EFF To Unveil Open Wireless Router For Open Wireless Movement 184
hypnosec writes A new movement dubbed the Open Wireless Movement is asking users to open up their private Wi-Fi networks to total strangers – a random act of kindness – with an aim of better securing networks and facilitating better use of finite broadband resources. The movement is supported by non-profit and pro-internet rights organizations like the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), Mozilla, Open Rights Group, and Free Press among others. The EFF is planning to unveil one such innovation – Open Wireless Router – at the Hackers on Planet Earth (HOPE X) conference to be held next month on New York. This firmware will allow individuals to share their private Wi-Fi to total strangers to anyone without a password.
Re:Something like this already exists... (Score:5, Informative)
No, this is different. FON gives all guest users their own network address and keeps their account on file for the connection, so whatever they do isn't tied to your account. The OpenWireless router does no such thing. While it separates the guests from each other and your local network, their internet access uses your public IP address and if they do anything illegal or offensive, your account comes up for that. This is intentional, sort of, because these "freedom activists" want to create a critical mass of open wireless networks where the IP can not be used to identify the actual perpetrator. One can only hope that they make this very clear to anyone interested in their router. It's one thing to stand up and say "I am Spartacus", it's quite another to point at someone else and say "he is Spartacus".
Re:Doesn't this violate TOS? (Score:2, Informative)
Exactly this. Some ISPs are sharing wireless from your modem for other ISP customers. But if you share your wireless you are in violation of ToS. You could already find a bomb threat sent from your network... because of the ISP.
Re:Doesn't this violate TOS? (Score:5, Informative)
So, that I know of, no ISP has a program where they police what you do.
Really? [zdnet.com] That's just not so. [yahoo.com] What is more, the abusive contracts/TOS [facepunch.com]/AUP [comcast.com] do restrict what you allowed to do. Whether or not that's actively policed is a different question.
These types of restrictions are one of the biggest threats to the real promise of the Internet IMHO -- the truly free sharing of ideas and information.