Stupid Internet Question

independent mind

I am currently paying for the internet at home, but there is a unsecured and very clear signal in my apt since I moved in. I'm starting to feel a bit silly paying for the internet. Is it true that someone could 'get on' my computer and view files (even if I have firewalls on?). Is it unsafe to rely on a public connection? (I do my banking and shopping online). Are these really stupid questions in this day and age?
:oops:

bemis

At the best, you neighbor may not notice you're stealing their bandwidth.

Or, they could get annoyed, and you'll end up with a blurry or upside-down internet connection - or if you're really special, kittenwars on every site.

Or it could be a for-real trap, and they'll be monitoring every website you go to, and everything you send and receive. Ever type a username and password into a site that doesn't start with https? (Or click past a warning about an 'invalid certificate'?).

Just spend the money and get your own - in the grand scheme of the cost in living in New York, a minor thing given the risks.

doctorj

You should only borrow your neighbor's connection under very specific circumstances, such as when you need to down/upload illegal material like kidddieporn.

opossumqueen

It could end up being a real hassle to "borrow". If the neighbor adds a password or moves, you're out of service then it can takes days to a week to get a cable company to come hook you up. And you have no control--if the router needs to be reset, you can't, etc.

landlord

be safe. get your own

garytoh

Your computer is connected to their network. So they have access to any shared folders on your computer.

Also remember, if you're using someone else's connection without their consent then that is illegal and if you get caught you could end up in a whole lot of trouble.
Just be careful.

doctorj

garytoh wrote: Your computer is connected to their network. So they have access to any shared folders on your computer.

Unless you have a firewall.

garytoh wrote: Also remember, if you're using someone else's connection without their consent then that is illegal and if you get caught you could end up in a whole lot of trouble.
Just be careful.

It'd be pretty hard work to find out who was using an open connection in a densely populated area. You could put a packet sniffer in and wait for identifying information I guess, but that would imply that the stealee was smarter than the stealer, which is rarely the case if the router is open. I suppose law enforcement could put in hardware to log the mac address connecting, then kick down all the doors on the block until they found the one that matched, or try to trace it via the manufacturer, but they'd need a really good reason to do that.