Using someone else’s wireless service without permission is theft, but may not always be unethical if permission is given. It can slow down the owner’s internet and compromise security. Sharing with neighbors or during service issues is acceptable.
Using someone else’s wireless service is really theft, as it involves using a resource that someone else has paid for without paying for it. However, it may not always be entirely unethical, especially if you tell the person about it, and in some communities, anonymous strangers may actively promote the use of their wireless by leaving the network unsecured and inviting people to use it.
When someone orders wireless service, they must invest in a router and be prepared to pay monthly fees for access. Using someone else’s wireless service may be free for you, but not for the person who owns the account. While it can be tempting to take advantage of an unsecured network to save money, using someone else’s wireless has some drawbacks, for both the service owner and the user.
For owners, the clear downside is that as people move around their networks, it eats up bandwidth. This can slow down internet service for people who are actually paying for the network, which can be frustrating. Also, if the service provider has a bandwidth cap or limit, the service may be terminated if the limit is exceeded or an additional amount may be added to your bill. Furthermore, people using the network could potentially access other computers on the network if their users have set up their computers to share data, which could compromise the integrity of the machines themselves, as well as the data stored on them.
For someone using someone else’s wireless service, the main drawback is that the service could go down suddenly and the network owner could decide to start piggybacker from the network through the administration software. It also leaves your computer potentially vulnerable, as described above. Additionally, in some regions, people can be prosecuted for theft of Internet service and may be required to pay fines, perform community service, or be penalized in some other way.
However, using a wireless network that someone else set up isn’t always necessarily wrong. Sometimes, neighbors get together to share the service, for example, in which case the bill can be split. When someone is having problems with their Internet service, they might ask a neighbor if they can use theirs for a few days while the problem is resolved. In other cases, people who believe that Internet access should be available to everyone may leave their networks unsecured so that other people can access them.
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