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Open up your WiFi network!

lamina

lamina

macrumors 68000
Original poster
Mar 9, 2006
1,757
69
Niagara
With the prevalence of handheld wifi-enabled devices, it is only kind to open up your network for others to use.

I live in an area that has some university students. Often they will hop onto my network. Fine by me if they are just doing some light surfing. Now and then one of them will be downloading big files over the network, so I simply ban their MAC address. At the same time, I guess it would be fair to filter any actual neighbouring computers out, since they all have broadband anyway, and there's no reason to use my network.

An open wifi network is a gesture of goodwill towards your fellow human being. It's great to be able to check the bus schedule on my iPod touch while I'm walking down the street, or to receive email wherever I am.
 
Nice gesture until someone decides to do something illegal and you're held responsible.

Plus, if you don't use encryption, any traffic you send that isn't via SSH or SSL is unencrypted and available to anyone. For example, MacRumors doesn't have SSL, so if you're logging into MR over an unencrypted network, someone with the right software (which is freely available) can grab your username and password.
 
I tried lamina, but my network ended up getting completely jammed. The neighbors were downloading too much porn perhaps. Believe me, I'm with you but I had to give up. :(
 
Great idea, but you really need to separate the public part of your lan from the private by using something like a FON router.
 
Not to mention that if your isp has a cap you could get shut off with everyone streaming off your network.
 
If you have a spare wireless router, and you route the traffic through a filter, you can have complete control over what end users can do and see. And then there's fun like Upside-Down-Ternet. :D
 
lamina said:
With the prevalence of handheld wifi-enabled devices, it is only kind to open up your network for others to use.
Click to expand...

And reduce my LAN security as well as leaving myself open to every little porn surfer and illegal file sharer who might wish to anonymise himself via my network?

Fsck no!

Recommended for the naive, gullible and plain dumb only....
 
As with Communism, this relies on everyone doing it, and no-one taking advantage of anyone else.

(And as we know, Communism is EVIL.)
 
Did I read the post right or did the OP not just say to open up your networks and then go on to say how they banned students, neighbours and other people?

So you're basically asking people to open their networks for you to freeload off?

Nice! :rolleyes:


I don't think my wi-if is secure, so anyone can use it.
 
while i would love to since i know how it feels to be shut out. its just not reasonable or practical.
 
bartelby said:
Did I read the post right or did the OP not just say to open up your networks and then go on to say how they banned students, neighbours and other people?

So you're basically asking people to open their networks for you to freeload off?

Nice! :rolleyes:
Click to expand...

What the OP described doing was blocking the MAC addresses of people who abused the privilege of using his open network or didn't have any need for it (neighbors who have their own wireless).
 
LinuXtreme said:
What the OP described doing was blocking the MAC addresses of people who abused the privilege of using his open network or didn't have any need for it (neighbors who have their own wireless).
Click to expand...

yes, but then that requires you to manage you wireless daily, even more. not worth the hassle methinks.
 
LinuXtreme said:
What the OP described doing was blocking the MAC addresses of people who abused the privilege of using his open network or didn't have any need for it (neighbors who have their own wireless).
Click to expand...

You either open you network or you don't. Anything else is just double standards.
 
Our wireless is called YouJustFoundAFreeWifiHotspot

We are not really living downtown but I guess the only way someone would see it is if they were like walking up the street. Even-though I doubt the signal from the airport express could make it to the street. I just thought it would be funny if someone looking for a open wifi saw that.
 
bartelby said:
You either open you network or you don't. Anything else is just double standards.
Click to expand...
I disagree, in that I think that, even if you open it up, you should at least take some precautions. It's fine for people to surf on your net, but not if they're going to illegal locations. And it's fine to download images (part of surfing), but not to upload files (maybe) or download big files (also your call).
 
EricNau said:
If you have broadband cable internet, it can be classified as sharing your cable connection, which is very much illegal.

Link
Click to expand...
Interesting that they provide no links, and that the "Click here to see federal statutes that prohibit the assistance of theft of services offered over a cable system." does not, in fact, link to anywhere.

If it were easily prosecutable, I doubt FON would have been allowed to take off. I'm wary of accepting Time Warner's word for what is a prosecutable offense. In fact, if it were so blatantly illegal, one must wonder why wireless access points have non-secure options.
 
jsw said:
Interesting that they provide no links, and that the "Click here to see federal statutes that prohibit the assistance of theft of services offered over a cable system." does not, in fact, link to anywhere.

If it were easily prosecutable, I doubt FON would have been allowed to take off. I'm wary of accepting Time Warner's word for what is a prosecutable offense. In fact, if it were so blatantly illegal, one must wonder why wireless access points have non-secure options.
Click to expand...
Strange, that link seems to work for me.

But here's a link to the DoJ: http://www.usdoj.gov/criminal/cybercrime/47usc553.htm

47 § 553:
(1) No person shall intercept or receive or assist in intercepting or receiving any communications service offered over a cable system, unless specifically authorized to do so by a cable operator or as may otherwise be specifically authorized by law.​
 
EricNau said:
Strange, that link seems to work for me.

But here's a link to the DoJ:
Click to expand...
I don't open my networks, but, again, I don't think this is a prosecutable offense for people who have open wireless networks, with the possible exception of those who blatantly advertise their presence. Otherwise, it'd be too easy to simply go down any street and track anyone with an open network.

However, since my internet is via FiOS, this wouldn't apply to me anyway. ;)
 
jsw said:
I don't open my networks, but, again, I don't think this is a prosecutable offense for people who have open wireless networks, with the possible exception of those who blatantly advertise their presence. Otherwise, it'd be too easy to simply go down any street and track anyone with an open network.
Click to expand...
You're right, it's not an easily prosecutable offense unless you can prove the owner of the network purposefully left his/her wifi unlocked for the access of others. (Although, this wouldn't be too difficult if the SSID was "free_internet!")

...But just because it isn't an easily prosecutable offense, is not a reason to purposefully break the law.
 
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