more on Neighborhood Wireless Service (NWS)

[David Farber <dave () farber net>]

Begin forwarded message:

From: "W.B. McNamara" <whitney () absono us>
Date: January 9, 2006 12:46:30 PM EST
To: David Farber <dave () farber net>
Cc: ip () v2 listbox com
Subject: Re: [IP] Neighborhood Wireless Service (NWS)


I don't know what the provider options in Grand Rapids are, but it's  
worth
investigation.  I belive that SBC's TOS explicitly disallows "public  
use"
connections, which doesn't mean that they'd necessarily shut you  
down, but
does certainly mean that they they have would have the legal right to  
do so at
any time.

The "other providers" question is really worth exploring, though.   
I'm in NYC
and use a local ISP for DSL, and my provider explicitly *allows* public
sharing via wifi:

###
TOS Addendum Regarding WiFi Sharing

Acceptable Use Policy for WiFi (802.11b) Sharing

([ISP] standard ToS applies to this service.)

[ISP] clients are allowed to share their broadband Internet access
connection with the general public, by participating in NYCWireless  
or other
communities using WLANs via the 802.11b protocol, if they comply with  
the
following additional conditions:

1. Clients must notify [ISP] of their participation, in order to insure
proper settings and security procedures. Please send email to dsl@ 
[ISP] to
notify us of your participation.

2. Client is ultimately responsible for any ToS or AUP violations by  
public
users on client's connection (i.e. spamming, hacking, etc.). [ISP]  
reserves
the right to suspend or discontinue service if violation persists.

3. Client is also responsible for security of his/her own network and
computers.
###

(The ISP is bway.net, and I absolutely think that they deserve  
recognition for
this policy, but I've snipped the name above in case you have  
concerns about
appearing to promote specific companies...just delete this line if  
that's the
case.)

While NYC's geek density is such that it's no real surprise that  
we've got
sharing-friendly ISPs around, it seems pretty likely that other metro  
areas
have ISPs run by like-minded people.  You could probably get away with
running a shared connection via a service that forbids such use (I  
know plenty
of people who do), but so much the better to reward a company that
acknowledges that you're paying for the bandwidth and should be able  
to use it
as you see fit.

- Whit

--
W.B. McNamara
whitney () absono us
http://seamonkeyrodeo.blogspot.com

On Mon, 9 Jan 2006, David Farber wrote:

> Begin forwarded message:
>
> From: Charles Pinneo <pinneo () sbcglobal net>
> Date: January 9, 2006 9:08:00 AM EST
> To: Dave Farber <dave () farber net>
> Subject: Neighborhood Wireless Service (NWS)
>
> Dave,
>
> I know, there's no such thing as Neighborhood Wireless Service (NWS).
> But I have a friend down the street who says it would be fairly easy
> to set up a wireless network in our small development here in a
> suburb of Grand Rapids. He has cable wireless service and I have DSL.
> We both think we are paying way too much as costs for internet
> service come down. Who ever let the phone and cable guys decide to
> charge us through the nose for it? I thought the internet was
> supposed to be free.
>
> 2) If you can get free wireless in a coffee house or motel, why not
> set up a wireless system in our neighborhoods and cut out the middle
> man? SBC Yahoo keeps raising prices even though their costs are
> coming down. SBC (now AT&T) keeps sending me email with special
> offering DSL for $20 if we buy call forwarding to Antarctica ;-) or
> some other phone service we don't need. My wife and I pay $100 a
> month for phone service and DSL. I know, I'm the dope who bought
> their package deal. But they won't let you downgrade, only upgrade,
> because they're so slippery. And they keep switching these deals
> around. It's the old switcheroo.
>
> 3) Just for the heck of it I connected to somebody's NETGEAR in our
> neighborhood and got on the internet with no problem. Why can't we
> just create a neighborhood wireless service? Does anyone know a free
> thinking attorney who could answer this question from a legal point
> of view? What if everyone in the neighborhood started sharing DSL
> through a NETGEAR or an Apple Airport with an antenna in the attic?
> What if a lot of people all over the country started sharing? What
> could the Baby Bells do? Do they have that many attorneys to chase
> after us? Is there a loophole?
>
> Charlie Pinneo
> pinneo () sbcglobal net
>
>
>
>
>
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