Wi-Fi

[reality]

I'd say it's stealing if they break in through your security, but if you've got it wide open I don't mind jumping on if I'm by with a laptop or PDA. A lot of people go to the local compu-mart and get a wireless router, take it home, plug it in and wow "I've got wireless" and that's it. they don't bother with setting up the security because it's too confusing. most of the time the average user isn't even going to notice that someone else is on their network. this is getting into the whole digital domain debate, I look at it like someone playing the radio in the car. if you don't want others listening to what you're playing, roll up the windows and turn it down otherwise don't complain when others listen to your radio.

 

[tomdkat]

I can DL faster, actually, depending on the originating site, etc. My UL speeds suck, but cable rocks.

Yep, it does. This morning I got a 5.9Mb/s download rating from DSL Reports' speed test and that's not the fastest I've seen. The fastest I've seen rated through DSL reports is a little under 6.1 Mb/s.

I downloaded some large files this morning (like 25-30MB files I think) and it downloaded at a rate of 1Mb/s.

EDIT: Why is using someone else's Internet connection considered "stealing" if they are not using all your bandwidth, etc?

Peace...

 

[patoloco]

I'll go a little beyond this subject and ask what if the Internet Service Provider is the victim of the stealing.

Consider this: I have a cable modem connection. My ISP allows me to connect 2 computers in the same house. Normally, I use at most 25% of my bandwidth. I could throw a LAN cable to my neighbour house, so he can connect his computer to my cable modem, and charge him a little fee for that. I'm certainly causing damage to the ISP, even if my nieghbour is not affecting me.

 

[tomdkat]

Consider this: I have a cable modem connection. My ISP allows me to connect 2 computers in the same house.

Do you mean you have two static IP addresses? If you have a router, you can squeeze more than 2 computers through...

Normally, I use at most 25% of my bandwidth.

How do you measure this?

I could throw a LAN cable to my neighbour house, so he can connect his computer to my cable modem, and charge him a little fee for that. I'm certainly causing damage to the ISP, even if my nieghbour is not affecting me.

How are you causing "damage" to the ISP? They have the hardware in place to handle far more bandwidth than you could generate so I don't see where you're heading.

Peace...

 

[Mgamer20o0]

as far as i know there is no law saying you cant share your net. so if you want to run a cable to next door and all around the block go right ahead. your paying for the bandwith so the isp isnt harmed if you use it. for the people who think wifi will hardly go though a wall or two are using crapy hardware. i can easy pick up someones wifi a 1/2 block away or more. people should figure out what they are doing before setting things up. it isnt hard to set up encryption if you read the manual. the way i see it if its open and all you have to do is tell your comp to connect then its fine. if its open then they mush want to share. if you have to brake encryption to get on then that is stealing.