Today at my other blog LAL Musings, I’m hosting the December Fabulous Festival. Run on over to check it out.
Is it theft to use someone else’s wireless internet connection? Or is it sharing? Does it depend on whether the person encrypts the code or not? Is it cheap or frugal to use someone else’s wireless connection?
I think that it depends on the living situation. I think that in an apartment complex or dormitory, it’s okay to use someone else’s wireless connection if they haven’t secured it. It’s also acceptable to have a deal with your neighbor and pay half to split a wireless connection. Living in such close proximity, it’s inevitable that you might be using the wireless internet unknowingly sometimes if yours is down. Thus I think it okay, mostly due the living situation.
In our shared home, we all independently pay for our own internet. But I’ve found sometimes when my wireless router is acting wonky, it’ll automatically switch to my neighbors wireless signal. And due to laziness I admit to using their internet. I don’t think they care or else they would encrypt the signal.
However, I think it’s probably not a good idea to use your neighbors wireless if you live in a single family home. Plus the signal will likely be weak and not reliable. I can see a few neighbors wireless signals but it’s certainly not as strong or reliable like the two other units in my townhouse.
What do you think? Is it acceptable to use someone else’s wireless signal? Does it depend on the situation?
Sorry, there are no polls available at the moment.
13 responses so far ↓
1 Ashley @ Wide Open Wallet // Dec 1, 2008 at 11:46 am
I say it’s stealing, unless you have their permission to use it.
2 Grace // Dec 1, 2008 at 1:47 pm
In one corner of my daughter’s upstairs bedroom, I can get my next door neighbor’s signal. I used it for awhile, and then, when I ran into her, I mentioned to her that I could get it. She had no problem with me using it, and still hasn’t encrypted it. However, there’s no heat in that bedroom, so mostly I still use my dial-up connection downstairs. It IS stealing, I think, IF you don’t ask and get permission. Just because someone doesn’t encrypt their connection doesn’t mean they want you to use it.
3 Meg // Dec 1, 2008 at 3:24 pm
DO NOT DO IT — and don’t even leave your own network unencrypted or otherwise open to others. Here’s why.
According to laws (in the U.S. at least) it is indeed stealing to use someone else’s wifi without their permission — even if it’s not password protected. People have been prosecuted — even for doing stuff like using wifi while sitting outside a business that offered free wifi to customers. In other words, DO NOT chance it.
It may be a different story when they give you permission — assuming that they don’t lie about it later, of course. However, it is likely that their ISP’s terms of service doesn’t allow such sharing. In which case, the company may decide to never sell them internet service again if they find out. (In which case, they may decide that no, they never did give you permission after all and claim that you were stealing it.)
And if you’re thinking of leaving your wireless open to others, remember that you might end up being held responsible for what they do — downloading kiddie porn, uploading viruses, hacking into other networks, etc. Do you trust everyone that drives down your street?
Personally, even though the risk of prosecution is relatively small, I wouldn’t want to use someone else’s unencrypted wireless signal. After all, do you really want people to be able to see everything that you send and receive through it — including the content of your emails? FYI, the same goes for anyone who uses unencrypted wifi.
4 fengshui // Dec 1, 2008 at 4:01 pm
I would never do this. What if I was paying for the service and my next door neighbor was paying me for the service, and they were doing all kinds of illegal activity under my wireless signal. Am I liable??? It isn’t the principle of “stealing”, I certainly don’t care about stealing from the communications monopoly here in town, they are making a killing off of everyone….. but I don’t want to be prosecuted for someone else’s online shopping with a stolen credit card, etc…..
5 SimplyForties // Dec 1, 2008 at 11:28 pm
I left my network open for awhile out of laziness. I know my neighbor across the street was tapping in, which I didn’t mind. My tenant used it too. When I did encrypt it I gave both of them the key. My neighbor said if I felt the need to encrypt it, she probably shouldn’t be using it and I don’t think she is. Who knows who else was using it. I really did feel like it was my responsibility to encrypt it if I wanted to keep people out.
6 FixThePig // Dec 2, 2008 at 12:14 am
I think that it’s unethical to use another person’s wireless internet connection without them knowing.
I think that it might be illegal as well…how is it any different then getting free cable off of another persons line?
7 LAL // Dec 2, 2008 at 8:45 am
So far it appears an even split amongst people.
9 Slinky // Dec 15, 2008 at 5:05 pm
Because of the nature of WiFi connections (broadcast into free air), I think it’s your responsibility to lock it down. Otherwise it’s like getting mad at kids running back and forth on the sidewalk in front of your house in the summer because you’ve got your sprinkler on. Sure…they’re taking your water, but you left it on public property.
That said, I don’t think you should be using someone else’s connection for regular use or heavy traffic. That’s like the kids setting up a lemonade stand using water from your sprinkler or something. It’s just not right.
And using someone else’s open connection for anything you want to stay private is just dumb.
10 Cyberangel // Dec 15, 2008 at 11:12 pm
I couldn’t vote on your question because my answer wasn’t there. “No, ‘they’ should do whatever they want.” My wireless is open. I’m paying for it. You’re welcome.
And thank the neighbors when I go to visit my Mom for leaving theirs open.
I’ll be glad when we have universal wireless.
11 LivingAlmostLarge // Dec 16, 2008 at 12:55 pm
Cyberangel, consider it a no! It doesn’t matter the reason and intresting perspective slinky about lemonade and sidewalk.
12 FruWiki Meg // Dec 16, 2008 at 1:09 pm
@cyberangel
Just curious, when you mean universal wireless, do you mean universal as in *free* wireless everywhere or just wireless available everywhere.
Also, aren’t you worried about what people may be doing while using your wireless connection? Or that they may be listening in as you use it? It’s more common than most people would probably think. I know because my husband is in the wireless business.
13 Slinky // Dec 17, 2008 at 10:57 am
Thanks, it was the only analogy I could think of. I do tap other connections if I’m not at home or my own goes down and they aren’t secured, but I wouldn’t rely on one for regular use. we secure ours with a phone number. If you know us well enough to know that, you’re welcome to our wireless too.
Carnival of Money Stories Edition No. 88 - The Dough Roller - Dec 9, 2008
Leave a Comment