November 27, 2006

WiFi - If it's not yours is it yours to use? Blocking wireless connections.

What happens if you are using one of those telephones that send signals over WiFi? Is it ok to use the WiFi signal of someone else. My gut feeling is telling me that it's wrong. If I'm paying $50 per month for DSL and make it wireless, I don't want one person, and surely not 50 persons using my signal, slowing down my connection and possibly giving me viruses or making the network less secure.

The NY Times writes The technology's advocates say that as long as people are paying for high-speed Wi-Fi access in their homes, they should be able to use it as a conduit for inexpensive calls and an alternative to traditional phone service.

But, in a twist that raises some tricky ethical and legal questions, the phones can also be used on the go, piggybacking on whatever access points happen to be open and available...

The beauty of WiFi is that its growing and growing in use and is becoming so popular that you can find a WiFi connection all over the place. Of course people are getting smart and many of the WiFi connections are secure and not open for public use.

The NY Times continues Not everyone is so open to walk-by talkers. "I don't like it," Kevin Asbra, another San Franciscan, said. "It's an abuse of the system. I pay my bills. Why should you call for free?"

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