Help a Reader: Free Internet

Here's a question I recently received from a reader:

I moved into a new apartment yesterday and in the course of setting things up my roommate discovered one of the neighbors has an unprotected wireless network.  We have an appointment to get cable and internet set up next week, but he would like me to cancel the internet portion because he considers the wireless network "FREE internet."

I, too, used this connection yesterday in order to check my e-mail, etc.  Personally, I equate it to a faucet on someone's property that is accessible from the sidewalk.  I might use it to take a drink and not feel guilty, but I certainly wouldn't hook up a hose to water my lawn.

I am uncomfortable relying on our neighbor for permanent internet access unless we are given explicit permission, and I have told my roommate as much.  He thinks I am crazy and maintains that everyone in his office agrees with him.  Am I off-base here?  And if I am correct and it is unethical, am I being a hypocrite by using it in the interim until our own is set-up?

What would you tell him?

Comments

[MattC]

All the people chiming in to suggest that they contact the neighbor and offer to share - that activity is most likely prohibited by their agreement with the company providing the broadband. You can't "share" your cable tv connection with your neighbors, why do you think internet would be any different?

[MBirchmeier]

I agree with most of those on here... don't do it.

It could be a honey pot, in which case he's doing something illegal and you're getting screwed, and if not there's a good chance you're doing something illegal under your state laws, if not illegal at least immoral.

If your roommate is still looking to save a buck I'd offer the following alternative: suggest they find out who it is, and offer to secure their connection, and offer to help with the bill.

Other than that I'd just get your own net, besides karma comes back to haunt you. The one time you absolutely need the internet for something that person has turned off their router or secured it, leaving hosed.

[MasterPo]

Jon - SSL encrypts the connection and transmission between you and the site only. Someone can still "see" that you're connetced to the site (or to the router for that matter) but they can't read what is being sent back and form (unless they know the exact decryption key and it's mathematically improbably to break the key, certainly with in the time frame you're using it). SSH is basically the same thing but more like a Telnet application (if you know what that is and if you don't it isn't important). That's a bit over simplified but the jist of it.

The reason you need to worry is as someone pointed out already any network drives, your own hard disk etc can be hacked if your network is open for anyone to connect. SSL won't protect against that. It's like saying I don't care if I leave my front door wide open because my TV is bolted down and valuables in a home safe. You still wouldn't/shouldn't do it.

Password "sniffing" uses programs known as sniffers to monitor connections and look for certain words and commands, then logs them. Commonly used in business to monitor employee's email and web usage (though they rarely tell you that at work but trust me on this!!). Otherwise passwords are more guessed by constant rapid trial&error attacks. It can happen to anyone any time. I had my ebay password hacked last year.

As far as being caught, unless you go around bragging I don't see how. If the neighbor was THAT technically sophisticated that he/she can monitor their home network then they should be smart enough to know not to leave it unprotected. I guarantee if you asked 100 people with wireless home networks if theirs was protected at least 75% wouldn't know either way, and 99% wouldn't have a clue how to check the list of IP's or MAC addresses connected to the network at any given time.

I agree ultimately you should have your own connection anyway. But people piggy back on other open networks all the time. It's as much the fault of the network owner as the user. Still don't loose any sleep over it.

Get your own Internet and pay for it. I would (and have) use it for a few days until your Internet is up-and-running, but that's it. The speed of the wireless connection will probably be slower than your own connection. Also, the connection is not safe - by using your neighbor's wireless, you are giving them all of your data. They can easily have software to see every page you visit and everything you type (logins, passwords, bank accounts, credit card numbers, etc.).

[JLR]

You may get access to the net from this unsecured/unprotected wifi connection but that is part of the point. It is unsecured/unprotected. That means anyone else can sniff there too so your personal information is also going about unprotected. Not a good idea in this age of identity theft. Another thing to consider is what happens if he wises up and secures his system? Then you are out of commission until you get set up w/ your own access. There is also a "get back at wifi thieves" program I just found out about. That could be very inconvenient also.

I saw it in the ETR eNewsletter (http://www.earlytorise.com/) and they saw it in PC World.

It's Good to Know: How to Stop Wi-Fi Thieves
When you pay good money for a wireless connection, it's annoying to discover that your cheap neighbor is using your connection every day. Instead of getting his own, he'd rather just leech off yours, slowing down your connection in the process. You can use a password to block wi-fi thieves, but there's a way to do it that's a lot more fun.

"Upside-Down-Ternet" is a service that was designed by and for folks who cannot stand wi-fi parasites. It doesn't stop people from using your connection. Instead, it makes everything they view on their screen appear upside-down and backward. And if the thought of that isn't enough to put a smile on your lips, you can also redirect every site they attempt to access to a different one that you set up. Use your imagination.
(Source: PC World)

[Mary@SimplyForties]

I left my network unsecured for awhile. A new neighbor moved in across the street and mentioned to me, at some point, that she was logging on. I liked her, didn't mind, and told her so. I finally got with the program and secured my network. I sent her the key so she could continue to log on. The funny thing is, the next time she was in town, after I secured my network, she said she wasn't using it anymore. She said she thought if I felt I needed to secure my network then she didn't need to be on it! I assured her she was not the problem and she was welcome to use my network when she was in town. I told her that when she moves here permanently, she might want to get her own connection for consistency. I don't know what she decided.

Alternatively, my son, who is away at college and rooming with some buddies, can't afford Internet and logs on to some random unsecured network in his area. He calls me every once in a while to get help connecting. I always laugh and tell him that's the price he pays for logging in to someone else's connecction.

So, in answer to your question, I think if someone has an unsecured connection, they can't exactly complain about other people using it but, if you want a consistent, reliable connection that you can call for help with, better get your own!

[Jackie]

I just wanted to say I found Tim's comment about sharing popcorn hilarious in comparison. If you reach out to the neighbor or a friend and ask to share, it is more than reasonable. However, if you reach out to the stranger in front of you and grab their popcorn, that is a more accurate analogy and definitely wrong. They weren't covering it, may not have wanted any more, and didn't specifically tell you not to, but it is understood to be bad manners and while a small matter not worthy of legal action, it is still stealing.

[Nicole]

I disagree with those who say it is theft or unethical. If I position my ginormous big screen tv in front of my window so anyone can watch it, are they "stealing" my cable. no. If I own the mona lisa, and instead of charging people to see it, I display it in a place where everyone can view it for free, are they stealing the experience? no. People who don't secure their wireless are providing a public service - some people may even be doing it intentionally, like one of the commentors above. In this day and age, people either know (or should know if they do a minimal amount of research) that strangers can piggy back onto an unsecured wireless connection. It's a risk you take when you don't secure your wireless.

The security issues are valid, so make sure you have a good firewall, etc.

[daniele]

i think it's ok that you're using the "free" internet on occasion until yours is set up next week - but i would definitely limit it to only important things. You never know who can swim up the stream into your computer and get into your files AND it's not fair to the neighbor that you're hogging all of his bandwith. optimally, if you want free internet, just go down to McDonald's or Panera or whatever location in your neck of the woods has free internet access.

and your roommate is just out and out wrong. end of story.

[Brent]

Wasn't there a case where someone was arrested for using free, unsecured wifi outside a coffee shop after hours? Despite of what you think and who ends up being correct, do you really want to spend time in court defending your position on why you should be allowed to use unsecured wifi that is being broadcast to the public? While the chances of litigation are really low, is it really worth it to tempt fate?

And then there's the whole security issue that everyone else has mentioned. Yeah, you may have free internet for a few months, but what happens when you do a little online banking while someone is sniffing the connection? I'm sure the thief will love the fact that you saved $30/month since that will mean more money for whoever buys your identity.

I'm all for saving money, but I think you can find less dangerous and ethically questionable ways of doing it.

[anna]

MasterPo -- how can a user find out who is connected to the system (I mean, can you show us how so we can do it ourselves?)

[LotharBot]

"If you can connect without breaking encryption or manually setting your internet address [IP address] then you've got permission. [a DHCP lease]"

Your computer has permission from his router to connect to his router.

That doesn't mean YOU have permission to use his bandwidth.

Hypothetical time:
1) If you went to talk to the user and found it was some n00b who didn't realize his router was unsecured, and he got upset about it, would you still think it was OK to leech his bandwidth?
2) If you talked to him and found he was a criminal looking to steal your passwords, would it still be OK?
3) If you DON'T talk to him, how can you be sure he's not one of the above?

Don't be a thief. Either pay for your own internet, or get permission to use someone else's.

[Meg]

I had to live short term (4 months) in an apartment in a new city right after college, and I found that I could get free wireless from a neigbor as well - and I used it. There was no way to pinpoint whose connection it was, or else I would have offered to pay half. In fact there were several unprotected signals I had access to.

Since I was only going to be there a few months I wasn't going to set up my own connection anyway; I only used it occassionally to check personal email; I did all online banking from my computer at work with a secured server.

I didn't consider it stealing since the other person was a) not losing anything and b) was totally unaware of the situation. The only entity being cheated was TimeWarner, and I've been ripped off by them far worse before.

[IVSPORT]

From a moral standpoint, I see nothing wrong with taking advantage of a service that is overpriced. It doesn't affect this other person that you're logging on (except maybe a slightly slower speed, but if this person is inexperienced enough to leave a network unprotected, chances are they're not that tech savvy in the first place and might not need the faster speeds). The only worry is legality and security. If you can make sure you're protected on both of those fronts, I say go for it.