La FONERA and Virgin Broadband

[roughbeast]

I have been part of the FON community for 3 years now, going back to when I was with BTBroadband. Basically you piggyback one of the FON (http://www.fon.com/en/) routers onto your own router and securely share your broadband with anyone in range. They have to pay. In return you get free connection to any FON hotspot anywhere in the world you take your laptop.

Since I left BT they have done a deal with FON. You can now get BTFON routers.

Now I am with Virgin on a 20Mb connection I continue to share my broadband. Since I live in a 100 % residential street with very little street parking hardly anybody ever logs on , but I still get the free connection anywhere.

I am just wondering. Would Virgin object to this arrangement? I make no money from this.

Check out Fon here (http://www.fon.com/en/).

[Pushkar]

There is nothing in the AUP about you not able to do this, so even if Virgin contact you, you have a case although I doubt they would care.

But one if somebody did log on, and used/downloaded illegal files and VM flagged you as a illegal file user, then it's upto you to take the rap. But since you say hardly anyone logs on then it's all good.

[whydoIneedatech]

I would have a read of the Acceptable use Policy link below.

As you are responsible for anything downloaded or posted on your connection.

http://allyours.virginmedia.com/html/legal/oncable/acceptableuse.html

Also Terms and Conditions link.

http://allyours.virginmedia.com/html/legal/oncable/terms.html

[jhl001]

Also note paragraph D1h:
"You must not [...] use any services [...] for commercial or business purposes"
and paragraph D1j:
"You must not [..] use the services in a way that: (i) risks degradation of service levels to other customers; (ii) puts our and/ or Virgin Media Entertainment's system at risk; and/ or (iii) is not in keeping with that reasonably expected of a residential customer"

These seem to be catch-alls that could be used, if Virgin Media so decided, to stop Foneros using their network.

[roughbeast]

Thanks for your responses guys. I understand and take all the points you made. I read the relevant stuff you directed me to. There is nothing there that makes me quake in my shoes. It seems so unlikely that anyone would use the connection for illegal stuff. Why bother paying FON for a connection when you can wander the streets with your lappy finding unsecured wireless connections in abundance.

As for VM getting uppity about this. I think this is unlikely where so few have taken the route I have. The impact on their service must be next to zero. At the most I will get my wrist slapped and asked to desist.