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  • THURSDAY AUGUST 31 2006 3:30 PM

WiFi Routers Get Warning Sticker in California

Submitted by WilWheaton

Edited by WilWheaton

Tags: Internet, wifi, law

Wireless routers sold in California will come with a warning, instructing their new owners to secure their WAPs. Dark Reading says:

The law will require all manufacturers of wireless access products to put warning labels on their products that remind users to password-protect their WLANs before launching them. The warnings could take place as stickers on wireless routers, notes during installation, or an alert that requires buyers to take action before the device is used.

At first glance, it seems really stupid and unnecessary to require manufacturers to explicitly inform consumers about the importance of securing their WAPs, but part of the law signed yesterday will make it a criminal offense to crack a secured hotspot and use it to access the Intertubes.

So what about piggybacking onto an unsecured hotspot? Is that illegal now? 27B Stroke 6:

I think no.

There will still be plenty of free Wi-Fi to be found, but it might not be long before some legislator gets it in his head to pass a law banning the use of an open wireless network unless you have some sort of permission.

Maybe it will happen after some guy gets busted downloading mp3s or child pr0n from a neighbor's open connection.

But it's still legally unclear whether borrowing some unsecured bandwidth is stealing (technically trespass to chattels) or fine and dandy.

This will be an interesting law to watch, as a test case to define its limits will probably come up sooner than later.

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Comments
8bitbeta

8bitbeta

Ocala, FL
February 2004

AUG 31, 2006 07:48 PM

Sticker or no sticker the common person still would not do it. Unless there is someone to hold there hand through the process, even then the majority is ignorant. If it interfears with the whole "just make it work" mentality there just going to keep returning or exchanging it until one just works. that and broadband providers better start getting more tech help because there just going to be getting phone calls not stop from people that refuse to read the manual.

I see it almost everyday. "Did you plug it in?....isn't it wireless? I ment the power....Oh, hold on....HEY! It works!"

seriously. robot

flyonwall

flyonwall

London, ON
October 2004

SEP 03, 2006 11:48 PM

it'll probably default to be.. i worked for 1 major ISP doing tech support that our modem/routers came that way..

so the tech support people will be flooded with calls from people that can't turn it over to see the sticker is all..

ZPO

ZPO

Roy, WA
July 2004

SEP 05, 2006 09:17 PM

FellOnEarth said:
Wi-Fi 2.0 Imagine if you will a wireless network that is truely wireless - a wireless internet. Instead of paying telephone and cable companies for limited access and bandwidth, imagine your own private wi-fi cell station linked in to millions of others. The idea isn't exaclty new, but I'm sure ISP and mobile phone providers are going to fight tooth and nail against this from ever happening. You wouldn't have to pay very much for almost limitless internet access as long as a network of independently owned and opperated wireless networks existed. The more people that owned them, the better the network connectivity and bandwidth available. Next, introduce multi-band technologies (like cell phones use), and you've just made a robust and widely accessable and inexpensive network. Oh wouldn't that be nice?




Do a quick google for "community internet" and "MANET". MANET is my personal favorite.

ZPO

ZPO

Roy, WA
July 2004

SEP 05, 2006 09:18 PM

Wouldn't it be simpler to make people wear the stickers?

dem_z

dem_z

United Kingdom
June 2004

SEP 05, 2006 09:30 PM

many people Just. Don't. Care.

Look at the number of trojaned machines in zombie networks doing god knows what. The "apply security updates, use anti virus software, and use a firewall" message is too much for a gajillion people, so ze weefee security is going to baffle some people.

Idjit

Idjit

HOPEFUL

I'm lost

SEP 06, 2006 07:54 AM

Here's a radical idea - why not make encryption enabled by default?

Akrasia

Akrasia

Ireland
August 2004

SEP 06, 2006 09:45 AM

yeah. like a mobile phone. You get a password with the router and you can change it to whatever you like.

Though that might not work until windows makes it easier for computer illiterate people to access a private network.

Anyway, I think an economist would describe an unsecured wireless network belonging to a next door neighbour as a 'Positive externality' and would compare it to the benefits of living next door to a neighbour with an amazing garden that you get to look at every day. As long as you're not harming the other person by using the network, then there's nothing wrong.
Personally, If i had a neighbour with an unsecured network and i knew he/she wasn't a complete prick, I would pop next door and tell them about their security problem, and then offer to contribute a little to their fee if they let me keep using it. ooo aaa

bean

bean

STAFF

Los Angeles, CA

SEP 07, 2006 06:19 PM

Idjiit said:
Here's a radical idea - why not make encryption enabled by default?



Encryption isn't usually included in the process of "securing" an access point. All that that term typically means is authenticating computers attempting to use an access point. It's an important distinction to make, because even "secured" wireless networks send all of your data unencrypted (unless it's otherwise encrypted, such as with an HTTPS connection), and that data can be very, very easily read by anyone else on the network.

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