Free internet?

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PhantomNVD

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#196012 15-May-2016 21:47

So, now that unlimited broadband and super fast UFB are a growing norm...

->How many people offer 'free guest access' on their home wifi?

I'm imagining a case for a citywide 'Spark/Vodafone Guest' wifi network, where one could alleviate mobile data use by hopping along same-ssid shared networks as you walk though town. (Obviously not for Internet banking without endtoend encryption!)

1) Is there any legal reason (besides the never-invoked 3 strikes law) for not doing so?

2) What do you think, "screw 'em, I pay for it"! or "wtf, why not?"

Note: I mention "Guest" access, as there's no good reason to allow unknown strangers on your internal network, EVER!

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#1553348 15-May-2016 22:04

No because people might conduct illegal business on your account

Xeon

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#1553350 15-May-2016 22:10

3 strikes law is invoked for Music,

Comcast (US) kind of does this in which by default the routers they supply generate a public network as well

michaelmurfy

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#1553351 15-May-2016 22:13

I have an open SSID covering quite a large area however I do put it through content filtering / a proxy to ensure nothing bad happens over it. I've had experience with setting up open WiFi hotspots before hence why I have no issues doing it + it operates completely separate from my main production network on a different VLAN and airgapped via many firewall rules.

Michael Murphy | https://murfy.nz
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alexx

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#1553360 15-May-2016 23:52

In Germany it appears that they are going to remove the wifi provider liability, but here you'd need to be a bit more careful.

http://www.dw.com/en/germany-to-abolish-provider-liability-law-open-path-to-more-free-wifi/a-19249024

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kiwirock

685 posts

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#1553363 16-May-2016 00:05

I thought about what I'd do when I can get fibre. I figure I'll at least have an open high powered Wi-Fi router or two allowing access to certain sites.

IE: job search sites, Wikipedia, perhaps some relayed streaming radio stations etc... for any geeky kids to enjoy in the neighbourhood and perhaps my ISP of choice's web site and sign-up page. It's always good to give a little back.

I remember how fun it was to use BBS for an hour or two free a month when a kid, it's good not to forget the operators put themselves out of pocket and gave back to those with a similar interest.

I wouldn't allow open Wi-Fi to have anything goes though unless it didn't have access to the Internet or required further point to point authorisation of sorts.

I freely give my Wi-Fi key to anyone staying. Most visitors just want to use Facebook, Youtube, Trade Me and ondemand anyway. Although I make a vocal point of not downloading unpaid movies and music while staying. That and a bandwidth limit on any traffic not bound for Google/Youtube that bursts longer than 10 seconds to make it not worth the effort of doing anything else :o)

xpd

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#1553392 16-May-2016 08:52

I'm going to enable a guest option, but it will be rate limited, so no use to torrent from but enough to get emails and browse - its mainly due to the amount of social visitors we get, rather than the general public.

Gavin / xpd / FastRaccoon / Geek of Coastguard New Zealand

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deadlyllama

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#1553396 16-May-2016 09:16

I do this. I route the "free internet" SSID through an EarthVPN account -- they're very cheap on a yearly subscription. Stuck an AP on the garage, too -- it's an indoor AP in a Sistema lunchbox :-)

There's some rubbish short-stay accommodation over the neighbour's back fence, have been thinking of aiming a high gain antenna at it. I have some 10 year old parabolic grids from my uni days in the shed...

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wellygary

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#1553446 16-May-2016 09:58

PhantomNVD: So, now that unlimited broadband and super fast UFB are a growing norm...

->How many people offer 'free guest access' on their home wifi?

I'm imagining a case for a citywide 'Spark/Vodafone Guest' wifi network, where one could alleviate mobile data use by hopping along same-ssid shared networks as you walk though town. (Obviously not for Internet banking without endtoend encryption!)

So, now that unlimited clean potable water supplies are a growing norm...

How many people are going to allow "free guest access" to their outside taps?

I'm imagining a case for a citywide "guest taps" network, where one could alleviate Dairies and the bottled water industry, by hopping along using giuest taps as you walk through town,

xpd

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#1553453 16-May-2016 10:29

wellygary:

[q

So, now that unlimited clean potable water supplies are a growing norm...

How many people are going to allow "free guest access" to their outside taps?

I'm imagining a case for a citywide "guest taps" network, where one could alleviate Dairies and the bottled water industry, by hopping along using giuest taps as you walk through town,

Feel free. I have a large tank that dosent get used. ;)

Gavin / xpd / FastRaccoon / Geek of Coastguard New Zealand

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mxpress

376 posts

Ultimate Geek

#1553494 16-May-2016 11:40

PhantomNVD: So, now that unlimited broadband and super fast UFB are a growing norm...

->How many people offer 'free guest access' on their home wifi?

I'm imagining a case for a citywide 'Spark/Vodafone Guest' wifi network, where one could alleviate mobile data use by hopping along same-ssid shared networks as you walk though town. (Obviously not for Internet banking without endtoend encryption!)

1) Is there any legal reason (besides the never-invoked 3 strikes law) for not doing so?

2) What do you think, "screw 'em, I pay for it"! or "wtf, why not?"

Note: I mention "Guest" access, as there's no good reason to allow unknown strangers on your internal network, EVER!

I have my guest account enabled from 8am - 7pm each day. A few people use it. I've had no issues so far and they can only connect for 30 minutes at a time.

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hio77

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#1553503 16-May-2016 11:53

im on a rural property but I do also have a guest wireless option there.

all vlaned off, restricted and shaped. End of the day it takes out the give me your wireless password thing, people just connect up and are happy to post their facebook posts or something since nobody seems to be happy to just use their Data plan for that.

im trusting in that there wont be anything dodgy done on it, but all traffic is logged in a searchable system to both, pick out possible issues with blocks breaking certain legitimate connections and filter back down to someone dodgy anything dodgy.

In the event im not feeling so trusting, its a two second tick of a box to have all traffic VLANed to one of my servers sitting in another country where have slightly more freewill over the connection usage.

Obviously i expect a short stay, so leases are set nice and low, allowing more control over who exactly is connected when.

#include <std_disclaimer>

Any comments made are personal opinion and do not reflect directly on the position my current or past employers may have.

mitchtay

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#1553514 16-May-2016 12:10

I'm in the "Wtf, why not?" category.

I already have a guest SSID set up on its own subnet with appropriate firewall rules set up to disallow access to the rest of my network.
Only a select few protocols are opened (the bare essentials for a web browsing experience.) as well as content filtering using E2Guardian (no pr0n or illegal activities) and QoS enabled so they can't starve me of my own bandwidth.

Talkiet

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#1553526 16-May-2016 12:36

At times like this I wish I could respond, but even with all the disclaimers in the world no-one's going to listen to my (considered) opinion on this.

Cheers - N

Please note all comments are from my own brain and don't necessarily represent the position or opinions of my employer, previous employers, colleagues, friends or pets.

deadlyllama

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#1553529 16-May-2016 12:44

Talkiet:

At times like this I wish I could respond, but even with all the disclaimers in the world no-one's going to listen to my (considered) opinion on this.

Let me guess, liability / GCSB / TICSA / IPAP / ISP ToS / ...?

Or "wifi is rubbish"? My excuse is always that I'm in low density (1/4 acre!) suburban Whanganui so there's less issue with everyone's AP interfering with everyone else's.

Talkiet

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#1553531 16-May-2016 12:46

deadlyllama:

Talkiet:

At times like this I wish I could respond, but even with all the disclaimers in the world no-one's going to listen to my (considered) opinion on this.

Let me guess, liability / GCSB / TICSA / IPAP / ISP ToS / ...?

Yes / No / No / Yes / No / You missed the main one :-)

CHeers - N

ps. I am on sick leave today sneezing and coughing up lungs. My brain is only working for a few minutes so I can successfully make myself some food without cutting a finger off.

Please note all comments are from my own brain and don't necessarily represent the position or opinions of my employer, previous employers, colleagues, friends or pets.