How can I get Wireless internet when i need it

August 11, 2008 1:13 PM

Help I need a late night internet connection! Okay so in my house I have 2 floors with the DSL box on the 1st floor. It runs a wire up to the 2nd floor into a wireless router so the 2nd floor laptops can access the internet. However my strict father, has the downstairs box set to cut off at 10PM. I need internet access later than that. Also my father can pull the plug downstairs whenever I am upstairs so I can't get internet. I cannot just go downstairs to tweak the box when I want to so Im looking for alternatives.

I have one wireless hotspot that I can recieve in my room, that is WEP encrypted. Can someone assist me in finding the code? By the way, I know the owner of the hotspot who wouldn't mind me using the connection for small bandwith tasks such as email and IM. However he has a business so I don't think I could ask him for the code.

Also on the other end of my house there is an low signal unprotected hotspot that luckilly my brother can use. Is there any way I could make that reach my room?

Thanks so much

posted by ptsampras14 to Computers & Internet (45 answers total)

Let me be the first to say that I'll be real disappointed if the MeFi community helps you either defy your parents or steal bandwidth without permission.

Let me suggest that you talk to your father, explain what the need is.
posted by HuronBob at 1:21 PM on August 11, 2008 [7 favorites]

For about $50 a month, you can buy your own high speed internet connection.
posted by idiotfactory at 1:23 PM on August 11, 2008 [1 favorite]

Ask the guy for the WEP password. I'm pretty confident he'd mind you breaking into his network more than he would mind you asking for the password.
posted by box at 1:24 PM on August 11, 2008 [4 favorites]

I think cracking (or aiding you in cracking) the WEP encryption might be a felony. I would steer clear of that! Talk to your father.
posted by Blacksun at 1:25 PM on August 11, 2008

Alternately, if you add an external antenna of some kind, you might be able to reach the unprotected hotspot.
posted by box at 1:26 PM on August 11, 2008

Can someone assist me in finding the code?

This is called theft of services, and may be a felony in your jurisdiction.

However he has a business so I don't think I could ask him for the code.

I suggest you offer him money.
posted by damn dirty ape at 1:28 PM on August 11, 2008

Ask mom?
posted by fixedgear at 1:28 PM on August 11, 2008 [3 favorites]

Tether a cellphone with a 3G internet connection to your computer/laptop. Be prepared to pay $30-50/month.
posted by blue_beetle at 1:33 PM on August 11, 2008 [1 favorite]

Response by poster: Sorry few points
- Yes this is for school work
- No my father would not budge from his thinking
- I didn't know that the WEP code was a felony, so scratch that..
Any other ideas?
posted by ptsampras14 at 1:44 PM on August 11, 2008

In my day we had to get our research done by the time the library closed at 6 PM. Really, if 10 PM is the cut off from Dad, and he won't budge, then get your school work done by 10 PM.
posted by COD at 1:49 PM on August 11, 2008 [1 favorite]

You should be in bed by 10pm anyway. Look at this as some kind of scheduling agent in your life -- get whatever that needs to be done by 10pm. Get your 8 hours of sleep. This is important.

And if it's for school work I'm sure your father will be fine with extending the deadline on some days.
posted by the_ancient_mariner at 1:50 PM on August 11, 2008

Since when did schoolwork require internet access?

Boy, have times changed.

Thirding idiotfactory. Pay for it yourself.
posted by Ky at 1:51 PM on August 11, 2008

Sit in your brother's room to access the non-encrypted connection. If he won't let you, threaten to tell on him for using the internet after 10pm. If you can't be in the same room as him, take turns. Make a schedule.
posted by millipede at 1:54 PM on August 11, 2008

Is MeFi still $5? Google is free, and there are much shadier folks out there who would be more inclined to help you steal from your neighbor.

Maybe your dad is cutting you off for a reason, champ.
posted by symphonik at 1:55 PM on August 11, 2008 [1 favorite]

Response by poster: Ok, i am getting a lot of ethical solutions. Does anyone have a tech related solution?

By the way, I could pay for it myself but how am I supposed to get that past my parents when the telephone company is already sending one interent line in? Id rather not do that.
posted by ptsampras14 at 1:57 PM on August 11, 2008

Mod note: a few comments removed -- "go to bed" and jokey nonsense answers aren't helping.
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 1:58 PM on August 11, 2008

You could rig up a booster antenna that allows you to use the unprotected hotspot, perhaps using a Pringles tube or wok. Even if it doesn't work, it'd be a fun project. Whether nicking bandwidth is an okay thing to do or not is left as an excercise for the reader.

Or you could get one of those USB mobile broadband dongle things, if you have the money (mine is £10 a month for good 3G speeds, with data transfer limits which are fine for email/web browsing).

God, I wish the web had been around when I was at school. Homework must be a piece of piss these days.
posted by jack_mo at 2:00 PM on August 11, 2008

This is not the place for seeking wireless hacking 101 advice. Too many IT admins who find it unamusing.
However assuming it's not a felony in your jurisdiction to crack WEP, check out Kismet or KisMAC.
posted by roofus at 2:02 PM on August 11, 2008

Response by poster: Thanks. I was looking in to a USB dongle that can plug in to a computer and take whatever wired connection that computers using and broadcast it wirelessly can some one find one for me?
posted by ptsampras14 at 2:03 PM on August 11, 2008

Any Bluetooth or WiFi dongle will do that. But what computer using a wired connection? If your Dad switches off the DSL, computers connected to it won't be online anyway. And he'll probably notice the dongle.
posted by jack_mo at 2:12 PM on August 11, 2008

This is not an answer, but as the elder brother of a very-strong HS student: It is absolutely legitimately possible that someone might not have all their work done by 10pm. I was a slackery type; my sister would get home at 4-ish and, other than dinner, be up in her room doing work nonstop until, frequently, 11 or 12 at night. And she is not stupid - she just had a bunch of honors classes that absolutely loaded her down. She, I, and most of the people we've talked to about this agree: it's far from uncommon for HS workloads to vastly exceed college ones, usually due to the fact that you simply have more classes, honors/AP classes assign just as much work (or more) than a college course would, and there's a lot of time-consuming busywork.

Which comes down to: Saying "Get done before 10" is not necessarily a useful response. Sure, ptsampras14 might be like I was at that age, a slacker who'd play video games till 6 and only get started on schoolwork around 8pm. But at the end of the day, when you say "But you need 8 hours of sleep! Just get to bed at 10 so you can wake up at 6," ten thousand honors students stare at you and laugh hysterically. Because that really may not be an option.

/rant
posted by Tomorrowful at 2:17 PM on August 11, 2008 [4 favorites]

Windows XP & later can share the internet connection on one interface with computers connected to another interface. So, for example, your brother could share the internet access he has by adding another WiFi interface. A USB WiFi adapter would probably be the simplest way of doing that. You shouldn't have much trouble finding one of those. The windows help file should have info about how to set up internet connection sharing.
posted by Good Brain at 2:18 PM on August 11, 2008

Use your cellphone.

I do think it's weird that the dad doesn't support your doing your homework, though. Have you tried asking him not to leave it open, but what you can do to get access (honor roll, wash dishes, etc.)? Unless he's a total psycho, approaching him reasonably and solution-orientatedly (!) might get you what you need. And it does sound like a "need." It's also weird that you don't say why he won't let you do your homework after 10. Surely he's given you a reason besides "because I said so."
posted by rhizome at 2:25 PM on August 11, 2008

If it's for schoolwork get a note from your teacher to show to your Dad.
posted by zaphod at 2:30 PM on August 11, 2008

Your dad pays for it and gets to say who/how/when it's used. Try to make a deal like, if I bring home better grades than last semester, can I have access until 11?
posted by theora55 at 2:53 PM on August 11, 2008

Maybe dad will allow access after 10 pm if you bring your laptop downstairs and do your schoolwork in the same room as him. He may not believe you need the access after 10 pm so if you really do, then do the work in shared space rather than in your room.
posted by headnsouth at 2:55 PM on August 11, 2008

If you purchase a wireless repeater (Linksys, for example, makes one), you can possibly plug it in in your brothers room to increase the signal enough so that you, too, can use the unencrypted network, but they don't always work so well depending on the materials the house is made out of. If I were in your shoes, I'd just get a cellular data plan and a card to connect the laptop to it.
posted by cmonkey at 3:10 PM on August 11, 2008

You can create a really cheap parabolic directional reflector to amplify the wifi signal. Basically you point it towards the wifi hot spot that comes in weakly to your brother's room. If you don't have an external antenna on your laptop's wifi it may be hard to make it work though.
posted by BrotherCaine at 3:22 PM on August 11, 2008

Response by poster: OK guys. The problem here isn't with my dad. It's with the internet connection, that is being controlled by my dad. He is fine,he just thinks that my homework should be done earlier,which is a pretty good incentive to finish it (finish it by 10 or you get an F! ;)..

I like the Linksys wireless repeater, but 100 bucks to repeat an already 1 bar connection?.. I might just look into the cellphone adapter, but that would require I sign up for the data plan and how can I do that without parents permission?

So far I haven't made a whole lot of progress on the matter, but more suggestions welcome!!
posted by ptsampras14 at 3:59 PM on August 11, 2008

small bandwith tasks such as email and IM

um, email and IM are homework related?

anyways, you could purchase a reception booster online for a nominal fee.
posted by peewinkle at 4:05 PM on August 11, 2008

As one of the aforementioned IT admins, I'm not about to tell you how to steal bandwidth either from your father or your neighbor, but not all your homework can require internet access, can it?

Budget your time accordingly, make sure whatever research you need to do is done before 10, and save the stuff that can be done "offline" for last.
posted by JaredSeth at 4:38 PM on August 11, 2008

FWIW, what you're asking us to do is very much along the lines of having one of us come in to your house and hand you an ice cream cone after your father has said you can't have one.

That's the kind of thing that usually is followed by a richly deserved punch in the snoot from ol' pops. Frankly, I'm surprised to see so many people answering the question. This is really between you and your dad, not anyone else.

Just my opinion, of course.
posted by Aquaman at 4:52 PM on August 11, 2008

The problem here isn't with my dad. It's with the internet connection, that is being controlled by my dad.

Um, the internet connection is indifferent here.

small bandwith tasks such as email and IM

I've never had an email or an IM that couldn't wait. I'm gonna call BS. If it's that important for homework, call the person. In fact, you'd be surprised how much faster it is than IM.

To use your cell phone for data or have a wireless repeater will eventually be found out, kind of like having a Playboy under your mattress. You will be found out and you will have a *great* conversation with your dad.

Your best bet is to negotiate with the pops. From your second answer, it sounds like you haven't engaged him. Most people and would be open to "Show me you're responsible doing A and I'll give you B."

Frankly, the conversation you'll probably end up having about your "workaround" wouldn't give him much incentive to give you more freedom. Be careful what you wish for.
posted by pedantic at 5:06 PM on August 11, 2008

Gonna have to go against the majority of posters here and say I sympathize. I had a father who, in a lot of situations, just wouldn't listen to reason. I never did drugs, had good grades, wasn't out robbing people, didn't listen to devil music, maintained two jobs during high school, paid for most of my own clothes and food. Yet he couldn't help himself from being controlling whenever he had the chance. Thank god I he was computer-illiterate and we lived in the age of dial-up. There were multiple times he capriciously installed parental controls on my net surfing (again, no porn addiction here, but I liked metafilter, y'know?), disconnected key parts of my car engine (a car I'd purchased), and tried to interfere with my extracurriculars. The only way I could live a normal life was taking things into my own hands while I lived with him and finding workarounds by myself. He wasn't religious or strict; he was a control freak, and he would neglect or exercise his parental rights on a whim. His latest shenanigan was using my brother's name to get a credit card and spending the money. Don't assume these kinds of parents don't exist.

As to the question, I'd vouch for dialup. If this is low-bandwidth, buy prepaid dialup cards and use them sparingly. You should be able to get them at any cell phone store, or if you're lucky, your corner store might have them. If that doesn't work, I'm nthing the 3G phone. I'm sure you have 18-year old friends who'd help you with that if you can't yourself.
posted by saysthis at 5:41 PM on August 11, 2008 [2 favorites]

The legality of accessing even unsecured computer networks (WiFi) without permission may or may not be a crime in your jurisdiction. If you can let us know what state and/or municipality you are in, that would be helpful.
posted by BrotherCaine at 5:53 PM on August 11, 2008

Going with what saysthis recommends regarding dialup, some ISPs allow you a certain number of dialup hours with your DSL in case of failure (or for travelling). With Speakeasy I get ~15 hours a month. You might want to check if there is a dialup account associated with your DSL provider.
posted by BrotherCaine at 5:56 PM on August 11, 2008

Response by poster: Thanks the iconoclast31, dialup is looking pretty good. As for the things I would need internet for:
- Emailing and IMing each others papers back and forth to compare work
Research of course
Accessing school website

Just a last call for help, any other ideas?
posted by ptsampras14 at 8:41 PM on August 11, 2008

This is the point where you need to have a conversation with your father. He thinks you should be done with homework by 10. You are not able/willing to do so. You need to lay your reasons out for him, and point out that he's not making you go to bed by ten, clearly, because you're not, he's just making things more difficult for you, and prolonging how long it takes for you to finish tasks in the evening by having this arbitrary internet curfew that doesn't correspond, apparently, to an actual "lights out" hour.

You should also bring your mom and your brother in on this with you. If your father is being as unreasonable as you suggest and honestly hampering your academics, and not just your ability to talk to friends while you do your work, then he should be confronted by the rest of the family and made to account for his choice.
posted by Dreama at 8:46 PM on August 11, 2008

While I doubt AskMeFi can be much help in this situation (Since the answer seems to basically be "talk to dad"), I will say that in college, I was in constant contact with classmates, project partners and advisors over AIM/iChat, Yahoo!IM, Skype, email, and online courseware (Blackboard and Moodle).

Sometimes, there would be people who were on a project with me that counted for as much as 50% of my grade, who I had never actually met. If they were on AIM at 11pm, I'd get on iChat and we'd be working on a project. I'd take tests at 2am (as soon as they were available) and get instructions from teachers via email. I had projects and papers that were due at midnight.

To say that you've never gotten an email or an IM that couldn't wait just suggests you probably haven't been to school in awhile.
posted by aristan at 8:58 PM on August 11, 2008

Things I have learned in life:

- Defying your parents while living at home is pointless.
- Leaving home at 18 is possible, it just takes a lot of balls. I wish I had had them. However, just because it's possible doesn't make it a smart thing to do. Especially if this is the only problem you're experiencing.
- Discussing things like this with your parents rationally should cure the need for the above. If it doesn't, and you're old enough to drive, only 730 more days to go and you can order your own internets (I'd do that and life at home before anything more drastic)... If you're under that age, they may have some reason for what they're doing. Discuss it and understand it.

Regarding the above, I understand they are doing it to enforce some sort of homework completion policy. If that really is the only reason, you'll need to explain to your parents how it isn't working (I'm assuming that's the case, if it is working, well, you're out of gas) and how you are going to ensure you comply with the underlying reason for you being banned: Getting your homework done.

That all being said, WEP cracking isn't particularly hard (you're really not much more than a couple of google searches away, to be honest), however, as mentioned, it is a felony in many (not all) countries. And it's not very neighbourly at all. If you're old enough that this shouldn't be happening, I bet your parents are known as being ridiculously strict (I knew a few on the block like that). The better neighbours helped those kids deal with their parents. If your parents are like this (I have no opinion on the matter as I don't know if the reason for your bannage is legitimate or not) your neighbour will likely be happy to secretly tell you their WEP key. Or the neighbour's kid will let you know it...

Do try to keep your discussions rational. Otherwise, you'll end up with the relationship I have with my parents. One where, as my wife would explain, our very mutual presence aggravates us to arguments that can be heard well outside the house. Basically, over the years of their decisions to control someone as incredibly stubborn as myself, we grew apart to the point that I wouldn't be surprised that if we were to submit opinion surveys, me and my parents would have opposite items checked.

Rational discussion being one where when your parents start to fly off the handle and refuse to come back to reality, you go back to your room and wait for them to consider what you've discussed. Yes, I really do need to take my own advice, especially with my parents. Oh well. No-one's perfect.
posted by shepd at 9:44 PM on August 11, 2008

My teachers would sometimes assign essays that were due at midnight via email.

I call bullshit here unless you mean that 'the deadline was midnight, and responses were to be submitted by email' in which case I ask: why wait until the last possible minute?
posted by fixedgear at 2:28 AM on August 12, 2008

I think your father is being quite strict, perhaps even overly so. However, rather than fighting him on this I suggest that you use it as an opportunity to learn good homework habits that will serve you well later in life. Get your homework done by 10, every day. Shoot for 9 so that you can play between 9 and 10 and have some slack in your schedule in case you need extra time to get something done. With cell phones, does anyone still IM anymore? Text your friends after 10 if you need a fix, and perhaps even look into getting email on your phone.

So, if you are still fixated on finding an open WiFi connection Google "WiFi and Pringles." If this gets you into trouble, don't say you were not warned.
posted by caddis at 8:33 AM on August 12, 2008

Just a last call for help, any other ideas?

What exactly do you want? Someone to hold your hand while you attempt to crack WEP? There are tons of WEP cracking guides, as others have mentioned. Its pretty obvious that youre trying to get someone to do this for you and its just aint gonna happen. Also, there's a lot to be said about the failures of applying technological solutions to social problems.
posted by damn dirty ape at 11:49 AM on August 12, 2008

I'm not sure how your DSL terminates, but maybe you could buy another version of the DSL router and plug it in to the phone line in your room at night (if your Dad actually shuts off the downstairs one). Depending on your DSL, you may have to do some wiring and/or figure out a way to get a PPPoE password. Also, unless your Dad is thick, you will get caught.
posted by BrotherCaine at 12:42 PM on August 12, 2008

dialup is looking pretty good.

Except that it will show up on the 'phone bill, so your Dad will know you're bending the rules.

- Emailing and IMing each others papers back and forth to compare work

Um, that sounds like a spectacularly bad idea. I believe they call it 'cheating'.
posted by jack_mo at 5:17 PM on August 12, 2008