is it illigal to connect to an unsecured network ?

In my particular location I see 6 networks even on my Dell axim pda... about
half are unsecured is it now illigal to connect or still a 'grey area' or
whatever ?

I was just thinking how wonderful life was, when
"www.amstereoradio.info" <00000@00000.000> opened his gob and said:

>In my particular location I see 6 networks even on my Dell axim pda... about
>half are unsecured is it now illigal to connect or still a 'grey area' or
>whatever ?

Illegal - unauthorised access under the Computer Misuse Act.

IANAL.

--
Cheers,

Guy

** Stress - the condition brought about by having to
** resist the temptation to beat the living daylights
** out of someone who richly deserves it.

Dr Teeth wrote in message
(E-Mail Removed):

> I was just thinking how wonderful life was, when
> "www.amstereoradio.info" <00000@00000.000> opened his gob and said:
>
>> In my particular location I see 6 networks even on my Dell axim
>> pda... about half are unsecured is it now illigal to connect or
>> still a 'grey area' or whatever ?
>
> Illegal - unauthorised access under the Computer Misuse Act.

I had a customer who was getting intermittent access over wireless to the
rest of his network - somedays when he turned the PC on, it would work;
other days it wouldn't.

When I investigated, I found no fewer than THREE networks within range: all
had the default name of LINKSYS and all were on the default channel 11. So
it was pure chance as to which network his PC would connect to!

It was the work of a moment to configure his router to use a non-default
SSID, to enable WPA encryption and to change it to channel 6 - which a
NetStumbler scan showed was free - and then to set the PC to connect to this
network.

But previously he was technically breaking the law every time his PC
accidentally connected to a network other than his own, even though it was
indistiguishable from his own.



As I understand it (and I may be worng, in which case please correct me) it
is not illegal to use NetStumbler to generate a list of SSIDs and channels
in range, but it is illegal to establish a TCP connection, so I usually set
the PC to static address 169.x.x.x to prevent it picking up a valid address
by DHCP - when I remember to do this, anyway!

Given that it's illegal to connect to an insecured network, how do you
distinguish between one that is private but someone has forgotten to secure,
as opposed to one that is deliberately being left open as a public hotspot?

"Martin Underwood" <a@b> wrote in message
news:458c39d2$0$8733$(E-Mail Removed)...
> Dr Teeth wrote in message
> (E-Mail Removed):
>
>> I was just thinking how wonderful life was, when
>> "www.amstereoradio.info" <00000@00000.000> opened his gob and said:
>>
>>> In my particular location I see 6 networks even on my Dell axim
>>> pda... about half are unsecured is it now illigal to connect or
>>> still a 'grey area' or whatever ?
>>
>> Illegal - unauthorised access under the Computer Misuse Act.
>
> I had a customer who was getting intermittent access over wireless to the
> rest of his network - somedays when he turned the PC on, it would work;
> other days it wouldn't.
>
> When I investigated, I found no fewer than THREE networks within range:
> all had the default name of LINKSYS and all were on the default channel
> 11. So it was pure chance as to which network his PC would connect to!
>
> It was the work of a moment to configure his router to use a non-default
> SSID, to enable WPA encryption and to change it to channel 6 - which a
> NetStumbler scan showed was free - and then to set the PC to connect to
> this network.
>
> But previously he was technically breaking the law every time his PC
> accidentally connected to a network other than his own, even though it was
> indistiguishable from his own.
>
>
>
> As I understand it (and I may be worng, in which case please correct me)
> it is not illegal to use NetStumbler to generate a list of SSIDs and
> channels in range, but it is illegal to establish a TCP connection, so I
> usually set the PC to static address 169.x.x.x to prevent it picking up a
> valid address by DHCP - when I remember to do this, anyway!
>
> Given that it's illegal to connect to an insecured network, how do you
> distinguish between one that is private but someone has forgotten to
> secure, as opposed to one that is deliberately being left open as a public
> hotspot?

The only public ones I know of locally are still secured.
They give out the password to people who want to use it.

"www.amstereoradio.info" <00000@00000.000> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> In my particular location I see 6 networks even on my Dell axim pda...
> about half are unsecured is it now illigal to connect or still a 'grey
> area' or whatever ?

Its never been a "grey area".
It has been illegal for as long as WiFi has been about.
The only recent change is it could now be an act of terrorism.. you have
been warned.

On 2006-12-22, Dr Teeth <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
> I was just thinking how wonderful life was, when
> "www.amstereoradio.info" <00000@00000.000> opened his gob and said:
>
>>In my particular location I see 6 networks even on my Dell axim pda... about
>>half are unsecured is it now illigal to connect or still a 'grey area' or
>>whatever ?
>
> Illegal - unauthorised access under the Computer Misuse Act.

Are you sure that is the act which prohibits it? That act is all about
unauthorized access to the programs or data held in a computer, and
it is kind of a stretch to see how this would apply to simply
connecting to a wireless network. Surely there is something
which more explicitly addresses unauthorized access to telecommunications
facilities?

Dennis Ferguson

"www.amstereoradio.info" <00000@00000.000> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)
> In my particular location I see 6 networks even on my
> Dell axim pda... about half are unsecured is it now
> illigal to connect or still a 'grey area' or whatever ?

Yes it is illegal. Comes under the Computer Misuse Act.

Ivor

www.amstereoradio.info wrote:
> In my particular location I see 6 networks even on my Dell axim pda... about
> half are unsecured is it now illigal to connect or still a 'grey area' or
> whatever ?
>
>
Communications Act 2003

Start with para 125
http://www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts2003/30021--c.htm#125

Dr Teeth <(E-Mail Removed)> writes:

> Illegal - unauthorised access under the Computer Misuse Act.

Why? Why is running an unsecured wireless network not the equivalent
of unlocking your door (or even leaving it open) and putting up a sign
"Access the Internet Here, Please Enter"? It is not as though the
person accessing has to do the equivalent of trying each door to see
if it is unlocked. Rather the unsecured network router is broadcasting
its availability (in effect putting up an "come in an access the
internet" sign) and inviting WiFi equipped systems to connect via
it.

"Kev" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> www.amstereoradio.info wrote:
> > In my particular location I see 6 networks even on my Dell axim pda...
about
> > half are unsecured is it now illigal to connect or still a 'grey area'
or
> > whatever ?
> >
> >
> Communications Act 2003
>
> Start with para 125
> http://www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts2003/30021--c.htm#125

the quote gives 2 conditions:
"(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."

- so it is only an offence if the service is something where you would pay a
charge.

since the only chargeable service involved is probably the Internet access -
connecting to a WLAN transferring files etc by itself isnt covered unless it
is some sort of hotspot.
--
Regards

(E-Mail Removed) - replace xyz with ntl