Have You Ever Piggyback on a Wireless network?

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Thanks for the votes everyone, some interesting responses.

I was just wondering about those members who said No
Are you on wireless now and have you ever found someone sharing your internet connection??

To the members who said yes if they are stupid enough not to secure it - did you caught or go round to that house and tell them how stupid they are having an unsecured connection?

 

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Can I just clarify this do you mean the ToS refers to the amount you have downloaded and gone over the agred limit or that you have allowed sveral people to use 1 internet connection??

Because if it's the latter, surely you could claim stupidty in not knowing how to setup a secured connection.

The other thing that bugs me about the security of wireless is
Why do People broadcast their SSID??? is it to tell the the difference from the other wireless networks? If you see a SSID called Superman or Cookiemonster with a WPA2 PSK surely people are going to start guessing the password??

I also noticed on the Belkin Router there's an option to enable or disable PC's with certain MAC's but in all the times I have helped setup a wireless network I have never seen this enabled??

Is it stupidity that people leave the wireless unsecured or are they nieve, believing that wireless is just as secured as wired?

 

I suppose it's like your Sky or BBC TV licence. You pay the company for you to use it. A pub that allows customers to view a footie match on Sky Sports 1 would be in breach of their agreement if that agreement didn't allow public viewing. The same sort of thing applies to Broadband. Before wireless there wasn't so much of a problem, unless you had a bloody long Cat5 cable! Now, with wireless you could let half the street use some (or all) of your bandwidth for a singular charge to the ISP. The ISP loses money as a consequence.

I assume it's because they don't know how to disable, or they don't know how to configure their machines to connect when SSID isn't broadcasting. A little knowledge is a dangerous thing; and, some people don't mind broadcasting the SSID I suppose.

Me? I try to lock down my personal router tighter than a nun's knickers...

I use it on my own personal router; however, with MAC address spoofing, I suppose it may not be worthwhile in the big bad enterprise world...

Some just don't realise mate. I have seen IT-illiterate people getting Broadband, buying a modem/router or router, plugging it in and, because they can get online, they are as happy as larry... it's only when I explain that someone else is sitting there nicking their bandwidth that they are paying for that the penny finally drops.

 

Sometimes our delightful paying customers are plain scary!!!

I once had a young lady get very upset with me when I asked her if her router was actually plugged into the mains. She practically screamed her reply at me.

"I paid for a wireless router so why the **** should I have to plug it into the mains, have you lot ripped me off"

I had to hand the phone to a colleague as I was laughing that hard I was almost crying.

 

I had the same thing with a friend when I went to set up his Sky Wireless broadband. He handed me just the wireless box and expected me to set it up, I asked where the rest of it was, ie power cable, ADSL filter + lead etc, and he says 'I didn't think it needed anything else as it is wireless.'

 

Class Luddym!!!

 

..Or a hysterical home...

 

LOL - That's Classic!

 

Yep, ive done it when ive been browsing around the wifi networks in my street. Now they're all secured (8 ap's)

At home ive secured my two AP's with WPA-PSK security, and also the proxy stops them from accessing the net if there computer hasnt been added to the allow list on squid.

 

Impressive

Those wireless networks where there many Belkin routers?

Just wondering, the Belkin Router seems to be the favourite where I live not sure about elsewhere in the UK!?

 

Yes.

 

Yes, I am on wireless now, and no, I have never found anyone sharing my Internet connection. Not saying they haven't done it... but it'd be awfully difficult to do so... and there are plenty of easier targets of opportunity in the neighborhood to hit.

 

I mean the Terms of Service that every Internet Provider has, that tells you what you can and cannot do with the Internet connection they provide you. Not just the amount of bandwidth you are allowed, but also:

- whether or not you can allow others outside of your home to use your connection
- whether or not you can host servers on your connection (most do not allow it)
- what types of traffic you can pass on your connection (most will cut you off if they discover you're sharing movies/music/warez)
- even whether or not you can have multiple PCs on the connection (though this is a rather ancient restriction that, to my knowledge, is no longer restricted today)

Doesn't matter what you claim. If you violate the ToS, intentionally or accidentally, they can simply choose to no longer allow you to be a customer. And there's not much you can legally do about that.

To be honest, you can't really hide the SSID. That said, I still disable beaconing.

I've enabled it. It's easy to spoof a MAC address... but it makes your network all the more unappealing to piggyback on, especially if there are easier networks to hop onto.

Some don't care. Most simply don't know any better... they probably don't know that there's a need to secure, or even that a more secure option is there. Most people aren't that computer literate.

 

Have you ever got caught???

 

dunno.

 

Besides watching the packets or checking the router. I was wondering if someone can home in on your wireless network card? after all you have a aerial that picks up and transmits? Is this not like a TV arial whereby you can get caught by the TV licence people who drive around in those vans??

 

I heard those TV detector vans were empty.... They have no idea whats on your telly, thats why they come knocking on your door.

You could triangulate the position of a wireless transmitter, but you would need three points to pickup the signal, measure the strength, and workout where it was coming from.

 

yes I have piggybacked and no I haven't been caught.

If it's there, I'll use it.

 

Not done it myself, but woudn't think twice about doing it if i need to. (although it would be sufing only, downloading would be taking the pi$$).

I leave mine open, i should password it, but dont bother, will get round to it someday.

 

That's an interesting point? Are the vans empty? Or do they just llok at the house to see if there is a TV aerial on it and if the owner of that address has an licence?

One thing that I do find odd is if you can watch TV on your computer through the internet or a USB aerial. Then do you still need a licence? After all it's a computer is not classed as a TV?