Hunting for free Wi-Fi

Re: Hunting for free Wi-Fi

"Joseph Coulter" <seeLOOKATsig@comcast,net > wrote in message
news:Xns9A964BE51F39Ayourvacationcomcastn@216.196.97.136...
> Mike O'Sullivan <mike@nowhere,com > wrote in
> news:68aeftF2rqcnhU1@mid.individual,net :
>
>
>> A fair chance of being arrested too, for piggy-backing of somebody
>> else's unencrypted connection.
>
> I can't quite get my head around that idea. Free wifi is out there, how
> can
> I tell the intent of a person who issues an unsecured signal. Are they
> offering it to me or not? It isn't like I am walking into their house.
> more
> like walking across a public park and stumbling into someone's lawn sans
> fences or signs to give notice that I am no longer in the park.
>

I agree that it is stupid, but it has happened here in the UK. See
http :// news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/6960304.stm
--
JohnT

Re: Hunting for free Wi-Fi

On Tue, 6 May 2008 15:58:31 +0100, "JohnT" <john31SPAMNOT@fastmail.fm>
wrote:

>"Joseph Coulter" <seeLOOKATsig@comcast,net > wrote in message
>news:Xns9A964BE51F39Ayourvacationcomcastn@216.196.97.136...
>> Mike O'Sullivan <mike@nowhere,com > wrote in
>> news:68aeftF2rqcnhU1@mid.individual,net :
>>
>>
>>> A fair chance of being arrested too, for piggy-backing of somebody
>>> else's unencrypted connection.
>>
>> I can't quite get my head around that idea. Free wifi is out there, how
>> can
>> I tell the intent of a person who issues an unsecured signal. Are they
>> offering it to me or not? It isn't like I am walking into their house.
>> more
>> like walking across a public park and stumbling into someone's lawn sans
>> fences or signs to give notice that I am no longer in the park.
>>
>
>I agree that it is stupid, but it has happened here in the UK. See
> http :// news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/6960304.stm

It's ridiculous that this would be considered theft. Why doesn't the
person whose signal is being used not have a duty to protect the
signal by encryption. I know plenty of people that intentionally
don't do that so others can use the signal. How could that possibly
be a crime. And how would you know anyway?

Re: Hunting for free Wi-Fi

JohnT <john31SPAMNOT@fastmail.fm> wrote:

> "Joseph Coulter" <seeLOOKATsig@comcast,net > wrote in message
> news:Xns9A964BE51F39Ayourvacationcomcastn@216.196.97.136...
> > Mike O'Sullivan <mike@nowhere,com > wrote in
> > news:68aeftF2rqcnhU1@mid.individual,net :
> >
> >
> >> A fair chance of being arrested too, for piggy-backing of somebody
> >> else's unencrypted connection.
> >
> > I can't quite get my head around that idea. Free wifi is out there, how
> > can
> > I tell the intent of a person who issues an unsecured signal. Are they
> > offering it to me or not? It isn't like I am walking into their house.
> > more
> > like walking across a public park and stumbling into someone's lawn sans
> > fences or signs to give notice that I am no longer in the park.
> >
>
> I agree that it is stupid,

If you left your front door unlocked, you're not inviting someone or
giving permission for them to steal your TV. The prosecutions for this
are very rare, but tend to involve over the top cases- people parking
their car outside people's houses, apartment buildings etc.

--
(*) of the royal duchy of city south and deansgate -www .davidhorne,net
(email address on website) "If people think God is interesting, the
onus is on them to show that there is anything there to talk about.
Otherwise they should just shut up about it." -Richard Dawkins

Re: Hunting for free Wi-Fi

On Tue, 6 May 2008 18:11:57 +0100, d4g4h4@yahoo.co.uk (David Horne,
_the_ chancellor (*)) wrote:

>JohnT <john31SPAMNOT@fastmail.fm> wrote:
>
>> "Joseph Coulter" <seeLOOKATsig@comcast,net > wrote in message
>> news:Xns9A964BE51F39Ayourvacationcomcastn@216.196.97.136...
>> > Mike O'Sullivan <mike@nowhere,com > wrote in
>> > news:68aeftF2rqcnhU1@mid.individual,net :
>> >
>> >
>> >> A fair chance of being arrested too, for piggy-backing of somebody
>> >> else's unencrypted connection.
>> >
>> > I can't quite get my head around that idea. Free wifi is out there, how
>> > can
>> > I tell the intent of a person who issues an unsecured signal. Are they
>> > offering it to me or not? It isn't like I am walking into their house.
>> > more
>> > like walking across a public park and stumbling into someone's lawn sans
>> > fences or signs to give notice that I am no longer in the park.
>> >
>>
>> I agree that it is stupid,
>
>If you left your front door unlocked, you're not inviting someone or
>giving permission for them to steal your TV. The prosecutions for this
>are very rare, but tend to involve over the top cases- people parking
>their car outside people's houses, apartment buildings etc.

Broadcasting a signal outside your home is totally different that
having someone come into your home uninvited. The instructions for
setting up any router tell you how to protect the signal by
encryption. If you don't, it is perfectly reasonable to assume that
you don't care if someone else uses it, the sole purpose of encryption
being to prevent someone from doing that.

Re: Hunting for free Wi-Fi

John Kulp <john_kulp@hotmail,com > wrote:

> On Tue, 6 May 2008 18:11:57 +0100, d4g4h4@yahoo.co.uk (David Horne,
> _the_ chancellor (*)) wrote:
>
> >JohnT <john31SPAMNOT@fastmail.fm> wrote:
> >
> >> "Joseph Coulter" <seeLOOKATsig@comcast,net > wrote in message
> >> news:Xns9A964BE51F39Ayourvacationcomcastn@216.196.97.136...
> >> > Mike O'Sullivan <mike@nowhere,com > wrote in
> >> > news:68aeftF2rqcnhU1@mid.individual,net :
> >> >
> >> >
> >> >> A fair chance of being arrested too, for piggy-backing of somebody
> >> >> else's unencrypted connection.
> >> >
> >> > I can't quite get my head around that idea. Free wifi is out there, how
> >> > can
> >> > I tell the intent of a person who issues an unsecured signal. Are they
> >> > offering it to me or not? It isn't like I am walking into their house.
> >> > more
> >> > like walking across a public park and stumbling into someone's lawn sans
> >> > fences or signs to give notice that I am no longer in the park.
> >> >
> >>
> >> I agree that it is stupid,
> >
> >If you left your front door unlocked, you're not inviting someone or
> >giving permission for them to steal your TV. The prosecutions for this
> >are very rare, but tend to involve over the top cases- people parking
> >their car outside people's houses, apartment buildings etc.
>
> Broadcasting a signal outside your home is totally different that
> having someone come into your home uninvited. The instructions for
> setting up any router tell you how to protect the signal by
> encryption. If you don't, it is perfectly reasonable to assume that
> you don't care if someone else uses it, the sole purpose of encryption
> being to prevent someone from doing that.

I think the law, as applied very rarely in the UK, is intended to
discourage people from, say, parking their car outside someone's
house...

--
(*) of the royal duchy of city south and deansgate -www .davidhorne,net
(email address on website) "If people think God is interesting, the
onus is on them to show that there is anything there to talk about.
Otherwise they should just shut up about it." -Richard Dawkins

Re: Hunting for free Wi-Fi

Mike O'Sullivan <mike@nowhere,com > wrote:

> Joseph Coulter wrote:
> > Jesper Lauridsen <rorschak@sorrystofanet.dk> wrote in news:481e398b$0$27365
> > $ba624c82@nntp06.dk.telia,net :
> >
> >> Having purchased an iPod Touch with the entention of using it for
> >> checking email when travelling, I'll be interested in hearing how
> >> others find networks when in a strange city. Where do you go, what
> >> do you look for?
> >>
> >> My next trip is to Germany, so any hints for that country are
> >> especially valuable.
> >>
> >
> > While walking through Punte del Este Urugray , I noticed two guys with
> > laptops on a otherwise deserted street, so I fired up my Pocket PC and
> > voila, hotspot. If you see folks surfing it is fair to assume you will find
> > a signal.
> >
> A fair chance of being arrested too, for piggy-backing of somebody
> else's unencrypted connection.

Actually, a very small chance, at least in Europe. Very few prosecutions
of this, though you're right to point out it's illegal in many
countries- certainly in the UK.

--
(*) of the royal duchy of city south and deansgate -www .davidhorne,net
(email address on website) "If people think God is interesting, the
onus is on them to show that there is anything there to talk about.
Otherwise they should just shut up about it." -Richard Dawkins

Re: Hunting for free Wi-Fi

On Tue, 6 May 2008 18:11:57 +0100, d4g4h4@yahoo.co.uk (David Horne,
_the_ chancellor (*)) wrote:

>Mike O'Sullivan <mike@nowhere,com > wrote:
>
>> Joseph Coulter wrote:
>> > Jesper Lauridsen <rorschak@sorrystofanet.dk> wrote in news:481e398b$0$27365
>> > $ba624c82@nntp06.dk.telia,net :
>> >
>> >> Having purchased an iPod Touch with the entention of using it for
>> >> checking email when travelling, I'll be interested in hearing how
>> >> others find networks when in a strange city. Where do you go, what
>> >> do you look for?
>> >>
>> >> My next trip is to Germany, so any hints for that country are
>> >> especially valuable.
>> >>
>> >
>> > While walking through Punte del Este Urugray , I noticed two guys with
>> > laptops on a otherwise deserted street, so I fired up my Pocket PC and
>> > voila, hotspot. If you see folks surfing it is fair to assume you will find
>> > a signal.
>> >
>> A fair chance of being arrested too, for piggy-backing of somebody
>> else's unencrypted connection.
>
>Actually, a very small chance, at least in Europe. Very few prosecutions
>of this, though you're right to point out it's illegal in many
>countries- certainly in the UK.

How do they catch you? Spy on you?

Re: Hunting for free Wi-Fi

John Kulp <john_kulp@hotmail,com > wrote:

> On Tue, 6 May 2008 18:11:57 +0100, d4g4h4@yahoo.co.uk (David Horne,
> _the_ chancellor (*)) wrote:
>
> >Mike O'Sullivan <mike@nowhere,com > wrote:
[]
> >Actually, a very small chance, at least in Europe. Very few prosecutions
> >of this, though you're right to point out it's illegal in many
> >countries- certainly in the UK.
>
> How do they catch you? Spy on you?

If I remember one of the cases here, it was complaints from residents
that a chap was parked outside their house all the time, using his
laptop...

--
(*) of the royal duchy of city south and deansgate -www .davidhorne,net
(email address on website) "If people think God is interesting, the
onus is on them to show that there is anything there to talk about.
Otherwise they should just shut up about it." -Richard Dawkins

Re: Hunting for free Wi-Fi

Following up to d4g4h4@yahoo.co.ukDavid Horne, _the_ chancellor

> I remember one of the cases here, it was complaints from residents
> that a chap was parked outside their house all the time, using his
> laptop...

that certainly happened.
--
"Mike....."(not "Mike")
remove clothing to email

Re: Hunting for free Wi-Fi

On Mon, 05 May 2008 00:43:55 +0200, Jesper Lauridsen <rorschak@sorrystofanet.dk>
wrote:

>Having purchased an iPod Touch with the entention of using it for
>checking email when travelling, I'll be interested in hearing how
>others find networks when in a strange city. Where do you go, what
>do you look for?
>
>My next trip is to Germany, so any hints for that country are
>especially valuable.

McDs sell beer and provide free wifi.
--

Martin

Re: Hunting for free Wi-Fi

"Martin" <me@address.invalid> wrote in message
news:ipet14t97qkapaj628uvv672sgn3hsjsoo@4ax,com ...

> McDs sell beer

Not in the UK they don't!

Ian

Re: Hunting for free Wi-Fi

On Mon, 5 May 2008 08:53:16 +0100, "Ian F." <wowfabgroovy@googlemail,com > wrote:

>"Martin" <me@address.invalid> wrote in message
>news:ipet14t97qkapaj628uvv672sgn3hsjsoo@4ax,com ...
>
>> McDs sell beer
>
>Not in the UK they don't!

The bit you snipped referred to Germany.
--

Martin

Re: Hunting for free Wi-Fi

"Martin" <me@address.invalid> wrote in message
news:7hft14d17e4i7p1e7mlaiabtcppck9carh@4ax,com ...

> The bit you snipped referred to Germany.

Apologies.

Ian

Re: Hunting for free Wi-Fi

On Mon, 5 May 2008 11:26:29 +0100, "Ian F." <wowfabgroovy@googlemail,com > wrote:

>"Martin" <me@address.invalid> wrote in message
>news:7hft14d17e4i7p1e7mlaiabtcppck9carh@4ax,com ...
>
>> The bit you snipped referred to Germany.
>
>Apologies.

No problem.
--

Martin

Re: Hunting for free Wi-Fi

On 2008-05-05, Ian F. <wowfabgroovy@googlemail,com > wrote:
> "Martin" <me@address.invalid> wrote in message
> news:7hft14d17e4i7p1e7mlaiabtcppck9carh@4ax,com ...
>
>> The bit you snipped referred to Germany.
>
> Apologies.

Hints from any country are appreciated.


As for McDonalds, according to mcdonalds.de, the procedure is you connect
to their network and enter your mobile number at the login page. Your
password is then sent by SMS. Problem is that they insist the number must
be from a German operator.

So, no dice for the traveller.