Well, that's gratitude for ya...

Well 'borrowing' other people's internet and then complaining when it is turned off is just plain rude- obviously.I would stop leaving it on just to spite them. I mean, they are not paying for their internet simply because they can get it for free from across the road! I don't understand how anyone these days can not password protect their internet. Like you said, it could be used to download anything and could even get you in trouble.

I know that there are people who think that they deserve whatever freebies they get and are selfish (not quite the right word but close) enough to have a fit when that freebie is taken from them. I've known one like that, my ex. His ex-boss once told me, "He acts as if the world owes him something." That was (and, sadly, still is) so true! Sadder still is the fact that my youngest son is so much like him it's spooky! I had to turn my back on my son to get him to open his eyes to the truth awhile back and he did but he's slowly turning back into that person who thinks that everyone owes him something and he needs to do nothing in return. My son has b*tched about the same thing, wireless routers. He's living with my older son and he has a wireless router. My younger son complains WAAAAAY too much about the service and he's not paying a penny for it! It seems to me that, if you don't like something you're getting free of charge, you should get up off your lazy butt and get it for yourself. That's what I would do, anyway. I guess it's just in the nature of some people to complain, no matter who is paying and who isn't. It's outright rude, if you ask me. I still haven't thought of that right word; maybe 'greedy'? 'cheap'? 'ungrateful'? Yeah, I think ungrateful fits it best. All the ungrateful people in the world need a wake-up call!

That is as bad as attacking someone, they defend themselves, and then suing them for damages.

My case is slightly different from yours. When I first used a wireless router I did not have any protection. I was naive to think that neighbours wanting to piggyback would ask for permission. I changed tact after three persons from an opposition party, supposedly championing Islamic principles, joined the network and used a downloader to stream a live recording of the national general election. At first I did not realise it because I was nt using the Internet, but my spouse sufferred a serious lag. I immediately switched on the firewall. In my previous neighbourhood there were 27 detected and recorded piggybackers. I made a note after the above incident. Out of the 27 several were heavy users. Since they did not want to ntroduce themselves to me, I decided to use the firewall to curb their activities. A half an hour free slot was allocated for anyone wanting to surf the Internet. At other times they could be lucky during the times I switched off the firewall. Seeing that several of them were online for more than two hours per day I decided to approach them and ask for some contribution towards the Internet bill. They responded by having their own network, and had their network password protected. My next door neighbour even denied ever surfing the Internet by piggy backing on my network. Most of them seem to think that since I am an old man I knew nothing about protecting a wireless network. Little did they realise I was playing with them, and tracking some of their online activities. In my current neighbourhood there have been 35 piggybackers detectd in the first four months. The number has decreassed, probably because I told one of them that a person can track an Internet user hopping on his/her Internet line. Two users seem to be persistent.

I have a wireless router and my laptop is always locked because I don’t like the idea of anyone else either using my Internet or downloading sinister things! How rude can one be to be mooching Internet for free and having the audacity to complain when it’s shut off! Have they any idea that it is paid for by someone who actually works for their money just like everyone else!

I agree with you elicbxn. I don't even understand why someone people have the guts to complain knowing they are getting that for free. Anyway don't be affected with this people you will get nothing from them, they will only piss you off if you do. Let them complain and complain as long as they wish. But you, enjoy your net.

Hi Elic mine has always been password Protected and always will be There are to many People that will do things illegal and get someone in trouble, also I pay the Bill so I would not have half the street using it lol But here in the UK nearly everyone has their own Internet and all wireless Routers are Password protected so that others can not hook up on them

Well,I've never had that situation. There is my mother-in-law's water. She and FIL were convinced that the neighbor tapped into their outside (recycled water) so she didn't turn it on this year and is watering her trees by hand. Coincidentally, the neighbor's pond is dry. Hm.... He hasn't had the nerve to complain though.

My system is locked.I don't want people piggybacking on it. The only other person with a wireless system around me is my next door neighbor. His is locked too.

ElicBxn- Wow! I cannot belive you went unprotected for that long! I have wireless and would never dream of going without protection. Not just because of the cost, but as Scarlet pointed out goddess forbid they download anything inappropriate! I have to say though I'm not surprised in our current society having people who want everything for free. I was just reading a friend's thread yesterday about those who want everything for nothing, going beyond frugal to downright leeching! I've experienced in the last few months doing tarot readings. I don't mind doing one or two for friends, but it got to the point where I did twenty in one month and not one of them paid for their readings. At a fair one would pay much more then I ask, and yet it is expected that I give my services for free. Even the last wedding my husband and I officiated ended in very poor words when they told us afterward they could not pay us our fees. I can understand the economy is tight right now, but as you said if these people are getting something for free agreed or not they have no room to complain. If they want it that bad, they can go buy a coffee at Starbucks and use their wireless. Namaste-Anora

That does take a lot of guts. They are lucky the people across the street let them use it at all. If they aren't happy with the situation, they should pay for their own. I am sure that they would rather have it shut off sometimes and get it for free. I don't think I would have a service that wasn't password protected because of the legal thing. You don't know who is going to use it and for what.

Really people actually have the gall to complain! Wow! When I first moved in with my boyfriend he had dial-up. Like oh my God, what the heck. He told me which I came to find later is that the fiber wiring in our building did not permit DSL service. OK so I understood. Me having a wireless laptop, well I found my niche..LOL... I started to use someone's internet, oh I don't know who is it was it came up on my network. So I did great oh for about 5 days and then on the sixth day or so I tried to use the net and could not log in. Well whomever it was put a password. So that very same day I got on my cell and started calling all possible internet services possible and was lucky to be able to have Com-cast installed. It is much more expensive, like 4 times as much as DSL, but I did not complain about being able to have the luxury and privileged to have use someone's net I did something about it. I pay for my own and yup you betcha I have a password on mine, Simply because I pay so much for it I do not need any form of lag time. I seriously cannot understand and it behooves me that anyone would complain. Pay for it!

I know...people need to be greatful for they got something for which they didnt pay. Its a nice thing that you got the wifi locked. Anyone could missuse it and you would be liable for it.

My friend is like that. She "borrows" Internet signals from her neighbor above and every time he shuts it down she complains and every time she gets a disconnection she gets all angry about him and sometimes starts to curse him, she should be thankful that she is able to "borrow" Internet signals in the first place and I always tell her that. My dad installed wireless not a while ago and since my dad is aware of the phenomenon in which people/neighbors tend to "borrow" Internet he put a password on it.

Yeah, that's some nerve! They have no right to complain if it's not something they have and are "borrowing" it from others. If they are so unhappy when someone shuts off theirs and their connection is lost or not as good, maybe they ought to consider investing in their own! Many people are so selfish and ungrateful and don't realize when they have good things in life. We should all learn to appreciate how lucky we are for the things we do have, as many people don't have nearly as much. I don't have a lot, but I am grateful for the things I do have!

They are very bold..lol...I think it's very rude to complain while "borrowing" their signal. Mine is password protected simply because of the fact that someone could tap in and do something to get me in trouble.