What is the law where you live?
I'm curious...you turn on your computer, cell phone, tablet, what ever, and you find a fairly strong, usable, Wi-Fi signal, coming from your next door neighbor. This signal is not secure.
You connect, and realize that you could cancel your ISP service, and use your neighbor's for free. That would save you a lot of money every month that the free ride continued.
I was surprised to learn that this "signal mooching", as it's called, is not illegal in many states. In Florida, where I'm at a lot it is a simple misdemeanor. In many areas the laws are completely undefined. Many states feel that you have a right to use any signal that enters your home, and it's incumbent on the person radiating the signal to secure it if he/she doesn't want someone else using it.
I need to check about Michigan .
What is the law where you live?
I'm know when I'm traveling i just hop on what ever open signal I fine. it is funny how many people have left there computers open to be hacked. I'm not going to say I haven't looked around a couple that I've used there wi-fi before . never found anything interesting do.
now what I have done in the past. when at a friends house and I have my laptop . tried to get into there system when in there driveway . you be surprised like they were to fine out there's were wide open. a lot of people think just because there using a wireless router there secure.
What is the law where you live?
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What is the law where you live?
the Last time I was Talking to myself . I got into such a heated argument . that is why I swore I never talk to that guy again. you know what it worked now no buddy talking to me. 
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canton_kid
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I think the laws are pretty iffy and if busted could be easily beat in court!
It should be the responsibility of the wifi owner to secure it, if not secure you should have the right to use it!
The reason I say this is plain and simple facts!
1 There are many free WIFI hotspots out there you can legally just log into and use, that is why they are there! Mc Donalds, Starbucks, Burger King, etc... for example! And there are many many more like truck stops, rest area's, tourist places, etc.. also.
2 How are you supposed to know who a signal belongs to to go ask permission? You can't, simple as that!
3 you do have the legal right to use a wifi signal "Linksys" from any of those free sources that purposely make the Wifi signal available for free. You SHOULD NOT use "Linksys" that is just floating out of someones house, but how do you know who owns the "Linksys" you find freely open and available? There is often no way to tell, thus it cannot be illegal to use publicly available access points! It would be the responsibility of the "Linksys" owner to put forth some reasonable effort to block you out so that you know they do not want you using their bandwith. If they do not put forth such effort then YOU have done nothing wrong as they have in no way said "Keep Out"!!
Now with all that said, it does not mean that if I catch you parked 50 feet from my home in middle of nowhere using a laptop that I would not shoot out your tires LOL
If you can use my WIFI signal from the road, well I guess use it. Just don't trespass on my actual property in order to get in range to steal it! There is a difference there again. Can you access it from a public area or a place you have the right to be, or do you have to sneak in the back way and hide in the woods?
Since there is no way to tell often if the intent was to leave a service open for free use by the public then it cannot be illegal to use such open free services!
Case in point, one area I travel often has like 10 Mc Donalds that are owned by same person. Mc Donalds was using that Way Point access at the time with coupons, buy anything get a coupon for 2 hours free WIFI. Well it must have been costing the stores something to do that because the guy that owned 10 stores just put in his own routers and you log in and use all you want for free, none of that 2 hour limits or coupons to deal with. His stores had simple routers like "Linksys" "Belkin" etc... and you just connect to them free with no codes, passwords, or coupons needed!
Now if this guy has 10 stores and just giving out free access to anyone that wants to use it, how can it be Illegal to connect to the hotel next door that also has free unblocked access available even though they do not want you to use theirs? "Linksys" is "Linksys" and if you just log on and start using it how would you know which is hotel or Mc Donalds??
So it's free and fine to use Mc Donalds "linksys" but if you use Hotel "linksys" your stealing??? Nope, it's the Hotels responsibility to block you out if they don't want you to use theirs!!
I actually got into a verbal fight with the hotel manager once over that very thing. That's why I mention the "Linksys" because both places just used the default router names, I logged into the one with best signal sitting on the parking lot. OOPS, it was the hotels and I was downloading large software files I had bought. Seems hotel manager was trying to use his net access also and I slowed him down ALLOT so he saw me and came out in a fire storm at me. Trying to blab I was stealing his bandwith and getting verbally abusive, he went away after 10 minutes or so when I threatened to sue HIM for harassment of a MC DONALDS customer and which he was also trespassing on their property since he was not a customer but I was LOL
If he did not want me using the hotel WIFI it was HIS responsibility to change the name of the router from the default to something else Like "Hotel" and to block access. "Linksys" freely available from a public area like a parking lot is for anyone to use! How would I know between 2 or 3 routers of the same default name which belongs to who?? Not my problem to go knocking on doors asking questions at 5am!
It should be the responsibility of the wifi owner to secure it, if not secure you should have the right to use it!
The reason I say this is plain and simple facts!
1 There are many free WIFI hotspots out there you can legally just log into and use, that is why they are there! Mc Donalds, Starbucks, Burger King, etc... for example! And there are many many more like truck stops, rest area's, tourist places, etc.. also.
2 How are you supposed to know who a signal belongs to to go ask permission? You can't, simple as that!
3 you do have the legal right to use a wifi signal "Linksys" from any of those free sources that purposely make the Wifi signal available for free. You SHOULD NOT use "Linksys" that is just floating out of someones house, but how do you know who owns the "Linksys" you find freely open and available? There is often no way to tell, thus it cannot be illegal to use publicly available access points! It would be the responsibility of the "Linksys" owner to put forth some reasonable effort to block you out so that you know they do not want you using their bandwith. If they do not put forth such effort then YOU have done nothing wrong as they have in no way said "Keep Out"!!
Now with all that said, it does not mean that if I catch you parked 50 feet from my home in middle of nowhere using a laptop that I would not shoot out your tires LOL
If you can use my WIFI signal from the road, well I guess use it. Just don't trespass on my actual property in order to get in range to steal it! There is a difference there again. Can you access it from a public area or a place you have the right to be, or do you have to sneak in the back way and hide in the woods?
Since there is no way to tell often if the intent was to leave a service open for free use by the public then it cannot be illegal to use such open free services!
Case in point, one area I travel often has like 10 Mc Donalds that are owned by same person. Mc Donalds was using that Way Point access at the time with coupons, buy anything get a coupon for 2 hours free WIFI. Well it must have been costing the stores something to do that because the guy that owned 10 stores just put in his own routers and you log in and use all you want for free, none of that 2 hour limits or coupons to deal with. His stores had simple routers like "Linksys" "Belkin" etc... and you just connect to them free with no codes, passwords, or coupons needed!
Now if this guy has 10 stores and just giving out free access to anyone that wants to use it, how can it be Illegal to connect to the hotel next door that also has free unblocked access available even though they do not want you to use theirs? "Linksys" is "Linksys" and if you just log on and start using it how would you know which is hotel or Mc Donalds??
So it's free and fine to use Mc Donalds "linksys" but if you use Hotel "linksys" your stealing??? Nope, it's the Hotels responsibility to block you out if they don't want you to use theirs!!
I actually got into a verbal fight with the hotel manager once over that very thing. That's why I mention the "Linksys" because both places just used the default router names, I logged into the one with best signal sitting on the parking lot. OOPS, it was the hotels and I was downloading large software files I had bought. Seems hotel manager was trying to use his net access also and I slowed him down ALLOT so he saw me and came out in a fire storm at me. Trying to blab I was stealing his bandwith and getting verbally abusive, he went away after 10 minutes or so when I threatened to sue HIM for harassment of a MC DONALDS customer and which he was also trespassing on their property since he was not a customer but I was LOL
If he did not want me using the hotel WIFI it was HIS responsibility to change the name of the router from the default to something else Like "Hotel" and to block access. "Linksys" freely available from a public area like a parking lot is for anyone to use! How would I know between 2 or 3 routers of the same default name which belongs to who?? Not my problem to go knocking on doors asking questions at 5am!
Canton_kid
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