Wireless Internet

As of a few days ago I have canceled my internet provider to save money.  I have wireless internet & it turns out that I can log onto someone else's network while I'm at home & still use the internet through that person's network.  Pretty cool and I wish I had realized I could do that beforehand because I could have saved on month's of internet bills.  Oh well.  My question is, how safe & secure will I be when I log on to pay credit card bills or purchase items online?  Is it secure even if I'm logged onto someone else's network or will someone be able to view my information a lot easier than before?  Any ideas? 

As soon as they spot you on their network (I'd notice if someone was on mine but not everyone is computer savvy) you'll be blocked. But seeing how they haven't even set up a proper SSID + WEP they'll probably never notice.

The security should be the same as if it was your own wireless. You're only using it to access the internet, but I'm not 100% sure. =( I can't see or find a way, to see what others are doing on my network so I don't think they can either.

That's really not cool.  Some people have limits on their internet usage.  You could be costing a neighbor money they don't have to spare.

Enjoy it whilst it lasts, as soon as they realize... it's only their connection which isn't secure so everything else will be fine.

As jewels said you maybe costing them money, but they should have made sure their connection is locked.

Im sorry but its not her fault if shes using up their usage. They should have had their internet provider set up the block when the router was installed. I have never had any issues with privacy and security. The only time your going to have problems with credit card info being stolen is from hackers or if you use some ass backwards site that will end up selling your credit info. Dont save any passwords or credit cards on the internet sites. you should be fine. make sure you have a decent virus protection like AVG or McAfee.

You do realize what you're doing is stealing, right?  Even if they don't have a password protected connection, you're taking bandwidth they paid for.  It's still not legal to steal a car even if the doors were unlocked.

Original Post by gem86:

Im sorry but its not her fault if shes using up their usage. 

haha It's not her fault? She's the one stealing their internet. Of course it's her fault.

sheesh, no need to get all snippity over a simple question.  I tried it for one day to see if I still had internet access or not--it's not like I was going online and stealing people's personal identities or credit card information.  Besides, it's not as though the internet has monthly minutes, such as a cell phone plan, so I wouldn't have been using up their internet usage as someone suggested.

Anyway, there are plenty of other places to go for wireless internet, such as Barnes & Noble, Starbucks, or Panera Bread, so I can go there instead.

You're going to pay for wireless at Starbucks.

And no one said you'd use up their minutes. There is bandwith... some companys give you a certain amount. If you're stealing their internet, you are using their bandwith. 

hmmm...what do you mean that you pay for wireless at Starbucks?  I thought you could just go in with your laptop & log onto the network that is set up there.

oh wait a second...I got onto their website & I see what you mean now about paying for Wi-Fi.  Good thing I don't like Starbucks very much, so I'll cross that one off my list.

I don't really see a problem with popping on to someone elses unsecured wireless to do things like pay bills, check email, and get off. Those things don't eat up much bandwidth, so no harm no foul. I'm not an expert on how safe it is.

As long as you're not staying on for hours, streaming or downloading, it really isn't going to cause a problem. They may or may not notice you and add a password.

Original Post by gem86:

Im sorry but its not her fault if shes using up their usage.

 This has to be the worst excuse for stealing that I have every heard.  And Yes, pirating your neighbor's internet access is stealing.

"But Officer, it's not MY fault the bank teller gave me this money when I pointed a gun in her face..."

Um...well, considering you're stealing yourself and karma is EVERYWHERE, i think the likelyhood of your infomation getting stolen is pretty good.

Good luck with that one. 

To save money, I don't eat out anymore (maybe once a month), canceled my home phone (I only use the cell anyway), canceled HBO and other movie channels, and started putting money into savings the same time I was paying bills (I consider it "paying bills" and I put $$ aside).

This is no different than putting a splitter in your neighbor's cable line and stealing cable, and that is clearly illegal.  In some places what you are doing (piggybacking) is also illegal.

Original Post by tahitisweetie123:

sheesh, no need to get all snippity over a simple question.  I tried it for one day to see if I still had internet access or not--it's not like I was going online and stealing people's personal identities or credit card information.  

But indicating in the OP that you wish you had known so you could have saved on a month of internet bills, and then expressing concern about security regarding future use doesn't sound like you were intending on this being a one time occurrence.

While there are debates as to whether or not this is ethical or moral, you should keep in mind there are instances of people being successfully prosecuted for what you're describing, even when they weren't engaging in identify or information theft.

I think your intention on seeking other locations for internet access is a wise one.  You may also want to check out your local library.

Let this be a lesson to all of us with wireless networks out there. SECURE IT!

The more people on your network, the slower it will be. And we all know wireless isn't the greatest connection as it is.

Yes besides the fact that using something without someone's permission or knowledge is stealing, you are leaving yourself very vulnerable if you use passwords, cc info, and bank info on an usecured network.

Be safe.

I know of at least one instance in which people were "borrowing" internet access on someone else's network, and all of the people doing so ended up being questioned by the police because someone who was using that network was accessing child pornography.

But even if that weren't the case, going to the library or to Panera Bread is a much safer, much better idea.

This is why we can't have nice things!

1. They should secure their wireless.

2. You should not be stealing.

Which is worse? If you said 1, I'm never inviting you to my home because I don't lock my medicine chest and I should so that you can't steal my meds. 

1. Bob should lock his bike.

2. Jane shouldn't steal it.

Bob's careless, Jane's a criminal.

Personally, I don't see anything inherently wrong with using someone else's internet if they don't secure it. Whether or not this is legally considered stealing is not entirely clear. It really depends on what your state laws are because federal laws don't specifically address this issue. Here in cali, its illegal.

Using up someone else's bandwidth is normal practice for a lot of internet services. I pay for cable internet which, from a single source, feeds our entire apartment complex. Whether everyone else is logged onto their own network or mine, they are consuming my available bandwidth. The only time I can reach the bandwidth limit that I actually pay for is when there aren't many people in my complex using the internet.

Basically, what I'm saying is this. If your neighbor doesn't protect their internet connection and its not illegal in your state, then I don't see a problem with it.

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You may want to consider your own security in this transaction. Logging on to someone else's network makes your computer more susceptible to hacking. If you use this connection to pay for anything, its not all that difficult to pull your credit card information, and then you will lose more money than if you had just paid for the internet in the first place.

Original Post by simwaves1:

.... its not all that difficult to pull your credit card information, and then you will lose more money than if you had just paid for the internet in the first place.

I thought that was overall a very reasonable post. I would like to point out, though, that when your credit card or numbers therefrom get stolen, you typically end up losing zero dollars. SSN, another story. But credit card numbers don't typically result in actual loss.

I guess it depends on what someone is after. In my case, I tried using a free internet service in Hawaii and then they stole my credit card and spent $600 on it before I realized it and deactivated my card.