particular router, and the notebook will store the password for ever, so this is no excuse if they don't mind if their neighbors share it), it is not their access to give away, unless they made the appropriate arrangements with the ISP.

Jeff

No, it's not. It is not his ISP access to give away. It is his to use.

Then this won't surprise you:

Gee, search the above article for the word "arrested."

Jeff

It's amazing how many nimrods can't grasp this. I've got an electrical outlet concealed within a palm island in my front yard. Imagine someone parking out front and plugging in an extension cord without my permission. By their "logic", it's my fault.

How uttery stupid can this mind set be?

Don't confuse him with the facts, Jeff.

Sorry, but there is no need for insults here.

jeff

An insult from this guy is hardly that.

Children will be children.

Wrong on two counts. If there is not password on the router, I don't know why that is. It could be that someone else disabled it or the user didn't know enough to enable the password.

Two, the ISP access is not for the consumer to give away.

Jeff

That's my take on it - protect yourself or get screwed.

Natalie