Man Charged With Stealing WiFi signal...

[retdetsgt]

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Police have arrested a man for using someone else's wireless Internet network in one of the first criminal cases involving this fairly common practice.

Benjamin Smith III, 41, faces a pretrial hearing this month following his April arrest on charges of unauthorized access to a computer network, a third-degree felony.

Police say Smith admitted using the Wi-Fi signal from the home of Richard Dinon, who had noticed Smith sitting in an SUV outside Dinon's house using a laptop computer.

The practice is so new that the Florida Department of Law Enforcement doesn't even keep statistics, according to the St. Petersburg Times, which reported Smith's arrest this week.

Innocuous use of other people's unsecured Wi-Fi networks is common, though experts say that plenty of illegal use also goes undetected: such as people sneaking on others' networks to traffic in child pornography, steal credit card information and send death threats.

Security experts say people can prevent such access by turning on encryption or requiring passwords, but few bother or are unsure how to do so.

Wi-Fi, short for Wireless Fidelity, has enjoyed prolific growth since 2000. Millions of households have set up wireless home networks that give people like Dinon the ability to use the Web from their backyards but also reach the house next door or down the street.

It's not clear why Smith was using Dinon's network. Prosecutors declined to comment, and a working phone number could not be located for Smith.

Link

I'd like to see how this turns out. Protecting a airwave signal is difficult at best. I wonder how they proved the guy was actually using the signal?

[chewy]

This is crap. If they don't want their network to be used by others in the area then they should friggin turn on their security features. People are stupid.

[DolphinTattoos]

This is very interesting.

My sister has wireless and when her computer re-connects to the signal it will sometimes connect on a neighbors signal instead of her own. She has no idea which neighbor it is but the connection manager has two services listed - one of which isn't hers. Now that she has figured this out, she knows to reconnect to her own, but I wonder how many people don't look or pay attention to which service their computer is connected with.

[ngcsubutterbar]

This is very interesting.

My sister has wireless and when her computer re-connects to the signal it will sometimes connect on a neighbors signal instead of her own. She has no idea which neighbor it is but the connection manager has two services listed - one of which isn't hers. Now that she has figured this out, she knows to reconnect to her own, but I wonder how many people don't look or pay attention to which service their computer is connected with.

I do it about on average once a day, but I'm on a land-line cable connection.

[retdetsgt]

This is very interesting.

My sister has wireless and when her computer re-connects to the signal it will sometimes connect on a neighbors signal instead of her own. She has no idea which neighbor it is but the connection manager has two services listed - one of which isn't hers. Now that she has figured this out, she knows to reconnect to her own, but I wonder how many people don't look or pay attention to which service their computer is connected with.

Good point. I suspect in apt complexes, there are numerous wifi signals in the air at any given time.

[Joeyd6]

You can drive around my precinct and find signals on every block practically!!! It is amazing!!!!! My laptop icon woudl go crazy as it found new signals every other block!

[chewy]

This is very interesting.

My sister has wireless and when her computer re-connects to the signal it will sometimes connect on a neighbors signal instead of her own. She has no idea which neighbor it is but the connection manager has two services listed - one of which isn't hers. Now that she has figured this out, she knows to reconnect to her own, but I wonder how many people don't look or pay attention to which service their computer is connected with.

That's a very good point. You can assign your wireless network to your computer so it will only connect to that one. I really don't think it's that big of a deal if you are already paying for it and just happen to get on someone elses. To me that is an honest mess up, now if you go sit outside someones house for the purpose of using it for illegal purposes then that is wrong. I think it's crap they can charge them with it if they didn't hack or anything but it IS wrong either way. I feel that if people don't bother to engage their security functions to restrict others then they can't really complain. Now if they do and the third party has to hack into or through the owners security settings to access it then that is obvious theft. Oh, well. I am interested to see how this plays out.

[retdetsgt]

This is crap. If they don't want their network to be used by others in the area then they should friggin turn on their security features. People are stupid.

My WiFi goes belly up if I turn on the encription for some reason. I have both my computers firewalledd, but if someone wants to use my WiFi to get on the internet and they don't interfer with me, I couldn't care less.

[chewy]

My WiFi goes belly up if I turn on the encription for some reason. I have both my computers firewalledd, but if someone wants to use my WiFi to get on the internet and they don't interfer with me, I couldn't care less.

I have the same opinion. I'm a bit hipocritical because I don't bother with my security either! I'm actually ticked off. I upgraded to a G model router and adapters but whenever I turn on the phone it kills my internet connection. Now I have cable internet on the wireless router so it shouldn't affect my phone line but whenever we use the phone it disconnects my wireless connection then when I hang up the connection comes back. I expect it has something to do with the fact they are the same frequency but what the heck do I do about that? I've tried to emial Linksys but can't seem to get an answer.

[DolphinTattoos]

My WiFi goes belly up if I turn on the encription for some reason. I have both my computers firewalledd, but if someone wants to use my WiFi to get on the internet and they don't interfer with me, I couldn't care less.

My sister has the same problem and she feels the same way. As long as they don't mess with her computer, she says have at it.

[retdetsgt]

I have the same opinion. I'm a bit hipocritical because I don't bother with my security either! I'm actually ticked off. I upgraded to a G model router and adapters but whenever I turn on the phone it kills my internet connection. Now I have cable internet on the wireless router so it shouldn't affect my phone line but whenever we use the phone it disconnects my wireless connection then when I hang up the connection comes back. I expect it has something to do with the fact they are the same frequency but what the heck do I do about that? I've tried to emial Linksys but can't seem to get an answer.

Go to http://192.168.1.1 and you should be able to change the channel your WiFi works on with Linksys. I had to change mine because of the phone problem too. Do that on the computer your cable is connected to and is routed to the transmitter.

[RcRocka]

Any of you guys have problems setting up you networks? I spent about 3 hours on the phone with India trying to configure it to work with all the computers in the house. ahhh frustrating

[chewy]

Any of you guys have problems setting up you networks? I spent about 3 hours on the phone with India trying to configure it to work with all the computers in the house. ahhh frustrating

I had a little trouble at first getting my Tivo's to work but it just started working correctly. I guess I got lucky. If I could just figure out the whole phone disconnecting my wireless network thing I'd be happy as a pig in ****.

[chewy]

Go to http://192.168.1.1 and you should be able to change the channel your WiFi works on with Linksys. I had to change mine because of the phone problem too. Do that on the computer your cable is connected to and is routed to the transmitter.

Thanks, I'll try that. If it works then you get good green rep and a BIG kiss (on the mouth only please) :D

[Fury]

http://forums.realpolice.net/showthread.php?t=35912

Greanlead beat ya to it.