RE: WIRELESS THEFT

[Alaric Darconville <alaric () cowboy net>]

Receiving the signal itself is not the problem-- it's the broadcasting
back into that network that is the problem.  You can passively receive all
the signal you want without having to do a thing about it, but in order to
make use of that signal you will have to actively communicate with that
network.  There's where they could "get you."

Even if you used the dialup service you pay for to do the upstreams, page
requests, etc, and used the wireless only to receive the downstream data,
you would still be doing something to cause a change in the behavior of
that network.

So, sniff all the packets you want-- just don't cause any new ones to
become part of that network.


Alaric

Amit P. Gandre [agandre () cise ufl edu] on Tuesday, Oct 15, 2002 11:27 PM
testified before the Joint Congressional Committee on Going Barefoot:

> Hi
>       Can someone tell me if there are any laws regarding wireless
> theft?
>
>       One of the apartment complexes near mine has free wireless
> connections offered to their residents. Now, my computer happens to
> catch that signal.
>
>       Now, is that illegal. If so, how should I go about dealing with
> this issue.
>
> Amit