said by Lineage :

No, don't, because it will save your hide in a RIAA case

said by anonanonanonanon :

Yes, actually. You will be liable because it was your car...

said by MisterMarcus :

That's FUD.

But I bet I can find quite a few specialists who will substantiate how easy it is to crack Wi-Fi security in any case.

said by Pv8man999 :

Sorry snipper-cr

WPA and WPA2 have been almost as easy to crack as WEP.
All you need is just one handshake packet (person needs to turn PC on, or connect once)

I don't think there is a such thing as a secure wireless connection.

said by TK Junk Mail :

WRONG!!

said by snipper_cr :

I'll vouch for you on that one. I can actively decrypt a WEP enabled network in about 20 minutes and gain full unencrypted access. Passively with no clients in about 3-4 days. This is why I always encourage people to use WPA with a strong password.

said by RARPSL :

You also want to turn off the SSID Beacon and turn on MAC Filtering. While the lack of an SSID will prevent the network from being "seen" by simple probe packages and the Operating System it will not eliminate it. The MAC filtering will require the attacker to monitor the transmissions to get a MAC Address to claim to be so makes it harder but not impossible to get into the Router. In both cases you want to make it as hard as possible to get in so as to make them go after easier prey.

said by snipper_cr :

Smart advice from an even smarter man! Indeed, mac adresses can be spoofed, cloaked networks can be unclocked but as RARPSL said the idea is to make it as hard as possible to get a hacker (of which i would say .01% of the population actually can hack a wireless network, and .01% of those would care to go after yours) to hack your network.

said by MisterMarcus :

That's FUD.

If someone steals my car and I'm aware of the theft, and I report it promptly, and the thief runs over people, I am not to blame.

In the Wi-Fi stealing deal, it's not easy to detect when someone's stealing your signal. Thus it's not easy to prove that I did or did not know someone else used my signal. Unless you can prove that I knowingly and willfully left it unlocked for that purpose - which also isn't easy to prove. But I bet I can find quite a few specialists who will substantiate how easy it is to crack Wi-Fi security in any case.

said by Rothan Tik :

I think one would notice when their connection starts crawling because they've become a seeder for other downloads. That's asking too much sense from people though...

said by MisterMarcus :

Unless you can prove that I knowingly and willfully left it unlocked for that purpose - which also isn't easy to prove. But I bet I can find quite a few specialists who will substantiate how easy it is to crack Wi-Fi security in any case.

said by roc5955 :

Though this may have changed since Bushco, Inc. was elected ...

said by pnh102 :

But to be on point, I doubt this defense would work in the USA. In civil court, you are presumed liable unless you can use a preponderance of evidence to prove you are not liable. Even if you can claim that someone else was mooching your wifi, you still have to prove that it was that "someone else" engaging in the infringing activities and not you.

said by wentlanc :

Even in a civil case, the person raising the suit has to prove that you were the person infringing. They are looking for an end node to assign responsibility to. They have to prove that they have the right one.

said by pnh102 :

True. And in many situations the RIAA has succeeded in doing this. Regardless of whether wifi was "hacked" or not the end user was still held responsible.

said by a333 :

Uh-huh... sharing your connection is LEGAL,

Network and usage restrictions
....make available to anyone outside the Premises the ability to use the Service (for example, though wi-fi or other methods of networking), in whole or in part, directly or indirectly.

connect the Comcast Equipment to any computer outside of your Premises;

What obligations do I have under this Policy?
...you are also responsible for any use or misuse of the Service that violates this Policy, even if it was committed by a friend, family member, or guest with access to your Service account. Therefore, you must take steps to ensure that others do not use your account to gain unauthorized access to the Service by, for example, strictly maintaining the confidentiality of your Service login and password. In all cases, you are solely responsible for the security of any device you choose to connect to the Service, including any data stored or shared on that device.

It is also your responsibility to secure the Customer Equipment and any other Premises equipment or programs not provided by Comcast that connect to the Service from external threats such as viruses, spam, bot nets, and other methods of intrusion.

said by insomniac84 :

Lose your broadband connection or lose a bunch of money? Such a hard decision. And if you are in an area with only one ISP, a simple lawsuit will get your connection back. Monopolies don't get the same freedoms of other companies.

said by TK Junk Mail :

Sue away. That will cost you more than paying any overage. And if you are disconnected, you are out of luck.