is it illegal??

[mikeymike]

is it illegal to use someone elses wireless connection if they have not put a password on it??

[Drummer_Boy]

Interesting question.

Analogue in the real world would be is it legal to enter someone's home if they leave the door unlocked?

[Geoff]

Yes. You are trespassing.

[JJonas]

isnt it theft of telecommunication services?

[jcollings]

Yes

PC Pro: News: Man fined for bandwidth theft

[Geoff]

isnt it theft of telecommunication services?

Only if you use it!

[localzuk]

Yes it is. Under the Communications Act 2003. http://management.silicon.com/govern...9150672,00.htm

[garethedmondson]

Only if you use it!

How many are going to admit to doing this here?

GJE

[TwoZeroAlpha]

I believe the onus is on the provider (AP owner) to secure the device. Your card could be configured to connect to an OpenAP where available, and does so without asking you, so not really your fault.

In a reasonable case, if you caught someone outside your house with a laptop and found a rogue MAC on your network you could ask them to stop, but then again why isn't it encrypted.

If you found someone cracking WEP keys to gain access that would be an offense (although i can't remember what exactly)

[mikeymike]

only asking as one of our residential pupils has said he has been using neighbours network and i was asked.
I thought it would only be illegal if it did have a password on it and then you hacked into it??

[Disaster]

didn't some fella about a year or so ago, get a police caution for sitting outside someones house and using their unsecured wireless?

[tonyd]

So, by the same line of logic, it must also be illegal to sit outside a house when it's dark and read by the lights from inside, since they'd not thought to protect their resouces by closing the flaming curtains!

[stevenewman]

I believe the onus is on the provider (AP owner) to secure the device. Your card could be configured to connect to an OpenAP where available, and does so without asking you, so not really your fault.

In a reasonable case, if you caught someone outside your house with a laptop and found a rogue MAC on your network you could ask them to stop, but then again why isn't it encrypted.

If you found someone cracking WEP keys to gain access that would be an offense (although i can't remember what exactly)

That's as maybe, however, just because something isn't secured, doesn't mean that someone can legally walk off with it.

[localzuk]

didn't some fella about a year or so ago, get a police caution for sitting outside someones house and using their unsecured wireless?

The article I posted points out a guy was found guilty doing it... £500 fine.

[stevenewman]

So, by the same line of logic, it must also be illegal to sit outside a house when it's dark and read by the lights from inside, since they'd not thought to protect their resouces by closing the flaming curtains!

So by the same logic, if I have a ton of sand delivered onto my drive, it is quite legal and morally fine for someone to help themselves to it simply because I haven't made it secure.

Your analogy of light doesn't really hold true, any light escaping from my window that you use to read by, stood outside is not being deducted from the monthly electricity allowance that I pay for, however, you using my wireless bandwidth is contributing to any download and usage limits that I have.