[ARCHIVED THREAD] - People! Secure Your Wireless Signal (Page 1 of 2)
Posted: 11/15/2008 11:12:29 AM EDT
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Otherwise, I could swipe your bandwidth.
The connection I was using, until a few minutes ago, was here six months ago. His computer is wide open, files and all. This time I sent a message to his printer telling him to secure his wireless network. Someone with less of a conscience could do a lot more damage. I take my laptop with me to surf and generally kill time while my wife is grocery shopping. It boggles the mind how many wireless networks are unsecured. There are three unsecured networks here in the grocery store parking lot. One is a business. I wonder how many credit card numbers go into cyberspace every day? I've been here for a quarter and a half of the Michigan/Northwestern game watching the game on streaming internet. I'm back on my AirCard now. The poor schmuck deserves to get the bandwidth he's paying for. Check your wireless security people. If a non-geek like me can find an unsecured network, someone with bad intentions can too. Gawd Michigan sucks this year. ZM |
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Quoted: Otherwise, I could swipe your bandwidth. The connection I was using, until a few minutes ago, was here six months ago. His computer is wide open, files and all. This time I sent a message to his printer telling him to secure his wireless network. Someone with less of a conscience could do a lot more damage. I take my laptop with me to surf and generally kill time while my wife is grocery shopping. It boggles the mind how many wireless networks are unsecured. There are three unsecured networks here in the grocery store parking lot. One is a business. I wonder how many credit card numbers go into cyberspace every day? I've been here for a quarter and a half of the Michigan/Northwestern game watching the game on streaming internet. I'm back on my AirCard now. The poor schmuck deserves to get the bandwidth he's paying for. Check your wireless security people. If a non-geek like me can find an unsecured network, someone with bad intentions can too. Gawd Michigan sucks this year. ZM when has Michigan never sucked???? I always secure mine and help friends secure theirs |
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+1 and make sure you do it properly. Use WPA2, NOT WEP. all modern routers support it. At home I use WPA2 and MAC addresses. When I'm able to, I plug in and shut off the wireless signal. I changed the router settings to only allow access to the router while plugged in only. no router adjustments by wireless. The unsecured restaurant bothers me. We eat there once in a while. I'm going to speak to the manager today and set them straight. If someone hacks their network and steals credit card numbers it would fuck up a lot of people. ZM |
I went over to a friends house because he wanted me to help him get his new laptop onto his wireless network. His PC was able to connect to the internet, but not his laptop. When I got there, I found that his PC was connected to his neighbors WIFI and the router in my friends house had never been set up properly to accept connections. He had been running off his neighbor's network for almost 2 years! 
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I live more than a quarter mile away from the nearest road, the closest house is 150 yards away. My wireless security is driving off anyone who's parked in my driveway surfing on a notebook. Same here. If you are on mine, I know about it and you will be seeing me shortly with a .45 in hand. |
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I intentionally leave my wireless open. I have 3 laptops, a wireless router and a range extender. Problem is, there is on one common setting that allows everything to work and it is too much of a PITA to switch all of the time. Besides, I am one of those that believes the internet should be free instead of a purely commercial enterprise. I know my neighbors that use my connection, and I don't mind. Occasionally one fires up a torrent or something and I have to boot them, but that doesen't happen too often.
I will bring the caviat, if you don't do this for a living and understand what a DMZ is, you should not do as I do. |
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There are better ways of informing people that their network isn't secure than by illegally entering it. If you're going to run around playing good Samaritan, be prepared to be kicked in the balls for it. I know. But we eat there a couple times a month. I think I can show them if I can enter their network, someone with a little more security smarts can too. Plus, my laptop will show all available networks, their names and the level of security. The restaurant is right out there in the open, business name and all. I'd imagine they'd want to know about it. If I ran a business, I would. ZM |
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There are better ways of informing people that their network isn't secure than by illegally entering it. If you're going to run around playing good Samaritan, be prepared to be kicked in the balls for it. I know. But we eat there a couple times a month. I think I can show them if I can enter their network, someone with a little more security smarts can too. Plus, my laptop will show all available networks, their names and the level of security. The restaurant is right out there in the open, business name and all. I'd imagine they'd want to know about it. If I ran a business, I would. ZM yeah, but it is still illegal. if you left your house door unlocked, would you appreciate it if I went in and left you a note on the fridge? |
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Quoted: He didnt illegally do anything. If your wireless is open then it is good to get on.There are better ways of informing people that their network isn't secure than by illegally entering it. If you're going to run around playing good Samaritan, be prepared to be kicked in the balls for it. Not my law. That be federal, Nothing can be done about it. Has to cause at least 10,000 in damage. |
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I live more than a quarter mile away from the nearest road, the closest house is 150 yards away. My wireless security is driving off anyone who's parked in my driveway surfing on a notebook. Same here. If you are on mine, I know about it and you will be seeing me shortly with a .45 in hand. WOW  , way to overreact
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There are better ways of informing people that their network isn't secure than by illegally entering it. If you're going to run around playing good Samaritan, be prepared to be kicked in the balls for it. I know. But we eat there a couple times a month. I think I can show them if I can enter their network, someone with a little more security smarts can too. Plus, my laptop will show all available networks, their names and the level of security. The restaurant is right out there in the open, business name and all. I'd imagine they'd want to know about it. If I ran a business, I would. ZM yeah, but it is still illegal. if you left your house door unlocked, would you appreciate it if I went in and left you a note on the fridge? No, it's not illegal... and if you still believe so, cite an FCC or federal law/reg. |
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Quoted: Don't trespass. Quoted: Quoted: I live more than a quarter mile away from the nearest road, the closest house is 150 yards away. My wireless security is driving off anyone who's parked in my driveway surfing on a notebook. Same here. If you are on mine, I know about it and you will be seeing me shortly with a .45 in hand. WOW , way to overreactSome people take it seriously when you go down their private driveway and park outside their house and just sit in your car. |
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I live more than a quarter mile away from the nearest road, the closest house is 150 yards away. My wireless security is driving off anyone who's parked in my driveway surfing on a notebook. Same here. If you are on mine, I know about it and you will be seeing me shortly with a .45 in hand. WOW , way to overreactWho the hell do you think you are? |
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He didnt illegally do anything. If your wireless is open then it is good to get on.
There are better ways of informing people that their network isn't secure than by illegally entering it. If you're going to run around playing good Samaritan, be prepared to be kicked in the balls for it. Not my law. That be federal, Nothing can be done about it. Has to cause at least 10,000 in damage. The latest such story, sent in by Steve, involves a guy in Illinois who was fined $250 for "theft of services" after a police officer spotted him sitting in a car, using the open WiFi of a non-profit agency in the middle of the night.
http://techdirt.com/articles/20060323/0930256.shtml |
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Just a recommendation. Use WPA2 with AES encryption only.
It is the only thing left that isn't easily hacked. MAC restrictions, preventing broadcast, all WEP, and WPA2 with TKIP can currently be hacked. 
It sucks, but we're down to one standard that most equipment can use that isn't easily breakable(i.e. quickly without multi-week brute force cracking). Who knows how long WPA2 with AES will last... Once someone is in your private network, it is only a matter of time until they have access to everything. |
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Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: He didnt illegally do anything. If your wireless is open then it is good to get on.There are better ways of informing people that their network isn't secure than by illegally entering it. If you're going to run around playing good Samaritan, be prepared to be kicked in the balls for it. Not my law. That be federal, Nothing can be done about it. Has to cause at least 10,000 in damage. The latest such story, sent in by Steve, involves a guy in Illinois who was fined $250 for "theft of services" after a police officer spotted him sitting in a car, using the open WiFi of a non-profit agency in the middle of the night. http://techdirt.com/articles/20060323/0930256.shtml They offered him a plea then and he took it like a moron. There is no law out there about surfing open internet. None |
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Otherwise, I could swipe your bandwidth. The connection I was using, until a few minutes ago, was here six months ago. His computer is wide open, files and all. This time I sent a message to his printer telling him to secure his wireless network. Someone with less of a conscience could do a lot more damage. I take my laptop with me to surf and generally kill time while my wife is grocery shopping. It boggles the mind how many wireless networks are unsecured. There are three unsecured networks here in the grocery store parking lot. One is a business. I wonder how many credit card numbers go into cyberspace every day? I've been here for a quarter and a half of the Michigan/Northwestern game watching the game on streaming internet. I'm back on my AirCard now. The poor schmuck deserves to get the bandwidth he's paying for. Check your wireless security people. If a non-geek like me can find an unsecured network, someone with bad intentions can too. Gawd Michigan sucks this year. ZM What site were you watching this from? or was it Slingbox? |
Netstumbler FTW among other fine tools
Airsnare is also good to keep an eye on the home network |
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Netstumbler FTW among other fine tools  check out http://midnightresearch.com/projects/wicrawl/ One of the names at the bottom is me
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Otherwise, I could swipe your bandwidth. The connection I was using, until a few minutes ago, was here six months ago. His computer is wide open, files and all. This time I sent a message to his printer telling him to secure his wireless network. Someone with less of a conscience could do a lot more damage. I take my laptop with me to surf and generally kill time while my wife is grocery shopping. It boggles the mind how many wireless networks are unsecured. There are three unsecured networks here in the grocery store parking lot. One is a business. I wonder how many credit card numbers go into cyberspace every day? I've been here for a quarter and a half of the Michigan/Northwestern game watching the game on streaming internet. I'm back on my AirCard now. The poor schmuck deserves to get the bandwidth he's paying for. Check your wireless security people. If a non-geek like me can find an unsecured network, someone with bad intentions can too. Gawd Michigan sucks this year. ZM What site were you watching this from? or was it Slingbox? Top Secret. Hush Hush and all that rubbish. Whatever you do, don't under any circumstances Google "MyP2P" (cue Mission Impossible theme) This post will self destruct in five seconds.
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How do you secure your wireless connection? Use encryption Uncheck the SSID beacon This (SSID) makes the wireless invisible, so much so that if your laptop loses the signal somehow, you have to go back and turn the SSID on to re-connect and then turn it off. Your wireles laptop can't "see" it even standing right in front of it. Back up the router settings to a flash drive. WARNING: Starbucks/other hotspots are bad mojo. I can disable their router and carry all the traffic through my laptop, reading every key stroke, so hotspots are by their nature are not secure. Know how many business people set there and work? They are flaming idiots. Cell phones, blue tooth - all capable of being turned into listening devices - even when turned off. You have to take out the battery to be 100% certain. |
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There are better ways of informing people that their network isn't secure than by illegally entering it. If you're going to run around playing good Samaritan, be prepared to be kicked in the balls for it. How do it at all, much less a better way? The moment you point out their issue, they, in an effort to save face probably, attack you for pointing out their fuckup. 
Side note. dd-wrt lets you use you're wireless router as a wireless client. 
Edit .. I has 3 unsecured aps near me. |
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I live more than a quarter mile away from the nearest road, the closest house is 150 yards away. My wireless security is driving off anyone who's parked in my driveway surfing on a notebook. Same here. If you are on mine, I know about it and you will be seeing me shortly with a .45 in hand.  
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How do you secure your wireless connection? Use encryption Uncheck the SSID beacon This (SSID) makes the wireless invisible, so much so that if your laptop loses the signal somehow, you have to go back and turn the SSID on to re-connect and then turn it off. Your wireles laptop can't "see" it even standing right in front of it. Back up the router settings to a flash drive. WARNING: Starbucks/other hotspots are bad mojo. I can disable their router and carry all the traffic through my laptop, reading every key stroke, so hotspots are by their nature are not secure. Know how many business people set there and work? They are flaming idiots. Cell phones, blue tooth - all capable of being turned into listening devices - even when turned off. You have to take out the battery to be 100% certain. lol BS. Don't create hysteria, troll. |
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I live more than a quarter mile away from the nearest road, the closest house is 150 yards away. My wireless security is driving off anyone who's parked in my driveway surfing on a notebook. Same here. If you are on mine, I know about it and you will be seeing me shortly with a .45 in hand. WOW , way to overreactWho the hell do you think you are? I sure know I'm not some crazy who brandishes firearms every time I see someone I don't know on my land! Oh that's right, your E-penis must be bigger than mine so y'all can talk irresponsibly all you want. Put a gate up if you don't want a passerby stopping, and in most places driveways aren't a 1/4 mile long....try under 50 yards, and they are USUALLY attached to a public road where people CAN USUALLY park. Yeah, go ahead and run off those folks gun in hand. 
Or you could just secure your network and AVOID the encounter all together. DDiggler had it right (he should still secure his network so people won't use his signal when not there). Mr. "I'm gonna answer with a .45 in hand" Well that's all good, but if it don't say "private road no tresspassing" or if you consider the curb your driveway; then you aren't in the right. |
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QFT!!!!
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I live more than a quarter mile away from the nearest road, the closest house is 150 yards away. My wireless security is driving off anyone who's parked in my driveway surfing on a notebook. Same here. If you are on mine, I know about it and you will be seeing me shortly with a .45 in hand. http://img213.imageshack.us/img213/2546/lolintvm4.jpghttp://shallmakenolaw.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/02/toughguy.jpg http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e162/robynalleman/blogs/SBRtoughguy.png |
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If you guys turn this thread into a pissing contest, I'll have the mods lock it. I won't have that kind of crap in my thread. If some of you want pull that internet tough guy bullshit, take it somewhere else. ZM I didn't start by cussing at people, then again I don't claim to (nor do I ever) brandish a firearm to tresspassers. ...but then again, I have a gate, so I've only had a lost hunter. If you don't want to share your wireless internet that's 100% acceptable. But encrypt it. Otherwise it's just like broadcasting radio and bitching when people listen in. |
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There is no such thing as "implied authorization".
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So you're admitting to computer trespass and theft of service? Nice. Who is? It's not theft of service if unencrypted...look up FFC regs on the wireless internet that doesn't require liscensing.  Absent of anything that would give you reasonable belief that you had authorization (SSID of "public_access", login screen that says "use `guest/guest' to login, etc.) your access was unauthorized. The Federal statutes require no protection or coding for the access to be unauthorized. If you're doing to do white hat shit, don't go bragging on the public Internet about it. |
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There is no such thing as "implied authorization".
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So you're admitting to computer trespass and theft of service? Nice. Who is? It's not theft of service if unencrypted...look up FFC regs on the wireless internet that doesn't require liscensing. Absent of anything that would give you reasonable belief that you had authorization (SSID of "public_access", login screen that says "use `guest/guest' to login, etc.) your access was unauthorized. The Federal statutes require no protection or coding for the access to be unauthorized. If you're doing to do white hat shit, don't go bragging on the public Internet about it. I'm sorry, you must be mistaken. I don't use other people's wire less internet access. Save at restaurants/hotels where I'm eating/staying. But if you don't encrypt it, don't go complaining when other people use it.
Oh, so is listening to the radio stealing? How about listening to HAM bands or unencrypted militray bands, or aviation traffic? |
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Why bother trying to inform people that their WiFi is open? My attitude is computers are common place pieces of equipment that these people use every single day of their lives, and if they're not willing to learn even the basics of their operation then they get what they deserve.
For instance, cars are common place items. You meet someone who is so ignorant or lazy that they won't check their oil. Do you really have any sympathy when they blow up their engine? Stupid should hurt. |
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Why bother trying to inform people that their WiFi is open? My attitude is computers are common place pieces of equipment that these people use every single day of their lives, and if they're not willing to learn even the basics of their operation then they get what they deserve. For instance, cars are common place items. You meet someone who is so ignorant or lazy that they won't check their oil. Do you really have any sympathy when they blow up their engine? Stupid should hurt. I can't agree more! I wouldn't want someone to use my wireless internet without asking, so when I'm gone (for more than a day), I turn it off. When it's on, it's secured. Doing it this way makes the whole deal a NON ISSUE. |