"Tom G" wrote in message
news:rYoVf.957$Od7.237@trnddc06...

"RG" wrote in message
news:PRlVf.14214$6a1.10052@fed1read04...

"Shortwave Sportfishing" wrote in message
...
When you guys are out and about with your laptops, do you pay for
wi-fi?

How does that work?

I'm sort of new to public wi-fi, and don't really have a good feel as to
where the free hot spots are vs. where you have to pay to log on.
Therefore, I took a different approach and subscribed to Verizon's
wireless Broadband Access service. It's a bit expensive, but it's got
good speed and you don't have to worry about whether you're in range of a
hot spot and what the costs might be. I'll use traditional wi-fi when I
can see that I'm in a free hot spot, but the Verizon deal is a great
fallback. Plus, it allows me internet and email access at the lake.

While on vacation in Phoenix, last fall, I was able to catch WiFi hotspots
near some businesses, and also the RV park I was in. If they were
unsecured, I would use them to access the net. However, in this weeks
Rockford, IL. newspaper, there was a story that goes like this: A cop
was driving through a parking lot and observed a man sitting in a car.
Got closer and sees that he's using a laptop. Gets out to investigate and
finds the man is accessing the net on the unsecured WiFi of a not for
profit organization in the nearby building. End result..the man gets
arrested for using the WiFi without permission..pays a $250 fine. No jail
time but supposedly there is the option of up to 6 months of jail time.
The paper says this is similar to the theft of services you can get nailed
with if you use a descrambler on your dish or cable. It seems to me that
if the not for profit didn't see fit to password protect their wireless
access, then by default they are inviting anyone to use it.

Tom G.


If that's the same story I read, the event happened in England. However, UK
and US laws are similar, so it is probably illegal in the US as well.

RCE