Wireless net

[clf-gas]

Gentlemen, may I bid you good night, have a fantastic sunday down the local sharing a bottle or two of red over a great sunday roast

Goodnight.

 

[megawatt]

Softus has just stated ...

You wouldn't be responsible for how someone uses your Internet connection, in the same way that an ISP isn't responsible.

I agree that the offence is being in possession of illegal material and sharing a connection wouldn't necessarily expose you to any more risk.

Problem is, if your bandwidth sharer is getting up to no good, you are the primary account holder and when the downloads come to the attention of the police it is your house that they will raid, it will be your equipment which will be siezed in full view of all your nosey neighbours and it will be you who will face all of the difficult questions.

Good night Craig

MW

 

[Adam_151]

Section one under the computer misuse act 1990

...which says:

A person is guilty of an offence if—

(a) he causes a computer to perform any function with intent to secure access to any program or data held in any computer;

I don't see how a connection to a wireless access point with the intention of accessing the Internet can be an offence under Section 1 above.

The router is essentially a computer, and the guy on the garden wall with the laptop is causing the router to route packets between him and the internet

EDIT: Perhaps I didn't mean section one, offence one maybe? well the part that falls under the bold number one, not just under the standard type number one within it!, if you follow

 

[bernardgreen]

There is the other problem with using some one elses WiFi access,

They can, if they know how, monitor and record your actiity. Identity theft can follow.

If you use your next door neighbour's WiFi they could record your credit card details, order something on your card, arrange for it to be delivered when thy know you will not be home. They tidy up your front garden waiting for the delivery, say they are you and sign for it. First you know is when it appears on your credit card bill. Sticky situation when you try to get your money back as you gave your credit card details over a link you knew to be in-secure.

 

[andyandy2]

I've only quickly read through the posts on this thread and apologise if this has already been mentioned. It might be quite tempting to use someone else's connection, but what if they are quietly sitting at their computer downloading porn or committing some kind of internet fraud, then surely when the police one day raid their proprerty and take away their computer, and you become implicated is the free connection really worth it !! (computer boffins will hopefully correct me if i'm wrong) Its no good saying Mr and Mrs Jones at no. 23 are a nice couple and would never do such a thing, we really don't know what goes on behind closed doors

 

[bernardgreen]

we really don't know what goes on behind closed doors

but sometimes a non secure WiFi will provide some insight

 

[empip]

Is this up to date?

Communications Act 2003
2003 CHAPTER 21

http://www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts2003/ukpga_20030021_en_13#pt2-ch1-pb20-l1g125

Offences relating to networks and services
125 Dishonestly obtaining electronic communications services
(1) A person who;

(a) dishonestly obtains an electronic communications service, and

(b) does so with intent to avoid payment of a charge applicable to the provision of that service, is guilty of an offence.

(2) It is not an offence under this section to obtain a service mentioned in section 297(1) of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 ( c. 48 ) (dishonestly obtaining a broadcasting or cable programme service provided from a place in the UK).

(3) A person guilty of an offence under this section shall be liable;

(a) on summary conviction, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding six months or to a fine not exceeding the statutory maximum, or to both;

(b) on conviction on indictment, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding five years or to a fine, or to both.

126 Possession or supply of apparatus etc. for contravening s. 125

(1) A person is guilty of an offence if, with an intention falling within subsection (3), he has in his possession or under his control anything that may be used;

(a) for obtaining an electronic communications service; or

(b) in connection with obtaining such a service.

(2) A person is guilty of an offence if;

(a) he supplies or offers to supply anything which may be used as mentioned in subsection (1); and

(b) he knows or believes that the intentions in relation to that thing of the person to whom it is supplied or offered fall within subsection (3).

(3) A person's intentions fall within this subsection if he intends;

(a) to use the thing to obtain an electronic communications service dishonestly;

(b) to use the thing for a purpose connected with the dishonest obtaining of such a service;

(c) dishonestly to allow the thing to be used to obtain such a service; or

(d) to allow the thing to be used for a purpose connected with the dishonest obtaining of such a service.

(4) An intention does not fall within subsection (3) if it relates exclusively to the obtaining of a service mentioned in section 297(1) of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 ( c. 48 ).

(5) A person guilty of an offence under this section shall be liable;

(a) on summary conviction, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding six months or to a fine not exceeding the statutory maximum, or to both; and

(b) on conviction on indictment, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding five years or to a fine, or to both.

(6) In this section, references, in the case of a thing used for recording data, to the use of that thing include references to the use of data recorded by it.

-----------------------------------------
Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988
1988 CHAPTER 48

Fraudulent reception of transmissions

http://www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts1988/ukpga_19880048_en_17#pt7-pb2-l1g297
-----------------------------------------

Some arrests...
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/04/18/nwifi118.xml

 

[megawatt]

I think we've quite clearly shown now, with examples of real prosecutions, (and, hopefully, even to Softus's satisfaction ) that using someone else's wireless internet connection IS illegal which answers Craig's original question.

Softus isn't likely to respond now though ... At least not to me

MW ... gracefully timing out

 

[esra_ptrap]

Softus won't respond to you mega because he knows he's wrong and won't admit it.

Timed you out - Yea right - You bust him up

 

[megawatt]

I don't always agree with old Softy Esra but I have seen him admit he's wrong ... Not often but then he may not have been wrong too often ... Who knows.

Either way, its not a competition and I'm not taking it personally so neither should you

MW

 

[Shutpa]

Some years ago when my daughter was just a baby, we bought a Tomy baby monitor. It worked well until one night when the wife and I were having a quiet drink, the most intimate conversation came over the reciever. Over the next few months we heard family arguements, childrens tantrums , and yes, very 'frisky' conversations. It was only when the childrens names were mentioned that we were able to ask around. Finally a neighbour said that she knew of a family with children named'A' and 'B' and she passed on the info. The transmissions stopped immediatly,but over the course of a few months we had learnt so much about the peoples lives, that despite my assurances that our lips were sealed, they felt it necessary to move house. I feel that there is a tentative link between this and the topic under discussion.

Parents with baby monitors be warned!

 

[bernardgreen]

I also know of a baby monitor story.

And a telephone operator friend from the days before automatic exchanges who knew which people left their phones off the hook when not wanting to be disturbed.

 

[esra_ptrap]

Either way, its not a competition and I'm not taking it personally so neither should you

True but his long-winded nit picking responses often get in the way of a good discussion and its good to see someone put him in his place with hard facts

 

[megawatt]

I can't actually take credit for any hard facts, it was my good lady wife who pointed me at the story ... I guess she "beat him up"

 

[clf-gas]

Been and done the decent thing on this one, have told the neighbour of his unprotected net access.
Was very greatful but could`nt understand how I knew

Feel better