[176745] in North American Network Operators' Group
Re: Comcast thinks it ok to install public wifi in your house
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (TR Shaw)
Thu Dec 11 09:23:31 2014
X-Original-To: nanog@nanog.org
From: TR Shaw <tshaw@oitc.com>
In-Reply-To: <CAMrdfRz5i7oFUKHFumtbJA3f13pQoM-OHQzvc3rnHdANWaFCXg@mail.gmail.com>
Date: Thu, 11 Dec 2014 09:23:22 -0500
To: Scott Helms <khelms@zcorum.com>
Cc: paradox@corp.nac.net, NANOG <nanog@nanog.org>
Errors-To: nanog-bounces@nanog.org
Seems to me that they (Bright House Networks, Cox Communications, =
Optimum, Time Warner Cable and Comcast) are effectively operating a =
business out of your house and without a business license. I am sure =
that this is illegal in many towns and many towns would like the =
revenue.=20
In fact does this put the homeowner at risk since they are effectively =
supporting a business running out of their house?
Tom
On Dec 11, 2014, at 9:02 AM, Scott Helms <khelms@zcorum.com> wrote:
> All of the members of the CableWiFi consortium have been.
>=20
> Bright House Networks, Cox Communications, Optimum, Time Warner Cable =
and
> Comcast.
>=20
> http://www.cablewifi.com/
>=20
> Liberty Global, the largest MSO, also does it and this year announced =
an
> agreement with Comcast to allow roaming on each other's WiFi networks,
> though that is not extended to the other members of CableWiFi at this =
time.
>=20
> =
http://corporate.comcast.com/news-information/news-feed/comcast-and-libert=
y-global-announce-agreement-to-connect-u-s-and-european-wi-fi-networks
>=20
>=20
> Scott Helms
> Vice President of Technology
> ZCorum
> (678) 507-5000
> --------------------------------
> http://twitter.com/kscotthelms
> --------------------------------
>=20
> On Thu, Dec 11, 2014 at 8:53 AM, Ryan Pavely <paradox@nac.net> wrote:
>=20
>> http://bgr.com/2014/05/12/cablevision-optimum-modem-wifi-hotspots/
>>=20
>> I thought cablevision has been doing this for years.
>>=20
>> I had a higher level tech at mi casa within the last two years and he
>> suggested their goal was to get enough coverage to start offering CV =
voip
>> cell phones. "pay a little less, for not guaranteed coverage'
>>=20
>>=20
>>=20
>> Ryan Pavely
>> Net Access
>> http://www.nac.net/
>>=20
>> On 12/10/2014 9:35 PM, Jeroen van Aart wrote:
>>=20
>>> Why am I not surprised?
>>>=20
>>> Whose fault would it be if your comcast installed public wifi would =
be
>>> abused to download illegal material or launch a botnet, to name some =
random
>>> fun one could have on your behalf. :-/
>>>=20
>>> (apologies if this was posted already, couldn't find an email about =
it on
>>> the list)
>>>=20
>>> http://www.theregister.co.uk/2014/12/10/disgruntled_
>>> customers_lob_sueball_at_comcast_over_public_wifi/
>>>=20
>>> "A mother and daughter are suing Comcast claiming the cable giant's
>>> router in their home was offering public Wi-Fi without their =
permission.
>>>=20
>>> Comcast-supplied routers broadcast an encrypted, private wireless =
network
>>> for people at home, plus a non-encrypted network called XfinityWiFi =
that
>>> can be used by nearby subscribers. So if you're passing by a fellow =
user's
>>> home, you can lock onto their public Wi-Fi, log in using your =
Comcast
>>> username and password, and use that home's bandwidth.
>>>=20
>>> However, Toyer Grear, 39, and daughter Joycelyn Harris =96 who live
>>> together in Alameda County, California =96 say they never gave =
Comcast
>>> permission to run a public network from their home cable connection.
>>>=20
>>> In a lawsuit [PDF] filed in the northern district of the golden =
state,
>>> the pair accuse the ISP of breaking the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act =
and
>>> two other laws.
>>>=20
>>> Grear =96 a paralegal =96 and her daughter claim the Xfinity hotspot =
is an
>>> unauthorized intrusion into their private home, places a "vast" =
burden on
>>> electricity bills, opens them up to attacks by hackers, and =
"degrades"
>>> their bandwidth.
>>>=20
>>> "Comcast does not, however, obtain the customer's authorization =
prior to
>>> engaging in this use of the customer's equipment and internet =
service for
>>> public, non-household use," the suit claims.
>>>=20
>>> "Indeed, without obtaining its customers' authorization for this
>>> additional use of their equipment and resources, over which the =
customer
>>> has no control, Comcast has externalized the costs of its national =
Wi-Fi
>>> network onto its customers."
>>>=20
>>> The plaintiffs are seeking monetary damages for themselves and on =
behalf
>>> of all Comcast customers nation-wide in their class-action case =96 =
the
>>> service was rolled out to 20 million customers this year."
>>>=20
>>>=20
>>=20
