Is it wrong to hijack your neighbours router?

[fireman328]

Read this
Sorry, I could not make a link

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/4721723.stm

---------- Post added at 17:35 ---------- Previous post was at 17:28 ----------

Read this
Sorry, I could not make a link

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/4721723.stm

Originally Posted by Action Jackson

Quite often if I am downloading a lot of my stuff and maxing out my bandwidth on my PC, then I'll jump on my laptop and connect to my neighbours unprotected wireless router for a bit of web browsing.


Am I simply despicable and should hang my head in shame(with possible self-flogging) or am I just being a little bit sneaky and should actually pat myself on the back for showing great initiative?


I've been wrestling with this moral dilemma for quite some time. After all, the neighbour is a nice lady and probably deserves better, although her son clearly knows nothing about router security.

You don't live next door to me I hope?

[CycoSymz]

Originally Posted by Action Jackson

Quite often if I am downloading a lot of my stuff and maxing out my bandwidth on my PC, then I'll jump on my laptop and connect to my neighbours unprotected wireless router for a bit of web browsing.


Am I simply despicable and should hang my head in shame(with possible self-flogging) or am I just being a little bit sneaky and should actually pat myself on the back for showing great initiative?


I've been wrestling with this moral dilemma for quite some time. After all, the neighbour is a nice lady and probably deserves better, although her son clearly knows nothing about router security.

You're stealing bandwidth that someone else is paying for, which is wrong and is still stealing.
Just because someone doesn't have enough security on their connection, doesn't mean you can help your self to their bandwidth.
If someone forgets to lock their front door it doesn't mean you can go in their house and take what you like.
You should be ashamed of yourself and inform your neighbour of their security problem.

[TheNorm]

Originally Posted by Flange

...If someone forgets to lock their front door it doesn't mean you can go in their house and take what you like....

That would involve trespass. In this case, the wireless signal is being broadcast outside the boundaries of the property.

If my neighbours apple tree has branches that overhang my garden, are the apples that fall to my side "forbidden fruit"?

Originally Posted by TheNorm

That would involve trespass. In this case, the wireless signal is being broadcast outside the boundaries of the property.

If my neighbours apple tree has branches that overhang my garden, are the apples that fall to my side "forbidden fruit"?

It has already been pointed out in this thread that to use someone else's wireless connection without permission IS a criminal offence.

[dragon]

Originally Posted by Incognitas

It has already been pointed out in this thread that to use someone else's wireless connection without permission IS a criminal offence.

But only if you get caught

[TheNorm]

Originally Posted by Incognitas

It has already been pointed out in this thread that to use someone else's wireless connection without permission IS a criminal offence.

Yes, but where is the logic behind this law?

If my neighbour's incessant talking provides carbon dioxide for my tomatoes, am I guilty of theft?

[nffc]

Originally Posted by JohnHorb

Probably a good idea to hide - 'not broadcast' - your SSID too.

No, I disagree. Hiding your SSID has few benefits to outweigh the disadvantages of not being able to "see" the network when you need to.

A good network with WPA and MAC filtering, and a changed SSID and username/password on the router, should be fine without needing to hide SSID.

Originally Posted by dragon

But only if you get caught

Then admitting to it in a public forum is perhaps NOT a good idea.

[dragon]

Originally Posted by TheNorm

Yes, but where is the logic behind this law?

If my neighbour's incessant talking provides carbon dioxide for my tomatoes, am I guilty of theft?

LOL that did make me chuckle.

But what really REALLY gets me about most peoples unsecured networks is people on ADSL will LOGIN to the router to provide their ISP info which means they just used the DEAFULT password to get in there they never bother to venture as far to look at the security settings?

Even people who don't need to provide a login and their router just works surely should think it a bit strange that their computer just connects wirelessly without asking for any kind of authentication.


How anyone can leave a router unsecured without noticing is beyond me its pretty obvious perticually as windows xp sp2 even gives you a warning that the network you connecting to is unsecured when you hit connect are people really that stupid ?

---------- Post added at 00:43 ---------- Previous post was at 00:40 ----------

Originally Posted by Incognitas

Then admitting to it in a public forum is perhaps NOT a good idea.

I doubt that they are going to bother tracking my IP down to my location then get a court order from my ISP to get my address details just so they can caution me for using an unencypted wi-fi connection

Its a signal on a public frequency receivable with equipment i'm legally entitled to have its transmitted in the plain so as far as i'm concerned its fair game.

Besides all they could go on is that i said i did it they've got no proof beyond that.

Originally Posted by dragon

I doubt that they are going to bother tracking my IP down to my location then get a court order from my ISP to get my address details just so they can caution me for using an unencypted wi-fi connection

Won't that IP address be allocated from the wieless router that you connected to in the first instance?

[dragon]

Originally Posted by lsainsbury

Won't that IP address be allocated from the wieless router that you connected to in the first instance?

No i'm using my own connection

Originally Posted by Action Jackson

Quite often if I am downloading a lot of my stuff and maxing out my bandwidth on my PC, then I'll jump on my laptop and connect to my neighbours unprotected wireless router for a bit of web browsing.


Am I simply despicable and should hang my head in shame(with possible self-flogging) or am I just being a little bit sneaky and should actually pat myself on the back for showing great initiative?


I've been wrestling with this moral dilemma for quite some time. After all, the neighbour is a nice lady and probably deserves better, although her son clearly knows nothing about router security.

Criminal damage to other peoples cars and nothing more then petty theft of other peoples bandwidth...

and now your worried about "moral dilemmas"... sounds like you have no morals to have a dilemma over... so just carry on as normal (as im sure you will)

Originally Posted by Flange

You're stealing bandwidth that someone else is paying for, which is wrong and is still stealing.
Just because someone doesn't have enough security on their connection, doesn't mean you can help your self to their bandwidth.
If someone forgets to lock their front door it doesn't mean you can go in their house and take what you like.
You should be ashamed of yourself and inform your neighbour of their security problem.

well said.

[Action Jackson]

Originally Posted by Slyder

Criminal damage to other peoples cars and nothing more then petty theft of other peoples bandwidth...

and now your worried about "moral dilemmas"... sounds like you have no morals to have a dilemma over... so just carry on as normal (as im sure you will)

Fair enough. In light of your morality attack I've decided that I will not use my neighbours router so often.

I will only use it when wanting to look at or download stuff that I could get in trouble with the law for.

Originally Posted by Action Jackson

Fair enough. In light of your morality attack I've decided that I will not use my neighbours router so often.

I will only use it when wanting to look at or download stuff that I could get in trouble with the law for.

you really are a funny man you are