Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Busted For Using Library Wi-Fi Outside The Library

Posted by timothy on from the salt-lake-city-burger-king dept.

sevej writes "Keith Shaw, in his weekly column "Wireless Computing Devices" (Network World Fusion), reported on a recent entry in AKMA's Random Thoughts where AKMA was using a public WiFi network outside of a library. A policeman approached him and asked that he only access the Internet from within the Library and hinted that Federal Laws against "signal theft" were applicable. Oh, and btw, we're not talking about a person that looked like your stereotypical 'hacker'; AKMA is an ordained priest."

8 of 746 comments (clear)

  1. Has to be done. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    Tasteful Colourscheme

  2. no protection ? by phreakv6 · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    You mean to say the network wasnt protected with a access key?

    --
    fifteen jugglers, five believers
  3. tss by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    watch the screen savers sept 7 at 7pm

  4. If more countries could follow Estonia's lead by pdamoc · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    Wifi coverage in Estonia

  5. Re:How did they know? by Richard_at_work · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    You assume they dont want you to use it, just as you assume that the tables outside a restaraunt are only for the shops patrons, or the fruit outside a grocers store isnt being given away for free. Just because somethings there doesnt mean you have an automatic right to usage, if in doubt - dont.

  6. Not all unlicensed spectrum by spotteddog · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    USA amateur radio has a frequency allocation from 2390 MHz to 2450 MHz FCC Part 97.301a pdf

    802.11 2.4GHz frequencies are:
    Channel Frequency
    1 2401-2423
    2 2404-2428
    3 2411-2433
    4 2416-2438
    5 2421-2443
    6 2426-2448
    7 2431-2453
    8 2436-2458
    9 2441-2463
    10 2446-2468
    11 2451-2473

    So any 802.11b channel other than channel 11 overlaps licensed spectrum. The implications are:

    1. any 802.11 user who causes interference to a licensed amateur radio operator must stop causing interference even if it means turning off the device

    2. Licensed amateur radio operators could build some high power wireless networks for amateur radio use as long as they only use channels 1 thru 6 and follow the FCC regulations governing amateur radio.

    --
    . there used to be a sig here.....
  7. Offtopic? by pdamoc · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    Well... I guess that talking about a country where Wi-Fi is a commodity and where such an arest would have been imposible IS Offtopic... What was the topic again?

  8. Ordained priest - so what? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic
    My stepfather is an ordained priest, he has also been tried and convicted of:

    Murder

    Grand Theft

    Drug Trafficking

    Soliciting Prostitutes

    Breaking and Entering

    Assault

    Vandalism

    This is a rap-sheet which started about 20 years ago, and continues to grow. Oh, and I had a restraining order against him for a few years too.

    Oh, and happen to personally know a priest who recieved blow-jobs from children on a regular basis...

    No, sadly, I'm not joking...