Using wireless network and monitoring?

[vangel34]

For work I have the privilege of telecommuting. So I have a separate comcast account just for work purposes that my company reimburses me for. I want to hook a router up to the comcast modem so I can cancel my personal internet, but I don't want the company I work for to be able to detect it. I know due to privacy laws comcast cannot give my company details about my accounts.

So if I used a wireless router with the comcast modem, is there a way they can detect after hours internet usage with the company provided computer it's hooked up to? I can't imagine a way they could, but I'm not the expert, that's why I'm asking here

I don't know if it matters, but I connect to my companies network through a VPN, so I imagine they can only track what I'm doing on that computer while logged into the VPN. Is that right?

 

[KSoD]

Since your company is paying for it they can and will receive any information about the account that they ask for. They have the right to know what they are paying for. So if you do decide to use their internet, without their knowledge or consent, if they contact Comcast they can be informed of what it is being used for.

There are also ways for them to find out if there is usage during non-working hours, if they so choose to check into it. Not to mention any notifications about activity such as a communication from any company to Comcast about items being downloaded illegally, will be forwarded to the company.

Since the company is paying they have every right to know what they are paying for. It is only your personal internet accounts that they can't get information about. But if they are paying, Comcast is obligated to inform them of everything if they are requested to. So I would tread lightly. It is considered stealing when using work purchased internet for private purposes. Almost all companies have policies on it now. Which could leadto displine action up to and including termination from the job. I would think twice before trying to use their paid for internet as your own without consent.

 

[Lexluethar]

Mak is spot on, you are thinking of this as if it was your personal account - it's your companies so they have a right to that information. The only difference would be if this account was strictly under your name and they just wrote you a check for the different. In that case it's your account but they could still probably get that information in court after showing they paid for the account. Or ****, they could just fire you.

Do the right, ethical thing here, don't screw your company or your local provider. Just ask your company about it and see if you can use it after hours to check emails and what not. Unless they are paying for bandwidth or X amount of dollars for X amount of data it shouldn't matter unless they are difficult. My company allows us to have blackberry's, I'm allowed (yes allowed) to make personal calls as long as I don't go over a ridiculous amount on the bill. Same with my fathers internet, his company pays for it, he still surfs the internet after hours but is allowed to within reason. Now if you get permission or the okay you've got to watch what you do, don't go around to some xxx sites without realizing possible repercussions from it.

 

[vangel34]

In my original post I stated that the comcast account is in my name, not the company's. They reimburse me for the bill, they do not pay comcast directly. It's not a question of if comcast can give them the information, they can only release that to a non-account holder if they are court ordered to do so. I am very aware of the legalities of their privacy policy and that is not in question here neither is the opinion of if it's moral or not. I'm not trying to be rude, but if I wanted a lecture on if what I was trying to do is moral or if I could get fired over it then I would go to a social networking website and raise my red flag and let people bash away. I came here for information.

The question was is there a way through their own network that they could detect I'm using the comcast modem on a personal level? I'm not using their computer, just connecting via wireless router to the comcast modem. I am not billed based on usage and it would not increase the monthly bill that my company is already reimbursing me for.

 

[InfiniteLoop]

if their computer is on and on the same subnet as your computer it is possible for them to monitor the network traffic. If their computer is off, it isn't.

 

[vangel34]

Thanks InfiniteLoop! Very helpful!