XPost: alt.comp.os.windows-11   
   From: G6JPG@255soft.uk   
      
   On 2025/11/28 19:5:12, Frank Slootweg wrote:   
      
   []   
      
   >   Yes, there used to be some open networks, but not so much these days.   
   >   
   >   I just checked the networks I can see. There are 23 networks (we live   
   > in an appartment building). All but 2 are closed. One 'open' one is a   
   > nearby hotel, but that gives 'Can't connect to the network'. The other   
   > open one says 'Hidden network', so no visible SSID. I don't want to try   
   > to connect to that network.   
   >   
   >   So yes, there possibly is an open network, but the large majority are   
   > closed.   
      
   There's a third wrinkle, in UK and other countries: networks that appear   
   to be open, but only show you one page, which is a login one. (At least   
   I think that's what they show - I haven't tried one for years.) These   
   are where the router belongs to a customer of one of those providers who   
   claim millions of hotspots, by making all their routers have an open   
   connection, but further authentication is required further down the line   
   for anyone who does connect to them. (I presume they limit such   
   connections to some fraction of the available speed/capacity, so the   
   "owner" isn't inconvenienced if someone uses them.) The first such   
   network I heard of was FON, which I think originated in Spain.   
      
   >   
   >   Anyway, I've told Micky how he can prevent an auto-connect or do a   
   > Forget.   
   >   
   >>>   A quite different issue is if the neighbour's ISP would condone such a   
   >>> setup/use.   
   >>   
   >> They don't care.   
   >   
   >   Well, there was a time when some/mine did. I don't know if that's   
   > still the case.   
   I think, in theory, they do care, and it's your responsibility to   
   prevent unauthorised connections. In practice, I think the only time   
   they'd make any fuss is if the piggyback user was downloading (or   
   uploading - that's probably worse) naughty things (such as the two usual   
   bogeymen).   
      
   --   
   J. P. Gilliver. UMRA: 1960/<1985 MB++G()ALIS-Ch++(p)Ar++T+H+Sh0!:`)DNAf   
      
   Know what happens when you don't pay your exorcist?   
   You get repossessed!   
   - Randle Brashear, 2015-8-9   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)