ColsTiger posting from the parking lot of the At&t store.

[ColsTiger]

Found an unsecured network in the parking lot of one At&t location in Columbus. I'm using the Howard Johnson network across the street from the 10th street store.

Couldn't get a network at the Rollins Way location. I'll check the Peachtree Mall location in a few minutes.

Just trying to plan my camping strategies for the 28th if it comes to that.

What a geek!

Will update in a few.

Update: One out of three have WIFI access.

 

[jphawkins]

Good idea...i'll have to do that in the near future.

I camped out for the PS3 at a Target in the same shopping center as the AT&T store I am planning on going to. The AT&T store is a ways down from the Target though. We'll see..

 

[Knowsall]

Hoping from my location I will only have to go to att around 430p. However. I will be there in the morning also just in case

 

[Marksman]

Did we not recently have a discussion here about people going to jail for using other people's wireless networks? I remember disbelieving it, but then was presented with actual stories of people getting arrested for using free wi-fi.

Anyways good luck with the camping. As I said elsewhere, camping for the iPhone would be MUCH easier and more fun with an iPhone.

 

[ColsTiger]

Did we not recently have a discussion here about people going to jail for using other people's wireless networks? I remember disbelieving it, but then was presented with actual stories of people getting arrested for using free wi-fi.

Anyways good luck with the camping. As I said elsewhere, camping for the iPhone would be MUCH easier and more fun with an iPhone.

Well, I know the Krystal's in columbus offer free wifi. You just have to watch a little commercial once you connect to the network. I'm sure others have the same thing.

I was connected to a Howard Johnson's network earlier. It was completely unsecure, but I'm sure that's convenient for their guests. It just so happens the HOJO is right across the street from one of the At&t stores.

Also, all three of these stores are corporate stores and all three are still branded as Cingular stores. Some have posted that all At&t corporate stores would be rebranded by the 20th, but that's not the case here.

 

[ebrunn]

I find hotels to have the best open Wifi spots. Their are so many routers in a hotel most of the time that you get a pretty good signal. Just wait intill a parking spot near the building opens up and park in it and boot up. Never even have to leave the car. Have done it multiple times on road trips.

 

[Marksman]

I an not disagreeing with you guys, just be wary people are going to jail for sitting outside Starbucks and using their wifi in the parking lot. Many jurisidictions are seemingly misapplying the law and arresting people for using open WiFi. I think it is ridiculous but it is happening.

 

[wjp09]

Just say you have a network card from a cell provider. I know most cell companies offer those cards to connect wherever.

 

[Spin This!]

I an not disagreeing withjust be wary people are going to jail for sitting outside Starbucks and using their wifi in the parking lot.

Actually, no one got busted outside Starbucks yet... afaik, their networks are all secured, since they pay T-Mobile access fees to use them. And all those high-profile cases people didn't face any jail time... they paid fees, maybe did some community service and moved on.

The problem with the majority of those convictions is the people all looked suspicious enough to get caught. The Florida dude was outside at 11 pm in his car, hunched over his laptop. The Michigan man kept coming back to the same spot on his lunch break everyday.

Don't look like a criminal and you'll be fine.

 

[Knowsall]

Well, I know the Krystal's in columbus offer free wifi. You just have to watch a little commercial once you connect to the network. I'm sure others have the same thing.

I was connected to a Howard Johnson's network earlier. It was completely unsecure, but I'm sure that's convenient for their guests. It just so happens the HOJO is right across the street from one of the At&t stores.

Also, all three of these stores are corporate stores and all three are still branded as Cingular stores. Some have posted that all At&t corporate stores would be rebranded by the 20th, but that's not the case here.

All cingular stores in my town here have switched over to at t. good news for cali

 

[ilLegalBeagle]

Many jurisidictions are seemingly misapplying the law and arresting people for using open WiFi. I think it is ridiculous but it is happening.

Actually, arresting someone for using an unsecured wireless point is firm footing for legal authorities. If I leave my car running with the door wide open, you aren't entitled to get in it and drive. The use of open wireless access points is legally equivalent. So, the courts are certainly not misapplying laws.

Personally, I believe that the laws themselves should not exist. If I leave my car running with the door open, I have assumed the risk of loss. Likewise, if I leave the WAP open, I have assumed the risk of bandwidth theft and misuse.

At any rate, the jurisdictions imposing legal consequences for digital bandwidth theft are doing so with full authority.

ilLegalBeagle

P.S.: Yes, I am a lawyer.

 

[Marksman]

Actually, arresting someone for using an unsecured wireless point is firm footing for legal authorities. If I leave my car running with the door wide open, you aren't entitled to get in it and drive. The use of open wireless access points is legally equivalent. So, the courts are certainly not misapplying laws.

I didn't say the courts. I was talking about the authorities.

And we shall see. I am pretty comfortable that they are indeed misapplying laws, and properly challenged they will not be able to put people in jail for using freely available wireless access. How do you determine who is a customer and entitled? If I go into the Starbucks and buy a cup of coffee and go sit in the parking lot am I entitled? If I got a cup last week am I entitled.

Sorry there are all kinds of ways to secure a wifi network so that just anyone can not connect to it. A very simple one would be daily access codes printed on a receipt.

The problem is they claim illegal access. It is easy to have a whole slew of wifi networks show up in any given area without knowing who they belong to. You may be a lawyer, but I have been involved in providing internet access and network management since 1994, and I can assure you the real issue is not as cut and dried, and for all intents and purposes the law is being misapplied to what is actually happening.

 

[ColsTiger]

I an not disagreeing with you guys, just be wary people are going to jail for sitting outside Starbucks and using their wifi in the parking lot. Many jurisidictions are seemingly misapplying the law and arresting people for using open WiFi. I think it is ridiculous but it is happening.

I don't think Starbucks even offers unsecured WIFI. I think I've read that you have to pay T-Mobile to use starbucks wifi.

 

[Spin This!]

Actually, arresting someone for using an unsecured wireless point is firm footing for legal authorities.

They still have to prove you did it. How much evidence would you wager they would need? I don't think a MAC address is enough to convict anyone... since those can easily be forged. They would still need hard evidence you actually accessed certain things and link that activity to you, your browsing habits, the router's log, etc.

 

[Knowsall]

None of these instances have happened in Cali thankfully. Maybe its a RED state thing