Thorax_the_Impaler
Minecraft Veteran
- Messages
- 352
- Location
- 127.0.0.1
Hello everyone!
I'd just like to discuss the legality and legitimacy of this idea a former boss of mine had which he actually acted on while I was working for him. Basically, he had very fast internet; based moreso on his location than anything else, as far as he told me. His plan as I recall was, to beam the internet connection into a neighboring valley where a select few people could access it for a modest fee. From constructing the antennas to checking the connections, I remember it all slowly coming together until bam, it worked. Lately I've been researching this idea and I've come to a conclusion: most ISP's are not happy if you do this. Hell, they probably would be upset if your neighbor used your WIFI from their house. So like I said, legality and legitimacy here. According to what I read, internet speeds through this type of setup would not be very fast. Streaming would not work under most conditions, unless special equipment was purchased, and even then only with special arrangments/setups. Looking into the fine print of ISP's such as Comcast (directly stated in one article), I've learned that one cannot share their internet connection in such a fashion. One would think they shouldn't tell you how to use the internet you purchase from them; but that aside, money dictates business, and loss of money equals bad in their mind. Personally, I can sort of understand the issue they have with beaming your connection to multiple people for personal profit or even for free; because in both cases, people are getting something they aren't technically paying for. However, I have two examples in which I think this should be allowed:
Ex. 1- Say you own two residences in the same neighborhood, but they are blocks apart. You probably don't want to pay for two ISP's, so you decide to share the connection between the residences. You're the only one really paying in the end, and you own both of the residences where the internet resides, so even if someone else is using it, it's no different than giving your wifi password to your friend that comes over. Either way, you're paying for it, and you're the only one really benefiting from it.
Ex. 2- Say your friend and you live on the same block, but with houses in between the two of you. You want to go dutch on paying for an internet service you can share. In that situation, each person is paying half the cost (hypothetically), and therefore they each receive half of the connection. No one is making profit and no one is gaining without paying.
Makes sense right? So why do ISP's have an issue with this sharing concept in general? My answer is, it's all about money to them; and that's what we call a "duh" answer. As for the legitimacy of this, I don't see how decent speeds could be achieved in most cases due to distance and how most of this needs to be set up; at least from what I can tell. Nonetheless, I personally think this sharing concept, if used within reason, is a great idea and a fun project for people like me who keep a tech bucket list. lol What are your thoughts or opinions on this notion?
I'd just like to discuss the legality and legitimacy of this idea a former boss of mine had which he actually acted on while I was working for him. Basically, he had very fast internet; based moreso on his location than anything else, as far as he told me. His plan as I recall was, to beam the internet connection into a neighboring valley where a select few people could access it for a modest fee. From constructing the antennas to checking the connections, I remember it all slowly coming together until bam, it worked. Lately I've been researching this idea and I've come to a conclusion: most ISP's are not happy if you do this. Hell, they probably would be upset if your neighbor used your WIFI from their house. So like I said, legality and legitimacy here. According to what I read, internet speeds through this type of setup would not be very fast. Streaming would not work under most conditions, unless special equipment was purchased, and even then only with special arrangments/setups. Looking into the fine print of ISP's such as Comcast (directly stated in one article), I've learned that one cannot share their internet connection in such a fashion. One would think they shouldn't tell you how to use the internet you purchase from them; but that aside, money dictates business, and loss of money equals bad in their mind. Personally, I can sort of understand the issue they have with beaming your connection to multiple people for personal profit or even for free; because in both cases, people are getting something they aren't technically paying for. However, I have two examples in which I think this should be allowed:
Ex. 1- Say you own two residences in the same neighborhood, but they are blocks apart. You probably don't want to pay for two ISP's, so you decide to share the connection between the residences. You're the only one really paying in the end, and you own both of the residences where the internet resides, so even if someone else is using it, it's no different than giving your wifi password to your friend that comes over. Either way, you're paying for it, and you're the only one really benefiting from it.
Ex. 2- Say your friend and you live on the same block, but with houses in between the two of you. You want to go dutch on paying for an internet service you can share. In that situation, each person is paying half the cost (hypothetically), and therefore they each receive half of the connection. No one is making profit and no one is gaining without paying.
Makes sense right? So why do ISP's have an issue with this sharing concept in general? My answer is, it's all about money to them; and that's what we call a "duh" answer. As for the legitimacy of this, I don't see how decent speeds could be achieved in most cases due to distance and how most of this needs to be set up; at least from what I can tell. Nonetheless, I personally think this sharing concept, if used within reason, is a great idea and a fun project for people like me who keep a tech bucket list. lol What are your thoughts or opinions on this notion?
