FON....sharing broadband

[Nigel]

I have been looking at this service....see www.fon.com...does anyone have any experience and/or views

[AnOther]

I knew about Fon but hadn't realised it had spread as far and wide as it appears to have. It's a really good idea and I'll be looking further into it.

[tonyv]

Well, to each his own...

It may well be a good idea, but open to serious abuse, despite what safeguards outfits like FON would pretend to have put in place.

There's nothing to stop the people you share your wi-fi with from accessing, say, kiddie-porn, and leaving you to explain to the authorities. Similarly someone may download movies, sucking up all your bandwidth.

People are generall reasonably careful with their own internet connection, but throwing it wide open is asking for trouble.

Having said all that, I was really grateful for McDonald's free wi-fi, while waiting two weeks for FT to get my ADSL plugged in. I don't know how they protect themselves.

[AnOther]

Not so. You are not throwing your internet connection wide open nor can other Fon users 'suck up' your bandwidth..

The Fon WiFi adapter segregates a portion of your bandwidth for other users who have to use a traceable login to access it.

[Nigel]

So Ernie...do you hink it is safe to have and use

[AnOther]

Potentially no WiFi connection is safe to use but would I personally be happy to use Fon, a cautious yes.

There is an interesting article about Fon security HERE (albeit written nearly 2 years ago and the author himself admits at the end that many of the security shortcomings have been addressed)

Fon also has it's own FORUM where such matters are discussed plus a dedicated security WIKI yet nowhere do I see a sea of complaints.

The above said though, the bare fact is that anyone, Fonera or otherwise, who wanted to use my

WiFi would not only have to drive up a 1/2km dead end lane into a

clearing in the middle of a wood (and hence be in clear view) but then trespass virtually up to the

house to come within range so I would gauge my my personal level of  'risk' as infinitesimal [:D]

[Will]

I agree with Ernie. I have used Fon, through BT Internet, for some time, with no problems. Can be very handy when you are away from home, though there seems rather limited coverage, to say the least, in rural France. The 'public' connection via your own link is completely separate and is as safe as any other wireless link (none can be 100% secure, as Ernie says). I think there is a far bigger risk of 'kiddie porn' or similar contamination of your hard disc through spam e-mails - something you should definitely take precautions against.