So...free wireless is pretty cool...eh?

[divegirl]

Ok so I'm on my new laptop (I've officially joined the computer age!) and I'm sitting here in my bedroom logged on to the fastest internet connection one could possibly have in a home office environment (NETGEAR) and, well, I'm not paying a dime. I literally took my laptop out of it's box, set it up, and right-clicked on the wireless connection wizard thing-y and it asked me to choose an available wireless connection. I picked it, and it said it was insecure (girlfriend issues?) ok just kidding - an unsecure connection - which it said meant others could view information I sent and received through this connection - but I picked it anyway.

So...thanks to the noisy boys upstairs, I can now connect to the internet for free!!! Is this a good...or a bad, thing?!?!

[L7]

good thing for you, not as good a thing for them.

[fez]

my neighbors finally buttoned theirs down. I need a static ip and have a home network so poaching bandwidth isnt really an option. I kept seeing all these open networks around (3 of them). I checked and they all had the default SSID and ip address of the router. They also all had the default administrator name and password. So I logged into them, set an admin password and shut off wireless.

That got one out of three to tighten their stuff up. So i logged into the other two (after they probably just reset the router) and changed the SSID's to 'HACK_ME' and 'HACK_ME2'. A couple days after that they were WEP encrypted at least.

[divegirl]

May not be good for them, however, they are sooooooo loud up there, that my roommate and I don't feel bad for "borrowing" their internet connection. I mean, you'd be amazed at the volume of their activities up there. Yow. Anyway, I'll use it until I move to Tahoe...for the next 6 months or so...unless they peg me before then.

[Telenater]

Campus has been fining departments for running unsecured wireless networks. I've got my home network buttoned down as do my neighbors.

[Viva]

DG, you could just ask them if it's okay to use their signal and maybe offer to pay them a little, like $10 a month, to help defray their costs. That may make them haoppy and then you could bring up the topic of the noise...

Oh, and maybe now you can start answering those e-mails!

[Yossarian]

I loooove free wireless in cafes and things.

Panera Bread if you have em in your area has free wireless g along with killer soups and sammiches, as do a bunch of coffee shop chains around the country. Caribou in the midwest off the top of my head...

Good stuff...

[weibo]

So I'm a wireless JONG but what effect does jumping on someone elses signal do to them. I understand the ethical arguements but does it increase their cost factor, slow down the hook up or anything. What does it do?

[divegirl]

So I'm a wireless JONG but what effect does jumping on someone elses signal do to them. I understand the ethical arguements but does it increase their cost factor, slow down the hook up or anything. What does it do?

I hear it may slow down their bandwidth or whatever, but I'm also a wireless jong, so that's a very good question.

Oh, and Viva, I'm not ignoring you...I'm just waiting for the right words to say And good suggestion....I think I'll ask them and offer to pay partial $.

nateR - So, what does the campus fining certain departments have to do with home users not securing their wireless??

[Telenater]

nateR - So, what does the campus fining certain departments have to do with home users not securing their wireless??

The campus considers unsecured wireless access points a significant enough threat to campus network security that they are actively searching for them and penalizing the people managing open access points.

Make sure that your new computer is running a software firewall of somekind (either from the OS or use Zonealarm).

Also, I'd suggest using a web browser other than internet explorer (firefox is my favorite, it's faster and more secure).

If Lego can't help you with some of these, let me know and I'll help out.