From: "Neil Waldhauer" <os2-wireless_users@2rosenthals.com>
Date: Wed, 16 Sep 2009 10:30:56 -0700
To: "OS/2 Wireless Users Mailing List" <os2-wireless_users@2rosenthals.com>
In-Reply-To: <list-2900520@2rosenthals.com>
References: <list-2900520@2rosenthals.com>
Subject: Re: [OS2Wireless] Re: Perhaps it is time to fix it?
MIME-Version: 1.0
Message-ID: <auto-000002900581@2rosenthals.com>

On Wed, 16 Sep 2009 10:56:03 -0700, "Bob" <os2-wireless_users@2rosenthals.com>
wrote:

> ** Reply to message from "Neil Waldhauer" <os2-wireless_users@2rosenthals.com>
> on Wed, 16 Sep 2009 06:08:16 -0700
> 
> > > In fact I have read that 
> > > in the US, you are now committing a crime by having an open router!!  
> > > The point being that criminals (drug dealers, bank robbers, spammers 
> > > etc.) can use an open wifi router to communicate through and they can't 
> > > be traced.
> > 
> > I imagine you may have read such a thing, but it is not so.
> > 
> > 1. Anyone in the USA can have an open router.
> 
> Sadly yes.  Most are open because the person installing it is ignorant about
> security, they just plug it in and use it.  Some people know about security but
> are too stupid to do it correctly.

There are dozens of open public routers. They don't need mine. Your assumption
that stupidity or ignorance is involved doesn't make sense to me. I think times
have changed. I see more and more public networks, and private networks are
fewer and fewer.

> 
> 
> > 2. Criminals (or anyone else) using an open router can easily be traced.
> 
> If someone parks near your house and uses your open router how do you find
> them?  Even finding a neighbor using your open router would be a problem if
> your neighbor knows how to fake a MAC address.

Forensics have come a long way since the times of merely obtaining an  IP
address.

Neil
-- 
Neil Waldhauer, neil@blondeguy.com

I really don't think I need buns of steel. I'd be happy with buns of cinnamon.