Free BB

d-redser

Hey,

I don't understand this so I am hoping someone can help me..

I have been using the 3 bb for the past year but had enough and cancelled my direct debits from my bank as they are shyte.

Anyway, I was using my laptop with no bb connection when a small icon popped up and said that there are wireless networks available.

So I clicked on it and I have been using this to log onto the net.

But I am curious as to how?! Its far faster than 3 (not surprising) and o2 combined. I can download films in a couple of mins...

How am I able to connect to a wireless network like this? Im not complaining just curious!

Also, whoever "owns" it, will they know I'm on it?!

Spear

d-redser wrote: »

Hey,

I don't understand this so I am hoping someone can help me..

I have been using the 3 bb for the past year but had enough and cancelled my direct debits from my bank as they are shyte.

Anyway, I was using my laptop with no bb connection when a small icon popped up and said that there are wireless networks available.

So I clicked on it and I have been using this to log onto the net.

But I am curious as to how?! Its far faster than 3 (not surprising) and o2 combined. I can download films in a couple of mins...

How am I able to connect to a wireless network like this? Im not complaining just curious!

Also, whoever "owns" it, will they know I'm on it?!

You're stealing your neighbours bandwidth you mean?

d-redser

Spear wrote: »

You're stealing your neighbours bandwidth you mean?

Am I??:eek:

How do I know I am?

There is a wifi cafe and a wifi pub just across the road, so maybe thought it was to do with them...

Seriously though, how do I find out where I am getting it from?

d-redser

d-redser wrote: »

Am I??:eek:

How do I know I am?

There is a wifi cafe and a wifi pub just across the road, so maybe thought it was to do with them...

Seriously though, how do I find out where I am getting it from?

EDIT: by the way I have only been using this since 11 last night so literally a couple of hours max.
I had no intention of stealing, my new vodafone modem is being delivered today..

The Real B-man

d-redser wrote: »

EDIT: by the way I have only been using this since 11 last night so literally a couple of hours max.
I had no intention of stealing, my new vodafone modem is being delivered today..

IT Police are on to you!!

But Seriously if people cant secure there Wifi thats there problem of course people are going to Rob it.

Spear

The Real B-man wrote: »

IT Police are on to you!!

But Seriously if people cant secure there Wifi thats there problem of course people are going to Rob it.

All though I've no sympathy for someone too dumb to make even a token effort to secure their network, the access could be very easily considered unauthorised and therefore illegal.

d-redser

OK Spear, I think we have already established that I am illegally stealing.. What I am trying to find out is who's is it?

Is it the pub, cafe's or neighbours??

And as I have already mentioned in my first post, I dont know a huge amount about this stuff, the icon popped up, I clicked on it and hey presto fast bb.

I will be getting my new modem today so I wont be illegally stealing from anyone then Spear.

Spear

d-redser wrote: »

OK Spear, I think we have already established that I am illegally stealing.. What I am trying to find out is who's is it?

Is it the pub, cafe's or neighbours??

And as I have already mentioned in my first post, I dont know a huge amount about this stuff, the icon popped up, I clicked on it and hey presto fast bb.

I will be getting my new modem today so I wont be illegally stealing from anyone then Spear.

There should be an SSID name to identify the network, but as to whether or not that gives any useful info depends on what they've used. If it's a company or cafe they'll tend to use the company name or something fairly obvious. Or then again it could just be left at the default like linksys or belkin54g. Given that they didn't know enough to secure the network it's not likely they made the effort to name it logically.

d-redser

Spear wrote: »

There should be an SSID name to identify the network, but as to whether or not that gives any useful info depends on what they've used. If it's a company or cafe they'll tend to use the company name or something fairly obvious. Or then again it could just be left at the default like linksys or belkin54g. Given that they didn't know enough to secure the network it's not likely they made the effort to name it logically.

Ok thanks, all its says is WMANB96a

joolsveer

It may be that the pub or café have a free wireless hotspot and that they do not charge their clients for using it. If this is the case I would expect the service to be funded by advertising (I have links to a company which operates this kind of service). In this case you should see some ads every so often.

d-redser

joolsveer wrote: »

It may be that the pub or café have a free wireless hotspot and that they do not charge their clients for using it. If this is the case I would expect the service to be funded by advertising (I have links to a company which operates this kind of service). In this case you should see some ads every so often.

Nope nothing.. Just very fast, reliable bb.

I wouldn't mind having this myself. Everything is so quick it is great, made me realise how bad 3 really are. Even my partner's o2 mobile bb isnt this fast.

Spear

d-redser wrote: »

Ok thanks, all its says is WMANB96a

Hmm, I'd hazard a guess that it's a combination of the company name combined with a branch number, which is a common convention.

thebman

Spear wrote: »

All though I've no sympathy for someone too dumb to make even a token effort to secure their network, the access could be very easily considered unauthorised and therefore illegal.

Its up for debate since they connected to a network with no restrictions on who can access it. Along with broadcasting the SSID, the person has basically put up a big sign saying all welcome to connect to this network.

There is no keep out sign, i.e. security on the network.

To me that would mean that the person doesn't see any problem with other people using their network. Its their responsibility to lock it down. It says in the manual of the wireless router how to do this. Its not rocket science, any idiot can do it in a few minutes. If a person isn't willing to then they obviously don't care if someone uses their network.

jor el

d-redser wrote: »

And as I have already mentioned in my first post, I dont know a huge amount about this stuff, the icon popped up, I clicked on it and hey presto fast bb.

If a wireless network has any kind of security, then it's obvious the owner doesn't want others using it. But, if there's no security, then why couldn't that be seen as an invitation to use it freely? I'm not so sure it could be considered stealing, or illegal. There's every likelihood that it is a free WiFi hotspot, and hence no problem with you using it.

For the owner to do anything, they'd first have to find you. Then they'd have to prove it was you "stealing" their broadband, and then take a civil case against you. Or, they could just invest 2 minutes in enabling encryption.

jor el

brim4brim wrote: »

To me that would mean that the person doesn't see any problem with other people using their network. Its their responsibility to lock it down. It says in the manual of the wireless router how to do this. Its not rocket science, any idiot can do it in a few minutes. If a person isn't willing to then they obviously don't care if someone uses their network.

I was in my brother's apartment at the weekend, and there were about 8 or 9 wireless networks visible. Two of them were WPA, 3 were eircom routers with the default SSID string, and about 3 or 4 were unsecured. The strange thing about the unsecured ones was they all had custom names (like obrein-home, and tommy, not the standard WRT54-G and so on). So, they had the ability to change the name on the router, but didn't bother with security. Fools.

mjsmyth

An open door is not an invite for someone to come in and rob your house, it may be unwise to leave the door open, but that still does not give someone the right to steal from you.

This was in the UK last year:
http://itn.co.uk/news/1112943368020a45ac5052f568ddbde1.html

"A man who was spotted in the street using his laptop to access an unsecured wireless connection has been arrested.

The 39-year-old man was seen sitting on a wall outside a home in Chiswick, west London, by two community support officers.

When questioned he admitted using the owner's unsecured wireless internet connection without permission and was arrested on suspicion of stealing a wireless broadband connection."

In the UK, dishonestly obtaining free internet access is an offence under the Communications Act 2003 and a potential breach of the Computer Misuse Act.

It might be wise to see if it is a similar offence here.

mj

thebman

mjsmyth wrote: »

An open door is not an invite for someone to come in and rob your house, it may be unwise to leave the door open, but that still does not give someone the right to steal from you.

This was in the UK last year:
http://itn.co.uk/news/1112943368020a45ac5052f568ddbde1.html

"A man who was spotted in the street using his laptop to access an unsecured wireless connection has been arrested.

The 39-year-old man was seen sitting on a wall outside a home in Chiswick, west London, by two community support officers.

When questioned he admitted using the owner's unsecured wireless internet connection without permission and was arrested on suspicion of stealing a wireless broadband connection."

In the UK, dishonestly obtaining free internet access is an offence under the Communications Act 2003 and a potential breach of the Computer Misuse Act.

It might be wise to see if it is a similar offence here.

mj

Meh its definitely not the same as leaving your door open :rolleyes:

As I see it (and I'm open to correction), the person is broadcasting an unencrypted signal into your house and asking you not to receive it and send responses. I don't think they have the right to make that request. If they don't want me to receive a signal being broadcast into my house then they should either a) not broadcast it into my house or b) encrypt it.

Its another matter entirely if the person is out by the side of the road using someones connection because the signal isn't being broadcast onto their property. They are either standing on private property or public property with a laptop trying to take advantage of someones connection.

If its in your house and unencrypted, your wireless could be set to automatically connect to it so I don't think it should be illegal. If it is, I don't think this was considered.

Anyway I don't do it and my network is encrypted so it makes fook all difference to me

event

Spear wrote: »

Hmm, I'd hazard a guess that it's a combination of the company name combined with a branch number, which is a common convention.

i think thats the standard type of SSID that netgear routers give out

Spear

event wrote: »

i think thats the standard type of SSID that netgear routers give out

A quick Google search doesn't show anything like that.

doodlbug18

d-redser wrote: »

Nope nothing.. Just very fast, reliable bb.

I wouldn't mind having this myself. Everything is so quick it is great, made me realise how bad 3 really are. Even my partner's o2 mobile bb isnt this fast.

You are just experiencing normal fixed line Broadband. As has been repeated hundreds of times on Boards, so called mobile "Broadband" typically operates at dial-up speeds if you are lucky, and if it's good don't tell anyone or the cell might get overloaded.

If two of you are paying for separate Mobile "Broadband" subscriptions, you would be much better off to consider getting your own phone-line and DSL Broadband. It will cost you less than two mobile subscriptions and you won't look back. Don't hog someone else's connection - it's not fair to your neighbour even if they have stupidly left it unlocked.