Posted on 03/04/2006 11:44:18 PM PST by conservative in nyc
For a while, the wireless Internet connection Christine and Randy Brodeur installed last year seemed perfect. They were able to sit in their sunny Los Angeles backyard working on their laptop computers.
But they soon began noticing that their high-speed Internet access had become as slow as rush-hour traffic on the 405 freeway.
"I didn't know whether to blame it on the Santa Ana winds or what," recalled Mrs. Brodeur, the chief executive of Socket Media, a marketing and public relations agency.
The "what" turned out to be neighbors who had tapped into their system. The additional online traffic nearly choked out the Brodeurs, who pay a $40 monthly fee for their Internet service, slowing their access until it was practically unusable.
Piggybacking, the usually unauthorized tapping into someone else's wireless Internet connection, is no longer the exclusive domain of pilfering computer geeks or shady hackers cruising for unguarded networks. Ordinarily upstanding people are tapping in. As they do, new sets of Internet behaviors are creeping into America's popular culture.
"I don't think it's stealing," said Edwin Caroso, a 21-year-old student at Miami Dade College, echoing an often-heard sentiment.
"I always find people out there who aren't protecting their connection, so I just feel free to go ahead and use it," Mr. Caroso said. He added that he tapped into a stranger's network mainly for Web surfing, keeping up with e-mail, text chatting with friends in foreign countries and doing homework.
Many who piggyback say the practice does not feel like theft because it does not seem to take anything away from anyone. One occasional piggybacker recently compared it to "reading the newspaper over someone's shoulder."
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
It's not wrong at all. You're being naive.
Anyone who wants it can google up the WEP crack and break in. It can be done in three minutes.
If you are relying on WEP, you are a fool.
"This sort of imbecility is what paases for"
Not all executives are tech "weenies".
And, just in case you did'nt notice, stealing is still a crime...even if the victim is unaware of the theft.
I have a Linksys WPC11 and I've never been able to make it work under any conditions. If I run it in AdHoc mode, I'm getting a signal, but can't ping anybody.
Course my understanding of microsoft networking is almost nonexistent. Bring back VTAM!!!
self ping for later.
Damn! Why don't I have neighbors like that? I just got a laptop and was cruising around for an unprotected connection. I can't believe that none of my neighbors, several of whom work for MS up here in Seattle, don't have a connection - since they work for MS, I was pretty sure it would be unprotected. : )
From http://www.cs.umd.edu/~waa/wireless.pdf:
4.2 Ethernet MAC Address Access Control Lists
In theory, access control lists provide a reasonable level of security when a strong form of identity is used. Unfortunately, this is not the case with MAC addresses for two reasons. First, MAC addresses are easily sniffed by an attacker since they MUST appear in the clear even when WEP is enabled, and second most all of the wireless cards permit the changing of their MAC address via software. As a result, an attacker can easily determine the MAC addresses permitted access via eavesdropping, and then subsequently masquerade as a valid address by programming the desired address into the wireless card by-passing the access control and gaining access to the protected network.
Freepmail in code could probably go on for quite a while until someone in a suit knocked on Jim Rob's door asking to look at the system.
I don't think its stealing, its barrowing something that they can never use again, their bandwith at that exact moment. The only person being hurt is the service provider who is probably overcharging anyway.
I copy the key to a text file and store it on a USB flash drive. Then I copy it to each PC on my wireless network as the PSK. This also makes it easy to change the key over time.
-PJ
"PIGGYBACKING" is a term dishonest people use to describe stealing.
Stealing is a crime.
Not in my mind. Of course, I have a much simpler technique: I pick up the phone and call my son-in-law who comes over and secures the system. His hobby as a youngster was hacking. He had the FBI knocking on his door when he was 15. Now he works for the Phoenix Police Department, and the FBI wants him to work for them.
I live in Silicon Valley in an apartment complex. Every neighbor has a router with an SSID broadcast, but they're all secured. I can't get into any of them.
Wow, that's impressive. I hope he goes and works for the FBI. I'm just a tech-geek-wanna-be who lives in Silicon Valley. I'm just an office secretary.
Wow, that's impressive. I hope he goes and works for the FBI. I'm just a tech-geek-wanna-be who lives in Silicon Valley. I'm just an office secretary.
Now how the hell did I post twice? Wierd.
Not likely. He would have to take a pay cut, and he absolutely LOVES his job.
Really? Wow. Tells you what I know. Just read your profile. I'm a registered independent too.
When he asked for my daughter's hand in marriage, (yes, BOTH of my sons-in-law asked my permission to marry my daughters), he told me that I wouldn't be losing a daughter, I would be gaining tech support for life.
This sounds like ignorance to me. My router software enables me to see every computer that is connected to my network, wired and wireless. If there are 48 people using it, I would be able to see that. But isn't there a limit on the number of wireless connections that can be open at any one time?
How sweeeeeeet!!!! My husband asked my parents for permission to marry me too! How romantic and nobel.
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