Different views on Wi-Fi sharing

[Dave Farber <dave () farber net>]

------ Forwarded Message
From: Steve Crowley <scrowley () attglobal net>
Date: Sun, 10 Nov 2002 10:16:16 -0500
To: "Dave@Farber. Net" <dave () farber net>
Subject: Different views on Wi-Fi sharing

Dave,

> From the November 2002 issue of Communications Engineering & Design . . .
http://www.cedmagazine.com/ced/2002/1102/id1.htm


An excerpt . . .

Although AT&T Broadband–when it has reason to check for a potential
subscription violation–occasionally employs Wi-Fi sniffing software
sophisticated enough to “see” a PC’s configuration, applications running in
the background and how many e-mails are being downloaded, the company does
not, for obvious privacy reasons, peer into the unencrypted files that are
being dispersed via a Wi-Fi network.

“We only look at bits and bytes, not the specific data,” says Eder, who
likens the practice to “jiggling doorknobs” to see if they’re locked.

While MSOs such as Time Warner Cable and AT&T Broadband have occasionally
cracked down on unauthorized sharing, other broadband ISPs haven’t
discouraged the practice at all.

High-speed ISP and DSL wholesaler Covad Communications doesn’t have a
specific policy that addresses Wi-Fi, and actually permits its subscribers
to share connections with non-paying customers. Instead of viewing this
practice as a potential revenue sapper, Covad believes that sharing the
connection might bring in new broadband customers, notes Hunter Middleton,
Covad’s group manager for consumer product marketing.

“Generally, we think anything that gets people to move from an old, slow,
glitchy dial-up connection to broadband is a good thing,” he says.


-------
Steven J. Crowley, P.E.
1201 Pennsylvania Ave., N.W.  Suite 300
Washington, D.C.  20004

Tel. +1-202-544-5400
Fax  +1-202-478-1763
E-mail  scrowley () attglobal net



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