Good (or Unwitting) Neighbors Make for Good Internet Access

“Many of the free rides these days are the result of bandwidth bleeding from private networks that are intended to let their owners connect to the Internet without being tethered to a fixed spot in a home or office.

Because the great majority of these wireless networks have not been secured, it is easy for neighbors and passers-by to use them undetected — although if enough freeloaders download large enough files, legitimate users will notice their own connections are been degraded.

The popularity of 802.11 has also begun to inspire the construction of networks that are intended to be shared, either free or for a fee.

” NY Times