I have never tried wireless before, and on my new laptop I tried it and it
signed right on and let me start browsing... My question is, is this going to
cost me?  I haven't filled out anything, I just clicked connect (to linksys)
and it worked???  Please help...

Lilboyblue wrote:
You connected to someone's unsecured wireless network.  In general, this
is frowned upon (and in the worst case, could lead to criminal or civil
liability) unless the owner of that network is deliberately letting
others connect or not (such as in shared living situations).  And, if
you connect to someone else's network, they may be able to connect to
your computer, and at the very least will be able to "eavesdrop" on your
web browsing.

Many people, businesses, and even government entities maintain open wireless
networks with a conscious and express intent of providing free public
Internet access.  Others simply don't think or care.  However, you cannot
rely upon an implicit invitation just because a wireless network is
unprotected:

http://money.cnn.com/2005/07/07/technology/personaltech/wireless_arrest/

and:

http://www.securityfocus.com/news/11255

Doug Sherman
MCSE, MCSA, MCP+I, MVP

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It depends entirely upon where you are. Some places - such as some airports
for example - allow free internet. Other businesses do, as well. If you are
at home, however and get this network, the chances are greater that you have
hooked on to someone else's paid for internet and just used that person's
allowed amount for free. Technically, this is theft. Unfortunately, many
people seem to think that plonking in a router, filling in your ISP details
and starting the computer is all you do.

Another problem you are facing is that this is a honeypot wi-fi network.
What that is is just a wi-fi network set up to specifically catch people
trying to get on to internet. People who do that set their network up in
order to attempt to take over your machine and use it for their purposes.
So, be careful doing that!

Funny that no-one at all has asked you this yet and assumed that you've
accessed someone elses network.
silly Q, but is this linksys yours?
Do you own a Linksys Router device??
If it is your own device then your answer is to "is wireless networking
free" is yes, apart from power costs to run devices.
If it is someone else's Linksys Router, then the truth is yes, but a very
stupid way to get busted!! You have already connected to their network so
most probably, as in our network, your details have been recorded already.

PS ppl, dont forget WMI scripts can be run as logon scripts from a server
that can enumerate information about any part of the client accessing it
(your computer), down to really anything....so dont say i didnt warn you when
connecting to ANY network that isn't yours!!



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I never asked because she already explained that it wasnt her router when
she said:

Simply, if she has a new laptop and didn't mention a router or at least some
sort of modem, she doesn't have anything other than the laptop. She didn't
fill in username or password or filled out anything thus she hasn't signed
on with an ISP who auto config a modem before sending it to a client. She
just clicked and it worked.

From her description it was obvious it wasn't anything other than an
unprotected network that she hooked in to.

Anyway, that's my explanation as to how I arrived at the fact that she DID
access someone else's network, Lem.

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