[Tfug] OT: Cox cable

[rfs_lists at mac.com]

On Jan 27, 2007, at 10:51 pm, Tyler Kilian wrote:

> Using someone's wireless takes up finite resources, such as bandwidth,
> IPs, CPU cycles, etc. Is it necessarily service affecting?  Not in
> most cases, but it still is using resources someone else pays for.
...which they weren't using at the time. Even if a particular  
wireless router can only serve 10 DHCP IPs, it's highly unlikely all  
ten are in use at once. This only adds weight to the argument that  
usage of unsecured networks is not worth prosecuting.

> The
> only analogy one can use for open vs. secured wifi netsorks that  
> really
> makes sense is the "locked door" analogy, IMHO.
It kinda works, but it fails at many levels, IMNSHO :-) Just because  
it does work at some levels doesn't make it a strong analogy -- same  
as "the Internet is a bunch of tubes".

1. Consider what's at stake. A door gives access to material  
possessions such as Jon's panty drawer. Accessing a wireless network  
gives access to a resource that is designed to be shared. It does not  
in itself give access to private records such as bank details, or  
make such access very much easier.

2. Differentiating intent. A secured door can be left open by  
accident from time to time. A wireless network is either secured or  
it's open. The distinction between "intentionally open" and  
"mistakenly open" is not at all clear from the information available.  
On the other hand, a secure door which was mistakenly left open says  
"Stay out". I would suggest that it is reasonable to assume, given  
the general awareness of wireless network security, that an open  
network was left open intentionally. Grandma Millie's might be left  
open through ignorance of security and of the people who are stealing  
the bandwidth she wasn't using anyway. She's probably ignorant of her  
proximity to rats as well.

3. Warnings. You can stick a notice on an unsecured door saying  
"PRIVAT KEPE OUT". A wireless network presents no such opportunity,  
besides naming. And it would be pretty stupid to name an open  
wireless network "PRIVATE".

There are a couple more exceptions that break the analogy for secured  
networks:

4. Doors can be locked in multiple ways. Wireless networks can only  
have one active level of security. Some might have to be less secure  
for older computers.

5. To access a locked door, you have to have the physical key.  
Passwords are more like combination locks. http:// 
fringe.davesource.com/Fringe/QuasiLegal/Simplex_Lockpicking.txt

"Door" or "drafting", they're both full of holes.

R.