Is it ilegal to connect to someone's unsecured wireless connection, or just imoral?

[DrNortherner]

Have googled but seems to be conflicting opinions.

Would anyone know someone was using their connection?

Thanks guys

I tend to go with 'if they are so daft they don't secure their connection why not use it' Immoral probably but hey ho.Actually my parent's neighbour doesn't secure his and doesn't mind other people using it. They wouldn't really know unless loads of people were using it at once or you were using it to download huge files as that would slow it up.

We've done this a few times, there's a thing in News about it...

Oh it's actually one of mine

I think it's wrong to do it without asking. You are effectively stealing (waits to be shouted at).

There are programs that can show you who is using your connection. Of course, you tend to notice because if you are using it at the same time, it will slow down.

Always secure your connection!

Oh, and if you ARE using someone else's connection, and you do things like online banking... there are ways of tracing that info from the other person's PC.

But how do they know who is using the connection?

Surely it would just be an IP address?

wasn't there somebody arrested recently in England for doing this? Don't know what they called the 'crime' though - theft, perhaps?

its a bit daft really though isn't it, as the whole system doesn't cost much to install. We got this recently and I think it cost about Eu150

From what I can see anyone arrested is cautioned. They have been 'wardriving' which is driving around with a laptop looking for a connection to tap into.

If you use your neighbours what is the harm? Would it slow down their connection I wonder?

When you try to connect to an unsecured site it asks for permission so if it is granted how can it be wrong?

It seems to be a grey area.

come and park outside my house Drnorthener and use mine. No objections to sharing