# Shared broadband internet **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 14, 2008, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shared-broadband-internet/437549 "2008-02-14T03:09:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Xema](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/9de053/32.png) [@Xema](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xema)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2008, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shared-broadband-internet/437549/1 "2008-02-14T03:09:18Z")
What is the story on sharing a broadband internet connection with a neighbor (via some sort of wireless bridge - both parties willing)? Is there typically language in a subscriber agreement that addresses this? Do ISPs care? Do they have means of checking whether this is happening? ---
**Author:** ![drachillix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/48db29/32.png) [@drachillix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drachillix)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2008, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shared-broadband-internet/437549/2 "2008-02-14T03:23:52Z")
[QUOTE=Xema] What is the story on sharing a broadband internet connection with a neighbor (via some sort of wireless bridge - both parties willing)? Is there typically language in a subscriber agreement that addresses this? Do ISPs care? Do they have means of checking whether this is happening? [/QUOTE] they do not have any effective way of telling the difference between a home with 5 computers or a string of 5 neighbors sharing a router. It is a faily simple thing, and keys could even be assigned so if a sub-subscriber refuses to pony up his portion he could be cut off without interrupting the others by changing his wireless key. ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2008, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shared-broadband-internet/437549/3 "2008-02-14T03:25:49Z")
I haven’t seen an agreement that allows you to share beyond your immediate residence and roomies. You can usually share a connection with the people in your household, and no others. ---
**Author:** ![Jragon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19b73/32.png) [@Jragon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jragon)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2008, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shared-broadband-internet/437549/4 "2008-02-14T03:34:53Z")
[QUOTE=Xema] What is the story on sharing a broadband internet connection with a neighbor (via some sort of wireless bridge - both parties willing)? Is there typically language in a subscriber agreement that addresses this? Do ISPs care? Do they have means of checking whether this is happening? [/QUOTE] If you’re doing this (it’s not like we’re going to tell on you), what ISP? Is there a link to the EULA/ToS? I think it depends on the provider. I’d be willing to bet the majority state that you cannot though (or rather, explicitly state what you CAN do in order to prohibit anything else by our friend exception that proves the rule). ---
**Author:** ![IAmNotSpartacus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/cc9497/32.png) [@IAmNotSpartacus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IAmNotSpartacus)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2008, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shared-broadband-internet/437549/5 "2008-02-14T03:34:56Z")
[QUOTE=Harmonious Discord] I haven’t seen an agreement that allows you to share beyond your immediate residence and roomies. You can usually share a connection with the people in your household, and no others. [/QUOTE] I’m not seeing how this would be enforceable. ---
**Author:** ![Jragon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19b73/32.png) [@Jragon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jragon)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2008, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shared-broadband-internet/437549/6 "2008-02-14T03:42:40Z")
[QUOTE=IAmNotSpartacus] I’m not seeing how this would be enforceable. [/QUOTE] Most terms of service and/or end use liscence agreements aren’t enforcable. It’s just better to have it in there than not at all. For example, online games (such as World of Warcraft) state you’re not allowed to have multiple users on your account (you and any dependants usually). The only way they catch you is if the following things happen: 1. You brag about it so its in chat logs (proof). 2. Someone has an issue with it or decides to be a bastard for no reason and reports you to the game masters. Even if they see “hints” there’s a strict “unless someone sees it and reports it to us and has a real problem with it, we’re not going to care.” So basically they want money from multiple users, but the don’t want to anger people. Even if it was detectable they probably wouldn’t go on a crusade to shut down all people doing such. They just reserve teh right if reported by someone with an issue. This actually brings up a related question though: Libraries, schools, cyber cafes etc. Do they get special liscences from the providers or is it really NOT prohibited like I suspect? ---
**Author:** ![zeno](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zeno/32/15040_2.png) [@zeno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zeno)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2008, 3:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shared-broadband-internet/437549/7 "2008-02-14T03:53:57Z")
I used to work for AOL tech support and a woman called one time saying her internet wasn’t working. It was my job to figure out whether it was an AOL software problem, a hardware problem, or a connection problem, the latter two or which I cannot advise on so I have to isolate the problem. She says that the salesman who sold her the computer said it had a card that would allow her to get the internet, so I asked her who her internet service provider was. As she understood it, the card _was_ her ISP (this is a typical AOL user). I said no, who do you pay your every month for your service. She insisted that she did not pay, that the salesman told her that the computer had a card built in that would allow her to get the internet…You can see where this is going. After about 10 minutes of this, I determined that she had been leeching off her neighbor in the next apartment and that he had moved away. ---
**Author:** ![chorpler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chorpler/32/2888_2.png) [@chorpler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chorpler)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2008, 9:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shared-broadband-internet/437549/8 "2008-02-14T09:16:08Z")
[QUOTE=Jragon] This actually brings up a related question though: Libraries, schools, cyber cafes etc. Do they get special liscences from the providers or is it really NOT prohibited like I suspect? [/QUOTE] Business users certainly have different terms of service than residential users, and they usually pay more. ---
**Author:** ![LH75](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lh75/32/4438_2.png) [@LH75](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LH75)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2008, 1:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shared-broadband-internet/437549/9 "2008-02-14T13:09:15Z")
From my kitchen table I can see five wireless networks other than mine. Four of my neighbors have secured their wireless, but one is wide open. ---
**Author:** ![control-z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eada6e/32.png) [@control-z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/control-z)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2008, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shared-broadband-internet/437549/10 "2008-02-14T16:25:40Z")
Typically not allowed, but not much of a way for the ISP to know, about the only thing that might get you in trouble is heavy usage (downloading Gigabytes worth of stuff routinely.) Or if your neighbor’s machine isn’t secured and they get a virus that turns their computer into a spam-spewing machine, the ISP will come after you. Or they may download child porn, share MP3s and get the RIAA after you, etc. ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2008, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shared-broadband-internet/437549/11 "2008-02-14T22:34:17Z")
[QUOTE=IAmNotSpartacus] I’m not seeing how this would be enforceable. [/QUOTE] Did I say they would catch you doing this? It is enforceable when they find you are doing this, they kill your service. It’s not allowed in any contract I have read, which is what the question was. ---
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2008, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shared-broadband-internet/437549/12 "2008-02-14T22:49:19Z")
The Comcast TOS says a subscriber cannot … > [@](#): > > resell the Service or otherwise make available to anyone outside the Premises the ability to use the Service (for example, though wi-fi or other methods of networking), in whole or in part, directly or indirectly. The Service is for personal and non-commercial residential use only and you agree not to use the Service for operation as an Internet service provider or for any business enterprise or purpose (whether or not for profit); Source: [Discovery Hub - News & Technology](http://www6.comcast.net/terms/use/) Also … > [@](#): > > Comcast reserves the right immediately to suspend or terminate your Service account and terminate the Subscriber Agreement if you violate the terms of this Policy or the Subscriber Agreement. ---
**Author:** ![drachillix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/48db29/32.png) [@drachillix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drachillix)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2008, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shared-broadband-internet/437549/13 "2008-02-14T23:17:21Z")
[QUOTE=zeno] She says that the salesman who sold her the computer said it had a card that would allow her to get the internet, so I asked her who her internet service provider was. As she understood it, the card _was_ her ISP (this is a typical AOL user). I said no, who do you pay your every month for your service. She insisted that she did not pay, that the salesman told her that the computer had a card built in that would allow her to get the internet…You can see where this is going. After about 10 minutes of this, I determined that she had been leeching off her neighbor in the next apartment and that he had moved away. [/QUOTE] I have had almost a dozen of these calls in the last couple years. Its very difficult not to laugh, and they really really don’t like paying for onsite techs to tell them they had been leeching off the neighbors and need to buy their own service. ---
**Author:** ![IAmNotSpartacus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/cc9497/32.png) [@IAmNotSpartacus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IAmNotSpartacus)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2008, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shared-broadband-internet/437549/14 "2008-02-15T03:29:08Z")
[QUOTE=Harmonious Discord] Did I say they would catch you doing this? It is enforceable when they find you are doing this, they kill your service. It’s not allowed in any contract I have read, which is what the question was. [/QUOTE] My point is there is no way for them to find anyone doing this, at least without getting into the router. And even then, the connection is only a MAC address and DHCP entry, nothing more.