stealing wireless broadband?

[teonanacatl]

this chick my gf lives with got a laptop with wireless capabilities, anyway she turned it on and the internet was already working etc, she thought it came with the comp lol. turns out shes connected into somone elses broadband connection. so is this illegal, smart or just not nice? i kinda like the idea myself, approach your neighbors and setup a connection between the threeof you, much cheaper and prolly still faster then dial up

[faustus]

haha that's mad. a mate of mine did a similar thing, he stole his neighbour's broadband using a homemade "cantenna" he made with a tin can and some foil. it lasted for about half a year until they caught on.

i think it's wrong, but there are worse ways to purchase a ticket to hell. besides, it's only parasitism if the other party loses out, otherwise all you're doing is indulging in modern day commensalism

[Alice]

i have a mate in who lives in an apartment block in sydney. turned on the new laptop and up popped about a dozen or so wireless network in range, with at least 5 of them unsecured at any one time! one in particular that always works has a strong signal and 5.5mps. probably his next door neighbour i'd say., so far he's had no need to start up his own account

i think it is wrong, especially if you're downloading heaps.

can people find out if you're using their account?? can they trace it back to you somehow? on a wireless connection?

[naja naja]

Take a drive around with that laptop and c how many unsecure connections there r out there. I find it's > 50% in populated city residential. Everywhere I go in perth, u normally just turn the comp on, if the signals not strong enough, just walk towards it.

ON today tonight( ughh I shudder just saying that name) they found 17 unsecure connections in just a 30min drive in perth. Even down here in the smaller towns, just walk to the bussiness areas and turn the lappy on and u can usually get a connection.

But I live in tha bush, so I have to pay for my connection.

It's prob illegal, certainly immoral if u steal all their bandwidth or download limit, but if u just surf or check ur e-mail, then I say no harm, no foul. They never use it all anyways, I never use my 20G monthly download limit.

But these days, with how cheap it it, unless ur poor,I say, atleast pay $10/month for a connection to ur home.U don't get stuff all downloads, but the bandwidth is good, prob do for surfing and e-mail only. No downloading!!!!! Infact ur virus updates may actually chew up the 250Mb/month

So I dunno, use it, just don't abuse it.

[emmvee]

I live in a smallish town on the SUnshine Coast, and there are wireless connections everywhere. I got one from a house two doors away that I can pick up in my bedroom that I"m trying to crack, but it is encrypted, so it's going to take a while.... if ever.

It's my job to set up wireless connections for customers, and all the time I find unsecured ones from people's neighbours. A lot of customers even choose not to have it encrypted, cause it makes it easier for them to maintain, and they figure there isn't enough people driving around with laptops for it to be a problem. I can think of one very high profile private customer in particular (ex premier) who has an unsecured wireless connection.

It's definately illegal- on par with theft. If you get caught, you will get charged with steeling. It's the same as if you plugged your appliances into your neighbour's outside power outlet, or if you were plugged into their phone line so you don't have to pay for calls.

With the average home user, it's unlikely you will get caught, unless you make their downloads skyrocket- then they'll get someone like me to look into it.

If you know what you're looking for, then it's pretty easy to see who else is using your broadband, and most routers now list the IP addresses of all computers that are using it, so it can certainly be traced to you without much effort. A lot of newer (2006) internet security packages are now coming with wireless sniffers also, that tell you when an unknown IP tries to access your network. This is in addition to encyrption on some systems.

In terms of sharing- it's technically illegal. As in, most ISPs make you sign a contract saying you won't share it with any other computers at all (even within your own house). I do have customers, though, that have created a wireless network in their street that gets beamed out of one house, accross the road, and to both neighbours, who in turn beam it on, their total network spans something like 16 computers out of 7 houses. They all share files amongst themselves, and they share the cost of the high speen internet connection.

[spiders]

same thing happened to me when i moved into our new block of flats - the annopying family next door who let their children play oustide my bedroom window every sunday morning at 6am have wireless and like around 80% of australians they have it completely unsecured.

My wireless just automatically connected to them and every time they are extra noisy i make extra large downloads... There is no way they can tell who it is - ifthey are cluey they can find the name of your computer connected but thats it.

Most dont even know how to do that, so i sit there using their wireless and waving to them carmly.. If they'd been nice i would have played nicer too...

[Hagakure]

if EVERYONE had some type of wireless connection that could send out a large enough signal could you create a localised version of the internet.

be able to grab files off someone a few suburbs away by going through the network?

[tomte]

I do have customers, though, that have created a wireless network in their street that gets beamed out of one house, accross the road, and to both neighbours,

Sounds like a nice place to live emmvee and the future of things to come.

It's definately illegal- on par with theft. If you get caught, you will get charged with steeling. It's the same as if you plugged your appliances into your neighbour's outside power outlet, or if you were plugged into their phone line so you don't have to pay for calls.

Well I would argue that what right do these people have emitting low levels of microwave radiation over MY property! For comparison, if your fruit tree overhangs a fence and drops its fruit in my backyard, or outside your property your fruit is mine! Although if you asked I would give it back...

and most routers now list the IP addresses of all computers that are using it, so it can certainly be traced to you without much effort.

Can't the paranoid surf via a proxy, anonymous ip setup, super firewall linux, openbsd distro or something?

Build your own $5 antenna. edited predictable leftist rant and side effects of watching way too much Ren+Stimpy on dvd

Edited June 10, 2006 by tomte

[naja naja]

if EVERYONE had some type of wireless connection that could send out a large enough signal could you create a localised version of the internet.

be able to grab files off someone a few suburbs away by going through the network?

It's called westnet. Unlimited sharing between members

They don't all have to link up via proximity.

Edonkey

[Pelinster]

I see this all the time. At least where I live, it seems nobody setting up commercial or private wifi bothers to use ANY encryption at all. It is irresponsible and out right immoral to either set up a wifi network for a customer/friend/family member without using some form of encryption. If someone were to request otherwise, I would refuse to set it up as I am sure they would only choose to do so if they are misinformed.

I would suggest rather than stealing other peoples wireless internet connections (which they may have paid good money to have installed and assume is secure) it would be a lot more responsible to attempt to inform the people/businesses involved of their situation. This kind of theft has the potential to cost an unsuspecting individual a hell of a lot of money/time. Consider if some poor old lady on the pension has one of those 512/128 kbps 200mb ADSL connections and someone steals a few of gigs of data (which is NOTHING at 512). Most of these plans have a 15c per MB over charge. That would be a $600 bill for 4 gigabyte. Imagine if someone leeched 50GB from someone on a 15c/MB plan. ...

Edited June 8, 2006 by Pelinster

[faustus]

Consider if some poor old lady on the pension has one of those 512/128 kbps 200mb ADSL connections and someone steals a few of gigs of data (which is NOTHING at 512).

dude judging from this photo it seems that grandma is the one doing all the stealing:

http://www.usbwifi.orcon.net.nz/btique.jpg

Most of these plans have a 15c per MB over charge. That would be a $600 bill for 4 gigabyte.

is there any plan that does that? i'm with TPG and they cap at $35 overcharge.

this thread prompted me to do a bit of reading into thieving other people's broadband. apparently there are "fake" unsecure connections where the keystrokes of people who connect are taken... so netbanking on someone else's connection doesn't seem the brightest of ideas.

[Pelinster]

dude judging from this photo it seems that grandma is the one doing all the stealing:

http://www.usbwifi.orcon.net.nz/btique.jpg

Most of these plans have a 15c per MB over charge. That would be a $600 bill for 4 gigabyte.

is there any plan that does that? i'm with TPG and they cap at $35 overcharge.

Hehe..

Yeah no shit. Telstra charge that. They definitely haven't capped that charge in the past, and after looking at their website tonight - it doesn't look like they do now either. In my eyes the 200mb Bigpond ADSL plans are nothing but a total scam.

I pay $3/GB excess with my ISP. Considering this, how can Telstra seriously justify charging $150/GB, when they are offering less than a third of a CD in data per month up front. You are being set up to fail. On their slowest broadband connection you could go over a GigaByte in 9 hours of downloading. The 200MB they allocate is smaller than Microsoft's service Pack 2 for Windows XP + updates, so god help you if you have an old version of Windows. You can download 200mb in just over an hour and a half on 256/64 ADSL. Imagine the potential for abuse on these plans if you are infected with a downloading Trojan, or being exploited for bandwidth.

It's good to hear TPG has a cap on their excess charge. It means they aren't trying to simply rip you off.

I figure Bigpond con you into getting on 200MB to get you signed, at $30 a month. Then they get the score of your first bill (which odds are will be over the 200MB). Then they tell you that your only other option is to go up to a higher plan until the duration of your contract is over.. Although this is all nothing new for Telstra/Bigpond and it is nothing new for the ACCC to not give 2 shits about their conduct.. and this is another thread/story anyway so [/rant]

Edited June 8, 2006 by Pelinster

[teonanacatl]

i actually think its coming from the public school down the road 20m, how far can these things reach?

[Pelinster]

i actually think its coming from the public school down the road 20m, how far can these things reach?

20m is no prob. You can get outdoor Wifi antennas that will get you from your work back to your home (5kms). Scary, isn't it .

[mr toodly]

Somehow I have a feeling we won't be enjoying this little perk much longer

[tomte]

To expand Hagakure's and naja naja's comments earlier, I must admit community wireless networks are a great idea. Anybody use them?

Stolen from this page:

It is now possible for even small community groups to build telecommunications networks that can provide coverage across large metropolitan areas using wireless technologies. This has created new opportunities for communities to access and share information in ways that have not been available in the past.

Groups of community-minded people are putting their heads and hands to work, to create real low-cost broadband alternatives which empower communities to share localised information such as websites, email, voice, video and many other forms of IP communications.

Such communities are appearing around Australia and are working to both educate and participate, people from all walks of life in building and using this technology.

Below are a list of Community Wireless Groups from around Australia:

* Air-Stream Wireless - Adelaide - SA

* Alice Wireless - Alice Springs - NT

* Australian Wireless Association - Sydney - NSW

* Ballarat Wireless Network - Ballarat - Vic

* Bathurst Wireless - Bathurst - NSW

* Brismesh Inc.- Brisbane - Queensland

* Cairns Wireless - Cairns - Queensland

* Canberra Wireless Network - Canberra

* CC Wireless - Central Cost - NSW

* Darling Downs Wireless - Darling Downs - Queensland

* Darwin Wireless - Darwin - NT

* E3 Blogging the Wireless Freenet - Perth - WA

* Geelong Wireless - Geelong - Vic

* innaloo.net- Perth - WA

* Leeming Wireless Network - Leeming - WA

* Melbourne Wireless - Melbourne - Vic

* Nameless Wireless Network - Sydney - NSW

* SebbyNet - Adelaide Western Suburbs - SA

* Southern WiFi dot Net - MorphettVale - SA

* Sydney Wireless - Sydney NSW

* TasWireless - Hobart - Tas

* The Mesh - Darwin - NT

* WaFreeNet - Perth - WA

* wireless.org.au - National

You don't get net access but things like file sharing without download limits seem like a good idea. This from Melbourne Wireless faq

Why should I join a public wireless network?

Because true freedom comes from the freedom to communicate.

Imagine being able to provide web services, mail services, games servers, file archives and so on, without having to worry about phone line charges, exhausting your download limits and so on, chat and communicate with a collection of people who want to be able to interconnect their computers without having to be restrained by the bandwidth of their connection, or usage and volume limits. It's possible, but it requires your time, and some expertise. if you don't have any expertise, you can borrow ours.

* To give yourself free access to data at speeds currently up to 11mb/s (54mb/s coming) to your home/work/laptop/handheld without bandwidth caps or megabyte limits or fees.

* To provide access to those near you, further expanding the network.

* Because it's really f$#!in' cool.

Note: there is a difference between a RAN connection and an Internet connection. We will not be supplying internet connectivity to the RAN - at least until legal matters are sorted out.

Also found some cheap antennas here.

[Rev]

ok im still on plain ol dial up

it can be a little inconvenient when you guys post some downloads

cos i dont download anything that cant be had on a 56k modem

so i wonder

is broadband worth it?

ive held to date that the way i use the net that i dont need it

i use google a fuckload

read a fuckload - text and pdf

and spend the rest of teh time writing

more music would be nice but like DVDs and visual shite i can get that on a CD P2P

so is it worth it?

or is it like mobile phones?

a highly promoted yet expensive and totally disposable modern convenience

[faustus]

if you factor in the call costs of dial-up then i reckon it's worth it. we had pretty high bills because we'd connect several times a day. it's also good to not tie up the line. can download all the music you like... no, it's not stealing because i had no intention of buying it to begin with

in my case i'm probably breaking even by using broadband. random ideas and questions keep popping into my head so it's very convenient to be able to switch on the comp and look up something instantly.

i think it's safe to say that your life will be fulfilled in every way if you have broadband, a swish mobile and an ipod

[Pelinster]

Hehe.. And don't forget an LCD/Plasma tv.

Depending on your current circumstances, you may be able to save money by going to broadband. ADSL is the best priced, but as you probably know, there is a distance limitation - where you have to be within a few K's from an ADSL activated exchange (not sure on the exact distance, but they raised it recently, I think it used to be 4km). Being able to use the phone whilst on the net is also a huge advantage. For people who have a separate phone line for internet - ADSL will almost always save them as they can drop that line.

As far as the speed being worth it, well, to put it in perspective. 256/64 is about 5 times the speed of dial-up. 512/128 is about 10 times and 1500/256 is about 30 times. I get very frustrated waiting for pages to come up on dialup and am very quick to loose interest in what I am often pursuing. But I am used to 1500/256 now, and it is one of those things that you only miss it if you have had it.

http://www.whirlpool.net.au is probably the leading community site on Aussie broadband options. Head there and you can find out everything you need to know about cost and availability. There are also forums that will give you a good idea of what kind of support/service you can expect from any of the featured ISP's.

If you are at all unsure about what your usage might be, I would strongly advise signing up to only 'shaped' plans (often advertised as unlimited). Most ISP's will let you change plan even when under contract so it doesn't hurt to choose a shaped plan while you get an idea on what your monthly usage is going to be.

I get 30gb (peak, off peak is un-metered) 1500/256 with static IP for $70 a month.

Edited June 9, 2006 by Pelinster

[naja naja]

Just to let u know that:

TELSTRA is required by LAW to provide u with broadband, no matter where u live. If they say u can't have it, ask why and wat has to be done to fix it, and when that is likely to happen?10?20years?. Get as much info out of the first person, be very kind and curtious, thanking them gratuitously. Do this repeatedly, the second u hang up, ring again(it's a free call) U get a diff operator, usually in a diff state, do this over and over and over for 2 -3 days (20-30 calls total) and telstra will ring U! back, even though u had never even left ur contact number. The more u ring, the higher on the list your name goes. When it gets so high, the main ppl step in and take a look and normally get shit done. Also think of how much of their money u r wasting by tieing up their operators at $15-$20per/hour. They said" U and the REST of your town will be ADSL compliant within the month(which it wasn't, but now is) I however got it in only 2 weeks.

Watever u do, DO NOT sign up with telstra(they count uploads too the fuckers), but at the same time don't tell them u r not gonna sign up with them or else they will stop being so helpful. If u have to tell them that u r not gonna sign up with them, tell them why!They r way too expensive and provide shitty service(NO other provider counts uploads in ur monthly limit)

Then ring Westnet or iinet and they will also get onto their ass, and I meen big time! They get shit done, when it supposedly can't be. In my case it was that the phone lines at first were split, then when we got that prob fixed, they weren't made out of the rite material(copper, WAT THEY USED FOR AUSTRALIAS FIRST EVER PHONE LINE!!!!!!!!!!) So they had to dig shit up and replace lines, all for just little, itty, bitty, ME!

I say it's worth it, just to get them to do all this work(the fuckerS!)

REALLY strange thing though was, that they called me a week or two and apologized and said that they were not able to hook me up to ADSL. I said that was fine, Cause I already have it, and BY THE WAY, how can I have it and not be able to get it?????? Get ur shit together guys, Telstra is fuct!!!!!!!!!!

[devance]

If they'd been nice i would have played nicer too

[n00dle]

There is infact a localised 'internet' available for a very cheap cost, called "Brisbane Mesh" or BrisMesh for short. google it. their site islinked to every node that is on the network, including NASA topology maps so you can arrange line of sight to the nearest trunk/branch/leaf nodes.

[Rev]

so can i get broadband at less tha $70 for 3 months?

thats what i pay for 'unlimited' 56k dial up with no penalties

broadband now sounds good

when its the right price ill join up

[naja naja]

so can i get broadband at less tha $70 for 3 months?

thats what i pay for 'unlimited' 56k dial up with no penalties

broadband now sounds good

when its the right price ill join up

Add the price of dialing in every day to that., but nah, it's $50 a month for me @512k download(There's better deals around, but I'm contracted for another 12months), 5G on peak and 5G off peak, 10G total per month, I never use it all and I download plenty of shit. Unlimited uploads to other people and free sharing between westnet members. If u live in an iinet super zone(Broadband2) u can get a theoretical speed of 12000 k for the similar price, with bigger limits.

Just make sure u make it worth the extra money and download plenty of shit, PDF's and movies. Also the bonus of not pulling your hair out waiting for simple shit to load or missing ebay auctions cause it won't reload quick enough.

Edited June 12, 2006 by naja naja

[Pelinster]

so can i get broadband at less tha $70 for 3 months?

thats what i pay for 'unlimited' 56k dial up with no penalties

broadband now sounds good

when its the right price ill join up

There's a good chance you would find a good broadband connection for that price, but you would probably have to bundle your phone line in with the ADSL in order to do it (without signing up for a 200mb scamplan, anyway ).