Can I get in trouble for this?

[djturnz]

My wife, the kids and I went to my parent's house last night so the kids could help make cookies. I had some work to do so I took my laptop and sat in the living room watching tv with my dad. When my work was done I noticed that my laptop was picking up my dad's wireless card in his computer. So I connected to it and surfed the internet (pafoa) for about an hour and a half. When we were getting ready to leave, I shut down my computer. My wife asked what I was doing and I said that I connected to dad's NIC card and was on the internet.
My dad said, "My computer isn't on, it's not even plugged in."
So went and looked and sure enough, it wasn't on. So I must have been picking up one of his neighbor's WIFIs.

I went back and looked and it was an unsecured connection. I have my dad's network saved in my laptop so it automatically connects with the correct password, so I did n't realize I was hooking up un-secured.
So my question is, was this illegal?
Is there any way they would know I was on it? Either while I was on it, or after the fact?

I have read online about guys that drive around with a wireless laptop "sniffing" for an open network. I assumed it was illegal.

I don't want the neighbor to go to my dad's house and ask about it.
Would they even see that someone was connected, assuming they were on their computer?
If so, would it show up as my computer's name (which I think is some derivative of my name)?

[Frenchy]

More and more, there are places where "free" Wifi is available, possible you connected to a neighbors internet, but then he should have it made to log in, many of our sales staff and installers talk about laptops working in areas on the road. One in particular was telling us how the show "CSI" when they trace an IP on tv probably dont know much about this or th eproducers would use it. But if I remember well, The Unit used this once in an episode.

[markheck1]

Technically....YES...it's theft of services......because it's a service that they paid for, but in reality...most people would never know, and they would have to press charges.....yes they should have it better secured, but that's like leaving an unlocked bike on your front lawn....still doesn't give you permission to grab it and use it.

ETA: and also I'm guessing that your dad has a wireless router...so the computer does not need to be on, just the router...unless he's on dialup.....you may have been on his network anyway

[djturnz]

No it wasn't my dad's. He had it all unhooked because he was moving it to a different room and hadn't set it up again yet.

I did an internet search on WIFI sniffing and all I can find is articles about people hacking into open wifis to steal banking info and stuff like that.

The guy I said I read about did some kind of installs at residences. He said his company would send him to a neighborhood to sit while they cold called everybody to see if they wanted an install. He said he had a desktop PC hooked up in his truck with a fancy touch screen monitor. He would drive around the neighborhood until he found an open network and would park near by and surf the net while he waited for a job.

So I guess it's like stealing cable huh?

But can they tell I'm on it, while I'm on it, or afterwards?

Like I said, I don't know whos connection it was, when I checked again, there were 5 connections available, but 4 of them were listed as "secured network" and one was "unsecured network".

[Sir Knight]

Well, I have a wireless connection in my house (bought one of those units from Radio Shack). I could, in theory, be picking up my neighbor's WiFi instead of my own connection and I wouldn't have a clue.

[NineseveN]

But can they tell I'm on it, while I'm on it, or afterwards?

No, your normal home user has no clue that you were on it, and unless you did something to trigger monitoring software of some sort (you didn't), the ISP doesn't know or care either.

[axmdr40]

I just called the FBI, the CIA, the NSA, and DHS...you're in a ton of shit.

[Pauly]

[QUOTE=markheck1;131775]Technically....YES...it's theft of services......because it's a service that they paid for, but in reality...most people would never know, and they would have to press charges.....yes they should have it better secured, but that's like leaving an unlocked bike on your front lawn....still doesn't give you permission to grab it and use it.

No not true this have been tried in court before, if you don't protect the wireless connection people can use it as long as they are not trying to hack your computers or others on the Internet. As for open wireless that people setup for others to use that is against the User contract of the Internet provider and the provider can drop the service from the user.
You did not break any laws, just be careful when using passwords on an open wireless connections it could be left open to capture passwords by the bad people.
Pauly

[Boomer]

[quote=Pauly;132027]

Technically....YES...it's theft of services......because it's a service that they paid for, but in reality...most people would never know, and they would have to press charges.....yes they should have it better secured, but that's like leaving an unlocked bike on your front lawn....still doesn't give you permission to grab it and use it.

No not true this have been tried in court before, if you don't protect the wireless connection people can use it as long as they are not trying to hack your computers or others on the Internet. As for open wireless that people setup for others to use that is against the User contract of the Internet provider and the provider can drop the service from the user.
You did not break any laws, just be careful when using passwords on an open wireless connections it could be left open to capture passwords by the bad people.
Pauly

True what you say Pauly.

If you have a wireless system in your home and you do not have at a MINIMUM WEP encryption ...you are making a serious error.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wireless_security#Counteracting_risks

Read the section linked above.

[fultonCoShooter]

if they dont secure there wifi its free game!!!!!!