[176802] in North American Network Operators' Group
Re: Comcast thinks it ok to install public wifi in your house
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Josh Luthman)
Thu Dec 11 17:08:14 2014
X-Original-To: nanog@nanog.org
In-Reply-To: <1610C6AD-85AB-4B7F-838D-B9B19FD400BE@delong.com>
From: Josh Luthman <josh@imaginenetworksllc.com>
Date: Thu, 11 Dec 2014 16:57:54 -0500
To: Owen DeLong <owen@delong.com>
Cc: NANOG list <nanog@nanog.org>
Errors-To: nanog-bounces@nanog.org
I would have to expect they're doing a virtual SSID which means 0
additional wattage. Worst case scenario it adds another radio of less than
5 watts of which is absolutely negligible if you're able to afford cable
Internet service.
Josh Luthman
Office: 937-552-2340
Direct: 937-552-2343
1100 Wayne St
Suite 1337
Troy, OH 45373
On Thu, Dec 11, 2014 at 4:54 PM, Owen DeLong <owen@delong.com> wrote:
> While I generally support the lawsuit, I have to question "a vast burden
> on their electric bill".
>
> Does an 802.11 transmitter that was already being used to support their
> own WiFi network that they are paying for really consume vastly more
> electricity to support a second SSID? In my experience, that claim is har=
d
> to fathom.
>
> Owen
>
> > On Dec 10, 2014, at 18:35 , Jeroen van Aart <jeroen@mompl.net> wrote:
> >
> > Why am I not surprised?
> >
> > 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 rand=
om
> fun one could have on your behalf. :-/
> >
> > (apologies if this was posted already, couldn't find an email about it
> on the list)
> >
> >
> http://www.theregister.co.uk/2014/12/10/disgruntled_customers_lob_sueball=
_at_comcast_over_public_wifi/
> >
> > "A mother and daughter are suing Comcast claiming the cable giant's
> router in their home was offering public Wi-Fi without their permission.
> >
> > Comcast-supplied routers broadcast an encrypted, private wireless
> network for people at home, plus a non-encrypted network called XfinityWi=
Fi
> 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.
> >
> > However, Toyer Grear, 39, and daughter Joycelyn Harris =E2=80=93 who li=
ve
> together in Alameda County, California =E2=80=93 say they never gave Comc=
ast
> permission to run a public network from their home cable connection.
> >
> > 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.
> >
> > Grear =E2=80=93 a paralegal =E2=80=93 and her daughter claim the Xfinit=
y 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.
> >
> > "Comcast does not, however, obtain the customer's authorization prior t=
o
> engaging in this use of the customer's equipment and internet service for
> public, non-household use," the suit claims.
> >
> > "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."
> >
> > The plaintiffs are seeking monetary damages for themselves and on behal=
f
> of all Comcast customers nation-wide in their class-action case =E2=80=93=
the
> service was rolled out to 20 million customers this year."
> >
> > --
> > Earthquake Magnitude: 4.8
> > Date: 2014-12-10 22:10:36.800 UTC
> > Date Local: 2014-12-10 13:10:36 PST
> > Location: 120km W of Panguna, Papua New Guinea
> > Latitude: -6.265; Longitude: 154.4004
> > Depth: 35 km | e-quake.org
>
>