Taking over a neighbor's network

[MattGSX]

So my brother and I are finally caving in and getting our own high-speed service, since dial-up sucks and my neighbors keep on moving their router around to try to keep us from logging on it to use the Internet (as opposed to just password protecting it).

In a previous post I've mentioned pass-protecting it for them right before we moved, and sending them the password through netsend, error-message style. "To protect against intrustions, your new network password is ****"

Well, I've had a better idea. Since I'm not going to be using their network ever again after Monday (unless I need the anonymity) I'm thinking of running my home network off of their wireless signal for the weekend. I have 3 computers and several friends with laptops.

One of my desktops would have a wifi adapter hooked up to it and would simply act as an Ad-Hoc access point (which is very easy to do since they don't have their router configured or pass-protected [see above]). This would give me a solid signal. From there, we could all log on "my" network (the Ad-Hoc one I just set up).

There are three problems: One, I plan to keep using the wi-fi adapters I already own, as do all of my friends, and the router keeps good sys logs, including all the MAC addresses used to log into the Internet. If this is at all illegal (since I'm re-broadcasting their signal and not just leeching it), those logs are evidence against all of us and something that can be used to catch us (I use the same wireless card at school and at my g/f's).
Secondly, they have a somewhat low bandwidth limit, and I know that we'd top it pretty quickly. This may cause the ISP to look into things (see one).
Third, I live in a small neighborhood, and if any of this got back to my neighbor, she'd prolly be able to figure out what all those cars and kids with computers were doing all weekend coming in and out of my house. Shit, she could even call the cops.

I'm not asking for moral guidance, but if anyone has any insight, tips, related stories to share, that would rock pretty hard. kthnx

[Raptor]

Why not just give them a Fonera Router as a "present"
 
http://en.fon.com/

[MattGSX]

Fuck them. I'm gonna buy me one of those.

I just realized how much my idea is inspired by the "taking beige boxing to the ULTIMATE limit" article in the old PLA. Since I'm too much of a pussy to go out an beige box, I leech wi-fi instead. In a way, it's the future of beiging.

[gangals]

I'm thinking of running my home network off of their wireless signal for the weekend.

That doesn't make any sense, but oh well...

good to see that FON actually has their own hardware now instead of bricking your own.

[MattGSX]

What do you mean it doesn't make sense? I would set up one of my computers as a wireless access point (Ad-Hoc) and then connect my other computers to that one, setting up my own private WAN from their signal.  There aren't any real reasons for doing this, but I figured I might as well try it once.

[gangals]

you're saying have your computer connect to your neighbor's connection, then with a second adapter set up an ad-hoc network with one of your friends?

Last time I checked you can only do one to one with an ad-hoc connection(ie. you and one friend, not mulitple with the same adapter) But with M$'s virtual WiFi driver, you could do all this with one adapter. There is also software that turns your regular wireless adapter into a broadcasting AP, then uses connection sharing to assign IPs and what not.

And I'm assuming you're referring to a personal WLAN, not WAN.

[silentneep]

Secondly, they have a somewhat low bandwidth limit, and I know that we'd top it pretty quickly. This may cause the ISP to look into things (see one).

Seems to me based on your previous posts about your neighbors that this, if anything, is going to be the one that fucks you.

[mr_doc]

One, I plan to keep using the wi-fi adapters I already own, as do all of my friends, and the router keeps good sys logs, including all the MAC addresses used to log into the Internet.

In network connections, right-click your wireless adapter and choose 'properties'. Click 'configure'. Choose the 'advanced' tab and change the 'locally administered MAC address' for the weekend.

[MattGSX]

Secondly, they have a somewhat low bandwidth limit, and I know that we'd top it pretty quickly. This may cause the ISP to look into things (see one).

Seems to me based on your previous posts about your neighbors that this, if anything, is going to be the one that fucks you.

Oh, it is. But it's like beiging. I know it's not a good idea but i'm doing it anyways


And I did mean WLAN. Thank you for correcting me.

I guess it wouldn't be ad-hoc. I'm using wrong words here. I'm sorry that I'm sort of a technophile in this respect.

Also, I did sort of have a change of heart about this neighbor. After I finally get my own highspeed connection (monday), I'm still planning on talking to them about encrypting their network (it would be less creepy if I didn't just do it for them). They, however, have been dumping shit like rotting black walnuts in our yard and taking shit the city won't pick up and putting it on our curb. So, in a way, I think I'm entitled to this.

Since my last post, I found a way to reset system records and logs without resetting the router. So, as long as the ISP doesn't keep their own records, I can get away with this, as long as they don't check the records before I wipe them.

[MattGSX]

New network. Yay for cable Internet.

I'm not sure if I'm even going to bother with trying to take over my neighbor's network. My brother didn't inform me we were switching to cable (I was thinking DSL), which means no bandwidth limit.

Also, my neighbors have some weird network restrictions going on. Even with our firewalls off, setting up network shares isn't working (other than the one "shared" folder) and I'm sure my neighbors are too smart to run a flash drive with a "home wireless network" setup on it that appears on their doorstep.

Fun thoughts while they lasted. Thanks for the input.