<div dir="ltr"><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:small">So if someone uses this free wifi access to hack one of my machines, is Comcast liable?<br></div></div><div class="gmail_extra">
<br clear="all"><div>Pete Hardie<br>--------<br>Better Living Through Bitmaps</div>
<br><br><div class="gmail_quote">On Wed, Jun 12, 2013 at 8:55 AM, Edward Holcroft <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:eholcroft@mkainc.com" target="_blank">eholcroft@mkainc.com</a>></span> wrote:<br><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex">
<div dir="ltr"><div class="gmail_default"><div class="gmail_default"><snip></div><div class="im"><div class="gmail_default">Don't see how it would be against the law. They're going to replace a<br></div><div class="gmail_default">
device they own connected to a service they own with another device</div><div class="gmail_default">they own connected to a service they own?</div><div class="gmail_default"><br></div><div class="gmail_default">
<br></div></div><div class="gmail_default">This may be true, but I certainly felt my discomfort level rise when I saw this article. Not so much on the threat level, but more on the "Comcast are cheeky bastards" level. They may own the device and the service, but they do not own my house nor my electrical supply. The way Comcast nickels and dimes one, I'd want to return the favor and charge them an exorbitant rental for housing and powering their public wifi device on private property. I could throw in (without even asking them if they want it) an unexpected $3.95 monthly fee for preventative dusting of the device "to ensure maximum operating efficiency". Or how about a fee to ensure that their public wifi device is not tampered with, since they are now effectively regarding people's homes as public spaces, and you know, anything can go wrong in a public space.</div>
<div class="gmail_default"><br></div><div class="gmail_default">Actually, now that I think about it, to heck with them on this one. I'd share my wifi with the neighbors for free, but as long as it's Comcast, or any private company behind it, they can forget about profiting with my cooperation. I'm sure this list can come up with multiple ways to make this atrocious idea fail.</div>
<div class="gmail_default"><br></div><div class="gmail_default">ed</div></div><div class="gmail_extra"><div><div class="h5"><br><br><div class="gmail_quote">On Tue, Jun 11, 2013 at 9:45 PM, David Tomaschik <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:david@systemoverlord.com" target="_blank">david@systemoverlord.com</a>></span> wrote:<br>
<blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex"><div>On Tue, Jun 11, 2013 at 5:17 PM, Ron Frazier (ALE)<br>
<<a href="mailto:atllinuxenthinfo@techstarship.com" target="_blank">atllinuxenthinfo@techstarship.com</a>> wrote:<br>
> Hi guys,<br>
><br>
> I thought you'd like to know about this. I heard the host on the Tech News<br>
> Today podcast ( <a href="http://twit.tv/tnt" target="_blank">http://twit.tv/tnt</a> ) say something similar to the following:<br>
> Comcast will be expanding its wifi network by putting wifi gateways in<br>
> Xfinity users homes. ... Comcast users will get free access. ... Guests get<br>
> two free accesses. ... If you don't want to participate, you have to opt<br>
> out.<br>
><br>
</div><snip><br>
<div>><br>
> Supposedly, they replace your cable modem with this new wifi gateway device.<br>
> It broadcasts two wifi signals. You log into one of them and use YOUR<br>
> service as normal. Guests login into the other, for free if they are<br>
> Comcast Xfinity customers, and get two free accesses if they're not Xfinity<br>
> customers. SUPPOSEDLY, the 2nd connection is independent of the main one,<br>
> and it doesn't reduce your bandwidth. Yeah, I believe that. The APPARENT<br>
> plan is to replace all the gateways and enable this internet sharing without<br>
> the customer's knowledge. That's got to be against the law somehow.<br>
<br>
</div>Don't see how it would be against the law. They're going to replace a<br>
device they own connected to a service they own with another device<br>
they own connected to a service they own?<br>
<div><br>
> Now, I know some people willingly share their wifi. I'm not one of them. I<br>
> have my wfi encrypted with long ugly passwords. There are 3 main reasons.<br>
> 1) Any other user on my modem is a potential security risk.<br>
<br>
</div>I don't know how they have implemented this, but it would be trivial<br>
to assign a 2nd public IP (or even NAT through a single<br>
neighborhood-wifi-network IP) for the 2nd hotspot and route all<br>
traffic over that. In that case, a user connected to that has the<br>
same amount of access as anyone else on the internet.<br>
<div><br>
> 2) It does<br>
> reduce my bandwidth and performance.<br>
<br>
</div>Citation needed. The biggest limitation to your bandwidth is the<br>
traffic shaping comcast performs at their head end unit. If the<br>
"public" hotspot is shaped separately, then I don't see how it would<br>
impact your bandwidth. *Maybe* you could make an argument regarding<br>
wifi interference, but a 2nd hotspot on your device won't be any<br>
different from a 2nd device somewhere nearby.<br>
<div><br>
> 3) If someone else does something<br>
> illegal while connected to your wifi, the police can ( and HAVE ) showed up<br>
> at your door and arrest you. You then have to prove you didn't do it and<br>
> it's a royal mess.<br>
<br>
</div>Actually, no, the prosecution still has to prove you did it (at least,<br>
legally), but yes, I suppose it could cause some headaches, unless<br>
they can look at wifi hotspot vs private network. Not sure how that<br>
would work.<br>
<div><br>
> Regardless, no ISP should be able to enable this type of access without the<br>
> user's knowledge and consent.<br>
<br>
</div>On this, I agree. This should be with the user's consent, but I don't<br>
see it as a big bad threat.<br>
<br>
<br>
--<br>
David Tomaschik<br>
OpenPGP: 0x5DEA789B<br>
<a href="http://systemoverlord.com" target="_blank">http://systemoverlord.com</a><br>
<a href="mailto:david@systemoverlord.com" target="_blank">david@systemoverlord.com</a><br>
<div><div>_______________________________________________<br>
Ale mailing list<br>
<a href="mailto:Ale@ale.org" target="_blank">Ale@ale.org</a><br>
<a href="http://mail.ale.org/mailman/listinfo/ale" target="_blank">http://mail.ale.org/mailman/listinfo/ale</a><br>
See JOBS, ANNOUNCE and SCHOOLS lists at<br>
<a href="http://mail.ale.org/mailman/listinfo" target="_blank">http://mail.ale.org/mailman/listinfo</a><br>
</div></div></blockquote></div><br><br clear="all"><div><br></div></div></div><span class="HOEnZb"><font color="#888888">-- <br><div dir="ltr">Edward Holcroft | Madsen Kneppers & Associates Inc.<br>3020 Holcomb Bridge Rd. NW | Norcross, GA 30071<br>
O <a href="tel:%28770%29%20446-9606" value="+17704469606" target="_blank">(770) 446-9606</a> | M <a href="tel:%28678%29%20587-8649" value="+16785878649" target="_blank">(678) 587-8649</a><br>
</div>
</font></span></div></div><span class="HOEnZb"><font color="#888888">
<br>
<span style="font-family:arial"><font>MADSEN, KNEPPERS & ASSOCIATES USA, MKA Canada Inc. WARNING/CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE: This message may be confidential and/or privileged. If you are not the intended recipient, please notify the sender immediately then delete it - you should not copy or use it for any purpose or disclose its content to any other person. Internet communications are not secure. You should scan this message and any attachments for viruses. Any unauthorized use or interception of this e-mail is illegal.</font></span></font></span><br>
_______________________________________________<br>
Ale mailing list<br>
<a href="mailto:Ale@ale.org">Ale@ale.org</a><br>
<a href="http://mail.ale.org/mailman/listinfo/ale" target="_blank">http://mail.ale.org/mailman/listinfo/ale</a><br>
See JOBS, ANNOUNCE and SCHOOLS lists at<br>
<a href="http://mail.ale.org/mailman/listinfo" target="_blank">http://mail.ale.org/mailman/listinfo</a><br>
<br></blockquote></div><br></div>