Wireless Network Connections

Neptus

Ok check this out, I just got a brand new laptop because I plan on traveling a lot during the next year.
Well, I just got home with it and it said there was a wireless connection nearby and I connected to them because I don't have my broadband cables in this room yet. But it's damn fast.... Is this safe? because I've never ever done this before.
But it's faster than the internet i have now.

Khuzarrz

ROFL! Well, it's highly illegal and an imprisonable offense... So yeah, go right ahead!

Xexima

Its not highly illegal... and you probably wouldn't get caught for it, but go ahead, if they were stupid enough to leave their connection unsecured (not unlike mine ) they probably wouldn't care, nor know.

Khuzarrz

Hmmm... It is over here... The punishments are more severe than just for unauthorised access (i.e. hacking into someones computer)... With a max sentence of 10 years for a single count of it, I'd say that's pretty 'highly' illegal

Dunno what it's like in the states to be fair, but i'd imagine it can't be that much better...

I do have to agree though... You're so unlikely to get caught, as every idiot home user that doesn't even know what their bandwidth is now has wireless. In my -detached- house, in a rural village in England, with the slowest broadband available EEEEVER and the least users, we now get 3 wireless connections in most rooms in the house because the neighbours are so stupid. I didn't even know the range on the things could reach that far until we got a new laptop and picked up the neighbour's connection opposite (about 300ft away)...

Xexima

Oh, to answer your question, yeah it's safe.

Cooktastico

Man I did that for the longest time when I moved down here. If your neighbors aren't computer literate enough to password protect their wireless net, and not change the router name, &c. then I would say go ahead and take it. But try and get your own internet soon just to be a good person.l

Neptus

I already have my own, i was just like "whoa....what does this do?" I'm on connected to it at the moment lol but i'm about to hookup my router and get the cables in here because it's a very weak signal and my internet is faster.

But I feel a bit naughty right now.....

Angyl

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Originally posted by Xexima
Oh, to answer your question, yeah it's safe.

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Elite Member

Registered: 7/23/05
Posts: 1234

Cats have nine lives, but what they dont tell you is that microwaves

post #1234 ftw!

Xexima

w00t 1234, I'm just that cool

Angyl

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Originally posted by Xexima
w00t 1234, I'm just that cool

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1235 now, you are uncool again

Neptus

Xexima has always been cool and Don't you forget it!

Xexima

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Originally posted by Neptus

Xexima has always been cool and Don't you forget it!

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Damn straight.

Angyl

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Originally posted by Neptus

Xexima has always been cool and Don't you forget it!

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I feel shunned... Excuse me while I go cry in a corner.

Techleo

  I can hear the degrading chant.. cry baby cry baby CRY BABY!!! WAHH why don you CRY LIKE A BABY!!
Arent childern wonderul *Grabs wiffle batt of doom!* Oh but vengance is sweet!*Chases after taunting 7 year olds, FALL UNDER THE MITE OF THE WIFFLLLEEEEE!!!! Hehehehe Ill be honest I had a horrible youth. Now I take it out on the new era of twirps. Such sweet therapy! Ive come to truly embrace karma! Oh yes I have!

...... Lol ok so maybe I have a dual personality. So anywho, it is illegall to tap into someone elses unprotected network, tho unlikely youd be caught. Mind you there are plenty of free wireless networks at hotels and restraunts. I knew a friend in NYC that used to eat outside a large hotel and tap into the net there every evening and play his games on his laptops. Bugger probably saved several thousand dollars a year.

Neptus

Hey here's a thought.
Maybe Xexima and Angyl should get together and go bowling sometime.

Just a thought....
Techleo got me thinking.

Angyl

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Originally posted by Neptus

Hey here's a thought.
Maybe Xexima and Angyl should get together and go bowling sometime.
Just a thought....
Techleo got me thinking.

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My first job was at a bowling alley, bad memories... How did techleo get you thinking about this anyway?

Neptus

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Originally posted by Angyl

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Originally posted by Neptus
Hey here's a thought.Maybe Xexima and Angyl should get together and go bowling sometime.
Just a thought....Techleo got me thinking.

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My first job was at a bowling alley, bad memories... How did techleo get you thinking about this anyway?

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I really don't know.
It just hit me as I was uninstalling the billions of freeware and trial software they put on new computers.

Edit.

This is stupid...
This new laptop I bought has like Five verisons of AOL, Napster, Four DVD player programs...
Why?!?!?!?! Each time I had to uninstall ONE of the five things AOL had on this computer, I had to restart.
This is just stupid...

Techleo

I was wondering what I said that could shake a memory.. *shrugs* Im still at my first job after 5 years. So I cant realy compare it to anything else yet. Well except for my part time job as a grounds keeper.

grimweeper

Put it this way, if there dumb enough to leave their network unsecure there dumb enough to never catch you.  So youre safe.  People do this all the time, like when i went on vacation with my parents i used to always sit in the backseat with a labtop wardriving. so much fun, its also amazing how many wireless networks you will find and that around 75% of the networks i saw didnt have any encryption on them.  I also surfed the internet while pumping gas becouse the gas station didnt have any security on its network (i know it was the gas stations network becouse when i checked to see available networks one of the networks was named exxon, and obviously the gas staion was exxon)

Neptus

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Originally posted by grimweeper
Put it this way, if there dumb enough to leave their network unsecure there dumb enough to never catch you. So youre safe. People do this all the time, like when i went on vacation with my parents i used to always sit in the backseat with a labtop wardriving. so much fun, its also amazing how many wireless networks you will find and that around 75% of the networks i saw didnt have any encryption on them. I also surfed the internet while pumping gas becouse the gas station didnt have any security on its network (i know it was the gas stations network becouse when i checked to see available networks one of the networks was named exxon, and obviously the gas staion was exxon)

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hahaha.
I love doing this so far.
I live near Chicago so me and some friends went to the mall and I brought my laptop to see how fast a hiltons connection was.

This was before I posted this thread.

Aelfinn

Like others have said, pretty much the only way to get caught jacking into someone elses connection is if you try one with a watchdog tracer program. You will pretty much only find these in the hands of a true computer freak, or big businesses.

Oh, and if the local police have their own connection, Don't try that one either. A lot of departments are upgrading to wi-fi in their squad cars, this naturally takes a city wide signal, but its not unprotected.

Draenor

I've done that many times...it's nearly impossible for them to really do anything about it.

zieen

It's in no way illegal to search for Wi-Fi networks, but it is, in fact, illegal to tap into them. As others have said, the connection's owner probably isn't smart enough to track you, if they have an unprotected Wi-Fi network. The same goes for safety. If the network is unprotected, odds are they aren't trying to monitor what you're doing.

I have, however, seen instances where people set up unprotected Wi-Fi networks, in an attempt to trick people into connecting, and gather 'useful' information.

Wardriving is not illegal, so long as you aren't trespassing/tapping into the unprotected networks. Although, unless you're stupid enough to be doing illegal activities on the unprotected networks (sending out spam, file sharing, child pornography, etc., etc.) you probably won't get caught.

I wouldn't be performing any sort of transactions over these un-encrypted networks, though. You never know who is watching, especially in bigger cities.

Here's my question for the thread: Would a police agency setting up an unprotected network with the intent to find wardrivers performing illegal acts (connecting/using un-encrypted networks) be considered entrapment?