My partner is currently interstate with our iBook (has airport) and he has picked up a wireless internet connection from his company. His fear is that if he surfs the net on their connection, will they be able to trace it back to him or his machine?

Can anyone tell me how it works? I mean, I know that anyone can pick up on our connection (cause we didn't set the security stuff / whatnot etc) but would we even be able to detect if anyone was using our connection wirelessly (besides us) and could we trace it?

(Told you I was computer illiterate - a slight case of technophobia if you will )

Technically, it is possible to capture data packets, but it would not be worth it unless someone was deliberately trying to target you.

As for whether a company can track/trace your Internet usage, it would only be possible is you had to connect to the Internet through a proxy server run by the company. If it's a direct connection to an ISP, then it's pretty much just you and the ISP who knows.

There are a few possible exceptions to this:
- if the company requires you to install software to track your usage (unlikely).
- if you visit a secure page (https://), the data is encrypted - even the ISP doesn't know exactly what data you're sending.

You can easily tell that someone is connected to the network, but the only identification that is overtly transferred is the MAC address. This is, in theory, a unique identifier for each network interface - however there's no way to identify the owner of a computer from the MAC address (it looks something like 00:11:24:bb:f7:54). So without digging into it all they can tell is that a computer with a MAc address of 00:11:24:bb:f7:54 is connected to the network.

If they care enough there are other methods which may lead to identification of the user:
a) They can monitor the traffic coming from this address, and say there's an email sent ending "from John Smith", well there's a good chance it's John Smith. This may or may not be legal.
b) The computer may be advertising it's presence through services like File Sharing. i.e. if the computer's name is John Smith's MacBook and File Sharing is turned on, the other users on the network will be able to see John Smith's MacBook on the network.

It really just a question of how much effort you're willing to go to.

With my router, and presumably all others, you can see what machines are connected at any given time. It may even have the ability to log this info - not sure. For security, I have it configured to only allow connections from specific machines.

I don't actually know that much about computers myself - hell - I don't even know how to change the oil - however - barring all technicalities aside for a moment to delve within the realm of paranoia, even if they could trace it back to his iBook, do you think they could really be bothered?

I mean - what is this husband of your's doing on the internet? Sealing a major columbian crack deal? Selling kidneys? Updating the International Neo Nazi movement?

I think what he means is physical location.

Corporate networks usually require VPN or SSL certs to authenticate, and usually have a proxy too so if they don't already then the likelyhood of them tracking him is not high, but it's possible

The simplest way is to triangulate him based on 3 or more AP's and his distance from each which can be guessed from signal strength.

This is unlikely as if he can already connect, they aren't even secure enough to prevent him connecting, let alone have the system to triangulate - or it could be a honeypot

I agree with Linux_inside2, if he can connect to it he almost definitely doesn't need to worry about them finding him. Anyone who had the knowledge to track him would simply prevent him joining the network in the first place. That's a lot less work. I'd have thought it's very unlikely that the company is running a honeypot to trap unsuspecting users either.

Reality is that most people run very poorly secured networks, don't realise it and haven't even considered that anyone could/would connect to it.

If it's his work and he's found an open network it's likely to be someone who's plugged in their own wireless dongle - people do it all the time :P

Someone did it here, it's instant dismissal - yeahhh they were sacked.

Similar to my work, very bad. Frowned upon in a major way

Me neither!!!!



Is there lots of money in that??

Well, as he's a truckie, the company is obviously a transport co ... so the general concensus is that if he can connect, they either aren't aware of their {poor?} security, or else they just don't give a toss?

His major concern was that would know it was him (he's a very honest kind of guy) so he shut down the iBook as soon as he realised that a connection was there, even to the extent of his own boredom (he was watching a dvd at the time!)

If he's still concerned he just just turn off the wireless and continue watching his DVD. Personally I see no problem with him using it, especially he's if just browsing the net. Or he could always ask. Of course I've got no moral objections to using a neighbours unsecured (or weakly secured) connection if my internet goes down. I try and stay away from the kiddie-porn sites and don't download gigabytes though.

Shhhh... I'll PM you later.

Most logical answer is: They wouldn't give a toss.

(It's Australia for Dog's sake =P)

Benmcgruer: I also try to stay clear of all those terrorist sites, yet needless to say, to get the very best kiddie-porn and terrorist internet going, use an Apple computer and Safari. Ha ha ha!

[There's no such thing as bad publicity.]

If the networks open you're free to use it :P