Caveats In Reselling DSL Bandwidth To Neighbors?

chrisleetn writes "I'm contemplating getting Slashdot (Speakeasy) 6Mbps broadband or something similar and offering wireless internet access to my neighborhood. Speakeasy even has a plan to allow this. What should I be aware of as far as legal/business/regulatory implications? I know I need to restrict obvious illegal stuff and probably p2p to be safe, but is the local cable modem company going to come after me for competing with them? Has anyone done this who can offer some insight?"

Comments

Is it really worth the trouble?

[Zweistein_42]

Providing it free as a service probably wouldn't be too difficult. But would it make sense to go through all the hassle for the few bucks you can make?

Re:Is it really worth the trouble?

[TedCheshireAcad]

if you're willing to offer it for free to your neighbors, i salute your nobility. however, it may be worth your while to come to some kind of informal agreement with your neighbors (they make you cookies once a month or something like that). this country needs more friendly things like that.

i'd call it the Food for IP program. like food for oil, but not corrupt.

Re:Is it really worth the trouble?

[stratjakt]

Plenty of people have "rediscovered" the barter system, hell, many never forgot it.

I set up a laptop with quickbooks and some custom invoices and reciepts for a friend of mine who runs a tree service, in return he cut down a few trees and ground out some stumps.

I fixed another friend of a friends' kids PS2, and he (a plumber) came over and helped me replace a hot water heater.

I do it all the time, it's all about being social and knowing the right people, and having something to trade.

It works well for us.. Many/most tradesmen who work with their hands don't know shit about their PCs.

My neighbour is a cabinetmaker by trade, and a contractor. This idea of giving him free wireless internet is intriguing. I think I might just offer him free internet forever* if he helps me build the bar I want.

* - forever does not necessarily mean "for ever"

I wish 'society' could be a little more social. Look at an amish barnraising to see how much can be accomplished in a short amount of time if people will pitch in.

Yet, despite the fact that I sweated and toiled one weekend to help a neighbour install a chain link fence, he just sat there with his new snowblower while watching me bust my ass shovelling my driveway when he could have done it in about 5 minutes.

Oh well, people are a bunch of asses. That's why we invented money.

Re:Is it really worth the trouble?

[h4rm0ny]

The cookie program is probably your best bet on the grounds that you'll lose yourself a whole lot of legal hassle and gain yourself something more fulfilling community wise. There's just something nice about your neighbours bringing you dinner once a month or every couple of months. And there's something not nice about introducing money/legal agreements to friendships; or the calculator-fight that will break out when your connection goes down and they want re-imbursement or because you aren't there for tech support because you're on holiday, etc.

Saying you will provide this service on best-effort terms in return for cookies/lawn-mowing/kid-collecting etc is your best, friendliest, non-legally dangerous way of doing this. A great idea that I shall probably copy.

Re:Is it really worth the trouble?

[modecx]

IMO, the real hassle wouldn't be in setting the equipment up and making it work, this is easy stuff.

When you do a small ISP jobby, you make yourself the sole support contact. Everyone will bug you about every minor shit problem imaginable. I did this with my nuclear family (basically all living on the same block), and it was just pathetic. Your ass will be on line for every computer problem they can throw at you, and worst of all you're not getting paid for it. And if you don't go and fix it soon, these people know where you live, and they're going to resent it.

Really, it wasn't that these things were so problemsome, but my family is a group of procrastinators to the extreme. I try hard to avoid this, but when grandma calls dad and says that cousin susie has a computer problem and can't finish her midterm assignement the night before it's due (when in reality she's downloading cowboy music off of Kazzaa--which also means your ass is grass is she ever gets caught)... Well, you're tempted to grab the shotgun and blow shit up. Not healthy.

Having had personal experience with this issue, I'd say it's not a good idea at all, UNLESS all of your neighbors are cheap ass geeks who can fix their own problems, but are too poor to afford a cable connection on their own... Basically, It's a stupid idea, unless you want the hassle...

Re:Is it really worth the trouble?

[bwy]

Yet, despite the fact that I sweated and toiled one weekend to help a neighbour install a chain link fence, he just sat there with his new snowblower while watching me bust my ass shovelling my driveway when he could have done it in about 5 minutes.

Oh well, people are a bunch of asses. That's why we invented money.

Unfortunately, even inside close circles of family and friends, shit occasionally happens. I'd never recommend doing anything of large financial scale with family or friends without having a written contract. Part of the problem is people interpret things differently or have different expectations. You might make a handshake deal to rent a condo you own to a family member for $500 a month. Sounds good, huh? Well, what does this include? For how long? What happens if the condo association dues go up? Can you raise the rate? What if said family member loses his job? Is he expecting you to let the rent slide for 6 months or a year? If the place is dirty when he finally moves out and needs new carpet and paint, who pays?

In fact, contract or no contract, I've often found it better NOT to do business with friends. I know of too many cases where it has ruined relationships that I assure you were originally rock-solid.

That said, there is nothing wrong with friends helping friends on occasion as long as there are no expectations. This is what friendship is all about.

... but the upload sucks

[Average_Joe_Sixpack]

At 768 up you would need some way to cap their upload. Otherwise you'd risk a neighbor ruining it for everybody.

They come at all hours.

[stimpleton]

In the broadest sense, once people start paying money, no matter how small, the relationship changes.

When connectivity on Sunday at 7am goes down, people will look at where they can get help. If they have a door to knock on, then woe betide you.

ianal but..

[Naikrovek]

i can't think of a problem. the 802.11b/g spectrum is unlicensed. you can use it for whatever reason you wish. if your kick-ass provider lets you do this, then they won't complain.

as another poster said, is it really worth the trouble when it comes to billing?

also keep in mind that using wireless opens up their computer to the world. make sure folks know this before you let them join your network.

Re:Why would the cable modem company come after yo

[Jace of Fuse!]

Thats why they'd be pissed, at the very least they would cut off your service.

I think you missed the point. They can't cut his service, because they aren't providing it. What he means is that the CABLE companies might come after him because he is reselling the bandwidth he is getting from his DSL provider.

One reason they might do this is because they would be afraid that he might set some kind of example that their cable customers might expect they could get away with. After the cable company THEN has their own customers doing this, they are forced with the decision of either allowing it themselves, or cutting off their customers. That would be sending business to the competition.