Michigan man arrested for using cafe's free WiFi from his car
http://arstechnica.com:80/news.ars/...d-for-using-cafes-free-wifi-from-his-car.html
http://arstechnica.com:80/news.ars/...d-for-using-cafes-free-wifi-from-his-car.html
Wi-Fi alert
- Thread starter terryandrene
- Start date
unorthodoxneon
Expert Expediter
Hmm if thats the case i have about 100 warrents for my arrest.
I didnt read the whole story but i would guess this guy has done it for a while and maybe everyday for someone to actually go after such a case. I've been in a vehicle before by a Panera on my laptop online and nothing was said or done.
I didnt read the whole story but i would guess this guy has done it for a while and maybe everyday for someone to actually go after such a case. I've been in a vehicle before by a Panera on my laptop online and nothing was said or done.
Randy:
I do the same at Panera but nearly always get a coffee to go while the laptop boots up. Other than Panera, I take about any free wi-fi I can find. This article is a good wake-up call.
I do the same at Panera but nearly always get a coffee to go while the laptop boots up. Other than Panera, I take about any free wi-fi I can find. This article is a good wake-up call.
greg334
Veteran Expediter
After reading the article I am still of the opinion that if people want to provide publically accessable internet access points, it should not be a crime. Simply to put in the air a connection without securing it is akin to leaving the safe door open and all the cash exposed to the public, the person, company or being is at fault for not securing the system.
In addition to this, the idea that a business is providing an added service to draw customers into the place without charging or even policing said sevice, there should be no reason anyone should care about who makes use of that access.
I guess it comes down to this, if people want to have the access that many municpalities want to install at tax payers expense, then no one should ever complain about using free access. Like the guy who was cuaght using the library's internet access after hours, it is by all means a publically funded access point that should be open to all 24/7.
In addition to this, the idea that a business is providing an added service to draw customers into the place without charging or even policing said sevice, there should be no reason anyone should care about who makes use of that access.
I guess it comes down to this, if people want to have the access that many municpalities want to install at tax payers expense, then no one should ever complain about using free access. Like the guy who was cuaght using the library's internet access after hours, it is by all means a publically funded access point that should be open to all 24/7.
Greg:
The open safe door doesn't entitle you to the contents; and, apparently, an open privately owned wi-fi net doesn't entitle you to unlimited access. Thus spake Michigan Law.
I agree with your second paragraph, but I think, in the future, I'll be a bit more cautious in my hot-spot use.
The open safe door doesn't entitle you to the contents; and, apparently, an open privately owned wi-fi net doesn't entitle you to unlimited access. Thus spake Michigan Law.
I agree with your second paragraph, but I think, in the future, I'll be a bit more cautious in my hot-spot use.
maybe_driving
Seasoned Expediter
you can get free wifi in ashville,nc and I seen some TX rest areas with wifi
go here for free wifi
http://www.wififreespot.com
WWW.Packing.org
ooida#811397
go here for free wifi
http://www.wififreespot.com
WWW.Packing.org
ooida#811397
unorthodoxneon
Expert Expediter
I looked into War-Driving before as its pretty much means to be able to hook up your vehicle better to pick up wifi. I did this because being in the truck i wanted to get the best possible signal for when i was at a wifi like flying j.
I found that michigan is cracking down on this because what alot of people are/were doing and now war driving is illegal. Was going to an open host and commiting some sort of crime by hacking something, stealing some info ect... You know who gets busted for that. The people that have the wifi and internet connection cause you really cant prove who was on that router. Only by MAC addresses and stuff but that stuff is so easy to mask so its untraceable. So they made it into a law cause there would be people sitting in front of peoples houses stealing internet.
I can see how this is an issues, but for people who have their house WIFI's that easily available should also be slapped upside the head. Most people plug in their wifi router realize it works and then do nothing about it to even do a WEP encryption (which is a basic encryption but keeps from easy access but is easy to crack if you know how). Many people with wifi setups need to protect their systems.
What i use to do is i had a program that would be able to "sniff" out wifi connections and tell you whats unlocked and whats locked. I got bored one day. Set this program up took my laptop in my vehicle and drove around for a few miles around my house. I found that over 75% of the wifi's i found were unlocked and easy targets for someone to go in and mess with their internet or even hack into their computers.
Note: Wifi Sniffing programs are illegal the last i heard.
Also we have a wifi router with our mobile broadband card and i've actually seen a person ride next to us and try to log into our router.
I found that michigan is cracking down on this because what alot of people are/were doing and now war driving is illegal. Was going to an open host and commiting some sort of crime by hacking something, stealing some info ect... You know who gets busted for that. The people that have the wifi and internet connection cause you really cant prove who was on that router. Only by MAC addresses and stuff but that stuff is so easy to mask so its untraceable. So they made it into a law cause there would be people sitting in front of peoples houses stealing internet.
I can see how this is an issues, but for people who have their house WIFI's that easily available should also be slapped upside the head. Most people plug in their wifi router realize it works and then do nothing about it to even do a WEP encryption (which is a basic encryption but keeps from easy access but is easy to crack if you know how). Many people with wifi setups need to protect their systems.
What i use to do is i had a program that would be able to "sniff" out wifi connections and tell you whats unlocked and whats locked. I got bored one day. Set this program up took my laptop in my vehicle and drove around for a few miles around my house. I found that over 75% of the wifi's i found were unlocked and easy targets for someone to go in and mess with their internet or even hack into their computers.
Note: Wifi Sniffing programs are illegal the last i heard.
Also we have a wifi router with our mobile broadband card and i've actually seen a person ride next to us and try to log into our router.
greg334
Veteran Expediter
Terry that was a bad and not well thought out analogy.
The point I am trying to make is to punish the person who is connecting with or without knowledge does not solve the problem which is people do not understand RF has no borders.
One thing that happened to me a few times is I connect to my neighbors WiFi connection without knowing it. For some reason my laptop connects to the strongest signal, which is his not mine. So after a few times I went over there and setup his router for him. This has happened to me at flying J and other places but I go back to it should be on the sholders of the person who has set the system up.
As for sniffers, I never heard that they were illeagal. I use two of them to trouble shoot networks and to make them illegal is akin to the state trying to enforce amateur radio.
The point I am trying to make is to punish the person who is connecting with or without knowledge does not solve the problem which is people do not understand RF has no borders.
One thing that happened to me a few times is I connect to my neighbors WiFi connection without knowing it. For some reason my laptop connects to the strongest signal, which is his not mine. So after a few times I went over there and setup his router for him. This has happened to me at flying J and other places but I go back to it should be on the sholders of the person who has set the system up.
As for sniffers, I never heard that they were illeagal. I use two of them to trouble shoot networks and to make them illegal is akin to the state trying to enforce amateur radio.
Actually, an active WiFi antenna in your laptop is a sniffer, and it will tell you which networks are secured and which ones aren't. Access points broadcast their availability to all who can receive the broadcast (which is why an unsecured network should be able to be logged onto legally) and your laptop is actively seeking any such broadcasts.
Still, the laws are written to state that you cannot access a network without the owner's permission. One of these days some semi-intelligent judge will realize that places like Panera who broadcast a publicly available network, without asking for so much as a password, is giving their implied permission. Many hotels, for example, offer free WiFi, but they'll hand you a password at check-in, which effectively prevents people from sitting in the parking lot and snarfing free access.
It's rare for someone to be arrested for using a WiFi network unless they are doing something illegal online, though. Getting online from the parking lot, even every day, and checking your e-mail is pretty harmless.
Still, the laws are written to state that you cannot access a network without the owner's permission. One of these days some semi-intelligent judge will realize that places like Panera who broadcast a publicly available network, without asking for so much as a password, is giving their implied permission. Many hotels, for example, offer free WiFi, but they'll hand you a password at check-in, which effectively prevents people from sitting in the parking lot and snarfing free access.
It's rare for someone to be arrested for using a WiFi network unless they are doing something illegal online, though. Getting online from the parking lot, even every day, and checking your e-mail is pretty harmless.
greg334
Veteran Expediter
Turtle,
You hit on two important points;
The OS features that seek out networks and a lack of or better phrased ignorance of the legal system on common technology issues and terminology.
I won't talk about the former but the latter is a big problem and just recently there was a legal/technology conference in Florida for Judges who have no clue between WiFi and Hifi. Adjudication of a case with a lack of knowledge on the judges or persecutors part is rather dangerous and it is more dangerous when the judges or persecutors and a jury who has no clue about technology. I sat on a jury last year that had this very problem and during deliberations I and another juror had to explain a lot of technical things so we were on the same page.
At one time I was seriously thinking of moving the consulting company from disaster recovery to legal technology advisor and know that there are not too many of these consulting firms who can advise judges or persecutors on these issues.
You hit on two important points;
The OS features that seek out networks and a lack of or better phrased ignorance of the legal system on common technology issues and terminology.
I won't talk about the former but the latter is a big problem and just recently there was a legal/technology conference in Florida for Judges who have no clue between WiFi and Hifi. Adjudication of a case with a lack of knowledge on the judges or persecutors part is rather dangerous and it is more dangerous when the judges or persecutors and a jury who has no clue about technology. I sat on a jury last year that had this very problem and during deliberations I and another juror had to explain a lot of technical things so we were on the same page.
At one time I was seriously thinking of moving the consulting company from disaster recovery to legal technology advisor and know that there are not too many of these consulting firms who can advise judges or persecutors on these issues.
unorthodoxneon
Expert Expediter
Yes an active antenna will find something, but to have a program that will show you each and every connection point when you move is illegal to have. Such program i talk of is Network Stumbler.
"but to have a program that will show you each and every connection point when you move is illegal to have."
No, it's not. The Windows tool does not show each AP, as it combines them into a single connection. But, the basic connection utility that comes with most WiFi cards (Broadcom, Netgear, Belkin) will show you the same information that Network Stumbler shows. If a location, say, a Flying J, has 3 or 4 AP's, these utilities will show each one of them, the channels they are operating on, their strength, security employed, the whole bit. You have a choice of letting the WiFi card's utility manage your networks connections, or letting the Windows Network Connection utility to manage them (or, if installed, even Network Stumbler can manage the connections). It's all good.
Many Toshibas that come with Atheros WiFi cards have a utility that puts things like Network Stumbler to shame, called ConfigFree. It gives you a full screen "radar scope" view of the various network AP's available. The closer an AP is ot the center of the radar screen, the stronger it is. It's real time, so you can watch AP's drift in and out as their signal strength changes. Right-clicking on any of them will give details like MAC address, encryption, channel, etc. You can't tell from the pic below, but you know at a glance which AP's are secure and unsecure. It's very kewl. Here's a good shot of it:
http://www.hanselman.com/blog/ConfigFreeWirelessAtTechEdAndTheAdventOfWindowsXPSP2.aspx
http://www.hanselman.com/blog/content/binary/configfree.jpg
In the example shown, the network "technet2004" had 7 access points, all of which the Windows utility would combine into a single connection. ConfigFree allows you to connect to any one of them by MAC address.
No, it's not. The Windows tool does not show each AP, as it combines them into a single connection. But, the basic connection utility that comes with most WiFi cards (Broadcom, Netgear, Belkin) will show you the same information that Network Stumbler shows. If a location, say, a Flying J, has 3 or 4 AP's, these utilities will show each one of them, the channels they are operating on, their strength, security employed, the whole bit. You have a choice of letting the WiFi card's utility manage your networks connections, or letting the Windows Network Connection utility to manage them (or, if installed, even Network Stumbler can manage the connections). It's all good.
Many Toshibas that come with Atheros WiFi cards have a utility that puts things like Network Stumbler to shame, called ConfigFree. It gives you a full screen "radar scope" view of the various network AP's available. The closer an AP is ot the center of the radar screen, the stronger it is. It's real time, so you can watch AP's drift in and out as their signal strength changes. Right-clicking on any of them will give details like MAC address, encryption, channel, etc. You can't tell from the pic below, but you know at a glance which AP's are secure and unsecure. It's very kewl. Here's a good shot of it:
http://www.hanselman.com/blog/ConfigFreeWirelessAtTechEdAndTheAdventOfWindowsXPSP2.aspx
http://www.hanselman.com/blog/content/binary/configfree.jpg
In the example shown, the network "technet2004" had 7 access points, all of which the Windows utility would combine into a single connection. ConfigFree allows you to connect to any one of them by MAC address.