“Borrowing” someone else’s wifi
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Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: UK
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“Borrowing” someone else’s wifi
I find myself in the UK for a couple of months at a friend’s house. On turning on my laptop I picked up several neighbours wifi signal so I am currently using one of them.
Is there any risk in doing this? I mean them getting in to my computer or picking up information I send such as emails or credit card details if I shop online?
I would be grateful for your thoughts.
Is there any risk in doing this? I mean them getting in to my computer or picking up information I send such as emails or credit card details if I shop online?
I would be grateful for your thoughts.
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Abroad
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There is a risk that a technically inclined person (not necessarily the owner of the connection) could snoop into your communications in moments of boredom. Online shopping tends to (and should) be done via encrypted connections and thus it is not generally the case that they would be eavesdropped, as there are more effective attacks than intercepting individual connections, and it wouldn't be done near your end of the link anyway. e-mails, yes, if I'm doing a capture on the network at that moment, I can read any e-mails you send or receive. Note OTOH that I cannot read your Inbox unless I break into your computer.
Having said that, generally speaking the chances of someone snooping are small, and the risk from it generally limited to having an usually anonymous person gain knowledge of private details of your life (such as via your e-mails), or know your browsing preferences.
This applies to any type of connection, of course. It's just easier and open to a wider audience on unencrypted (or WEP encrypted) wireless networks, LANs, and certain residential cable connections, but doable and done everywhere there is a router and a bored sysadmin.
On another subject, since you benefit from someone else's open wifi, I hope you will be polite enough to leave your own wireless network, if you have one, open for the occasional user to take advantage of. It comes at no cost to you and there is a collective benefit in doing that, as you can see.
Having said that, generally speaking the chances of someone snooping are small, and the risk from it generally limited to having an usually anonymous person gain knowledge of private details of your life (such as via your e-mails), or know your browsing preferences.
This applies to any type of connection, of course. It's just easier and open to a wider audience on unencrypted (or WEP encrypted) wireless networks, LANs, and certain residential cable connections, but doable and done everywhere there is a router and a bored sysadmin.
On another subject, since you benefit from someone else's open wifi, I hope you will be polite enough to leave your own wireless network, if you have one, open for the occasional user to take advantage of. It comes at no cost to you and there is a collective benefit in doing that, as you can see.
Spoon PPRuNerist & Mad Inistrator
GMS,
What you are doing is actually against the law - people have been prosecuted for "borrowing" someone else's wifi network.
There was a thread on this very topic recently - I'm sure that a search will locate it.
LH2,
I admire your altruism, but unless you can find a way to communicate to those that stumble across your "open" network that they have your full permission to use it, then I suggest you refrain from inciting others to perhaps commit an offence.
SD
What you are doing is actually against the law - people have been prosecuted for "borrowing" someone else's wifi network.
There was a thread on this very topic recently - I'm sure that a search will locate it.
LH2,
On another subject, since you benefit from someone else's open wifi, I hope you will be polite enough to leave your own wireless network, if you have one, open for the occasional user to take advantage of. It comes at no cost to you and there is a collective benefit in doing that, as you can see.
SD
