wireless internet

Bill Bixby · #1 07-08-2005, 12:43 PM

Getting my cable modem set up monday. However, ive notice that im getting on the internet via my neighbor for free. How safe is it to play poker over the weekend? I have anti viruses and zone alarm. Is it easy for someone to hack into my computer when im feeding off my neighbors internet? If so I will just wait until they come install the cable modem for me on Monday, thnaks in advance!!

Bill Bixby · #2 07-08-2005, 01:11 PM

.

HRFats · #3 07-08-2005, 01:48 PM

It's pretty safe and no different than running wireless in your own home.

ds914 · #4 07-08-2005, 01:59 PM

http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/wir...C-RSSFeeds0312

Man Charged With Stealing Wi-Fi Signal

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. Jul 6, 2005 — Police have arrested a man for using someone else's wireless Internet network in one of the first criminal cases involving this fairly common practice.

Benjamin Smith III, 41, faces a pretrial hearing this month following his April arrest on charges of unauthorized access to a computer network, a third-degree felony.

Police say Smith admitted using the Wi-Fi signal from the home of Richard Dinon, who had noticed Smith sitting in an SUV outside Dinon's house using a laptop computer.

The practice is so new that the Florida Department of Law Enforcement doesn't even keep statistics, according to the St. Petersburg Times, which reported Smith's arrest this week.

Innocuous use of other people's unsecured Wi-Fi networks is common, though experts say that plenty of illegal use also goes undetected: such as people sneaking on others' networks to traffic in child pornography, steal credit card information and send death threats.

Security experts say people can prevent such access by turning on encryption or requiring passwords, but few bother or are unsure how to do so.

Wi-Fi, short for Wireless Fidelity, has enjoyed prolific growth since 2000. Millions of households have set up wireless home networks that give people like Dinon the ability to use the Web from their backyards but also reach the house next door or down the street.

It's not clear why Smith was using Dinon's network. Prosecutors declined to comment, and a working phone number could not be located for Smith.

Copyright 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

krazyace5 · #5 07-08-2005, 02:06 PM

I think he'll be fine in the privacy of his own house, this moron was parked out front of this guys house. And its only for the weekend.

Bill Bixby · #6 07-08-2005, 03:26 PM

Third degree felony, im not going to take any chances... Thanks for the post DS. I will just wait until monday [img]/images/graemlins/blush.gif[/img])

wonderwes · #7 07-08-2005, 04:14 PM

You should be fine. One key thing to look for is what Windows has set for your computer name. Now I assume your neighbor didnt setup his wireless so he never checks the router. However, if he did actually check his router, he could see a display list of all the connected devices and their mac addresses. So one thing that tags onto that is the computer name you set for your Windows box. So if your machine is named after something reseambling you, it would be easy for him to prove you were using his internet. He could also check the mac address of your computer but I seriously doubt he's going to say "Hey, I just had a random question, could I possilby see the mac address of your laptop?" Highly unlikely.

Anything else, you should be fine.

bkholdem · #8 07-08-2005, 04:16 PM

I think it would be funny if the prosecutor had wireless and a hundred people parked outside his house trying to log on...Or just sat there with their laptops on the sidewalk in front of his house pretending

Bill Bixby · #9 07-08-2005, 04:28 PM

WonderWes my computers name is 100% different from what my name is, just to let you know... But im not going to take the risk in getting arrested. I will for sure put a password on MY WI-FI connection when I get it Monday.

mistrpug · #10 07-09-2005, 02:00 AM

[ QUOTE ]
However, if he did actually check his router, he could see a display list of all the connected devices and their mac addresses. So one thing that tags onto that is the computer name you set for your Windows box. So if your machine is named after something reseambling you, it would be easy for him to prove you were using his internet.

[/ QUOTE ]

If he's smart enough to realize this, you'd think he'd be smart enough to do take the 5 minutes to secure his network so that other people can't get on there so easily.