View Full Version : Can I sell my WiFi?
dazz
Jul 2nd, 2006, 04:04 PM
Is it legal to sell my Wifi.
I'd like to use my 10Mb/3Mb connection to set up a wireless network for my area. And resell my connection to anyone who wants it in my area(3 hi-rise buildings)for maybe $5/month.
Valek
Jul 2nd, 2006, 04:07 PM
I guess it wouldn't be any different then someone renting your house and internet access would be an extra. It'd be like them pitching in for the internet, right?
divx
Jul 2nd, 2006, 04:14 PM
holy sweetness, that would be a deal!!
Rehan
Jul 2nd, 2006, 04:16 PM
Is it legal to sell my Wifi. Check the Terms & Conditions from your ISP... more than likely, they would not allow you to resell.
For example, Rogers says (http://www.shoprogers.com/business/businesssolutions/internetaup.asp):
"You may not resell, share, or otherwise distribute the Services or any portion thereof to any third party without the written consent of Rogers."
Bell has similar verbiage at http://www.bell.ca/media/en/all_regions/pdf/sme/BIHS_terms_en.pdf
synaptech
Jul 2nd, 2006, 04:24 PM
So if I sign up with you for $5, I'll just resell it to my neighbours for $4 :D
thedarkhorse
Jul 2nd, 2006, 04:42 PM
just for the pure enjoyment of losing a dollar?
Shaner
Jul 2nd, 2006, 04:43 PM
Does the CRTC allow it? That's what I'm wondering.
synaptech
Jul 2nd, 2006, 05:07 PM
just for the pure enjoyment of losing a dollar?
um, if I was selling it for $4 and the op was selling for $5, who would you buy from?
squall458
Jul 2nd, 2006, 05:34 PM
um, if I was selling it for $4 and the op was selling for $5, who would you buy from?
its not that, you lost a dollar buying it at $5 and reselling at $4.....
So if I sign up with you for $5, I'll just resell it to my neighbours for $4
Spare-Flair
Jul 2nd, 2006, 05:39 PM
Your internet subscription is not something you own, you have no liscense to it. It is merely a service you subscribe to.
This is like borrowing books from the library and then selling them to other people.
MrWizard
Jul 2nd, 2006, 05:42 PM
its not that, you lost a dollar buying it at $5 and reselling at $4.....
So if I sign up with you for $5, I'll just resell it to my neighbours for $4
He only loses a dollar if he has 1 customer, but if he has 2 customers, he's up 3 dollars, etc.
squall458
Jul 2nd, 2006, 06:03 PM
He only loses a dollar if he has 1 customer, but if he has 2 customers, he's up 3 dollars, etc.
exactly hence i dont know why you would so such as thing unless it was for pure enjoyment of losing money. someone else pointed that out and is it just me who sees something wrong....
cheeseshredder
Jul 2nd, 2006, 06:21 PM
exactly hence i dont know why you would so such as thing unless it was for pure enjoyment of losing money. someone else pointed that out and is it just me who sees something wrong....
Uh, he doesn't lose money if he has more than one customer, he MAKES money.
This just screws the original guy over :D.
MrWizard
Jul 2nd, 2006, 06:37 PM
exactly hence i dont know why you would so such as thing unless it was for pure enjoyment of losing money. someone else pointed that out and is it just me who sees something wrong....
Remember, it only costs him $5. But he makes $4 for everyone he gets to "sign up" with him. If he gets more than 1 customer, he's making money.
tkyoshi
Jul 2nd, 2006, 06:38 PM
While it is against your TOS, if you had a connection that was allowed to be resold you could also setup a Boingo Access Point which is a more proper way (cause really with just a wireless router, how are you supposed to control people, they can just give/sell the passwords to other people):
Boingo Hot Spot In A Box:
http://www.linksys.com/servlet/Satellite?c=L_Product_C1&childpagename=US%2FLayout&cid=1115416825327&pagename=Linksys%2FCommon%2FVisitorWrapper
Revenue wise, you'd get $1/Day if the person has an active Boingo subscription, $4/Day if the person uses a PAY-GO subscription and if you sell a monthly plan you get $20.
atforum
Jul 2nd, 2006, 06:41 PM
I get some 3-4 unsecured signals in my house which get connected automatically!!! I am forced to browse with that most times :D :(
Shaner
Jul 2nd, 2006, 06:44 PM
I get some 3-4 unsecured signals in my house which get connected automatically!!! I am forced to browse with that most times :D :(
You are not forced. You can choose to not connect to them if you wanted.
UrbanPoet
Jul 2nd, 2006, 07:25 PM
ahh.. people alraedy do thhiis.. but in an easier way..
say you are really good friends withyour neighbours. Both of you would split the internet bill everymonth to share that connection...
I have friends that live in apartment buildings and they split it 3 ways.
saves alot of money.
squall458
Jul 2nd, 2006, 11:53 PM
Remember, it only costs him $5. But he makes $4 for everyone he gets to "sign up" with him. If he gets more than 1 customer, he's making money.
true but i was assuming that the person selling it is smart enuff to know that and would limit how many connections were made. /end
CSR
Jul 3rd, 2006, 01:32 AM
Remember, it only costs him $5. But he makes $4 for everyone he gets to "sign up" with him. If he gets more than 1 customer, he's making money.
PYramid scheme! BAN... lol j/k
It's as confusing as one tho.
gman
Jul 3rd, 2006, 01:40 AM
true but i was assuming that the person selling it is smart enuff to know that and would limit how many connections were made. /end
First, he will be the user himself. Then, if he sells it to other one customer, he only pays the internet service for $1. If he sells that to 2 customer, he earns $3 + free internet service.
The OP can limit to one connection but he can split it up again using his own router.
MrWizard
Jul 3rd, 2006, 01:45 AM
PYramid scheme! BAN... lol j/k
It's as confusing as one tho.
I hardly see how it's so confusing...
- OP sells access to internet for $5 per month
- I pay OP $5/month to access internet
- I sell access to internet (by sharing WEP key or whatever) to others for $4/month
Who do you go to? Me obviously, I offer a lower price.
Gordon
Jul 3rd, 2006, 02:56 AM
Watch out for bandwidth. I'd probably use your connection for bittorrent downloads! :D
You have to have a nice wireless router for people to get entire coverage and at fast speeds.
Siefer999
Jul 3rd, 2006, 04:44 AM
why would i buy your wifi when i can get 5+ unsecured signals for all my stolen signal needs? :)
its probably best just to buddy up with a neighbor or two
dazz
Jul 3rd, 2006, 04:55 AM
Obviously,I would limit the # of people. Why would anyone pay $5/month for very slow connection. Something like 20 ppl. max sounds reasonable. The idea is not about making money,but rather not paying anything for my internet.
If only there's a way set up a WiFi cable TV.. :razz:
bubble.tea
Jul 3rd, 2006, 07:27 AM
Check the Terms & Conditions from your ISP... more than likely, *Bubble.Tea's addition -they would not allow you to resell,rent,lease, or any part thereof................
What he said.
I always laugh when I see people "selling" their wireless plans. It's all illegal...but it's done. (see my siggy :D)
kingfencer
Jul 3rd, 2006, 10:20 AM
no, apparently, if you rent your basement out, your not even allowed to share internet access with the person that is down there.
Rehan
Jul 3rd, 2006, 10:25 AM
no, apparently, if you rent your basement out, your not even allowed to share internet access with the person that is down there. Again, that depends on the ISP. I asked my ISP whether it was okay to use their DSL service to service a (free) WiFi hotspot in a friend's coffee shop, and they didn't seem to have a problem with that. Rogers, Sympatico and other large ISPs usually have wording in their usage policies to disallow that, but it's okay with some smaller ISPs.
st7860
Jul 3rd, 2006, 10:48 AM
whether or not the ISP permits sharing, if your customers do not do anything 'bad', its very difficult for the ISP to find out if you are sharing it.
bubble.tea
Jul 3rd, 2006, 12:43 PM
whether or not the ISP permits sharing, if your customers do not do anything 'bad', its very difficult for the ISP to find out if you are sharing it.
educate me.
If you have more than one PC accessing a connection...does not EACH PC have it's own IP? Therefore making it a matter of checking the number of IPs that access a connection/account? Yes I know the average user doesn't have a static IP., but at the same time ours changes what...once every week at the most., or whenever we power down the modem? If you have 10 PC connecting...they can know in a flash what's going on.
st7860
Jul 3rd, 2006, 12:52 PM
i'm referring to the use of a common $40 router. A router will take up only 'one' ip.
However, the ISP 'could' still find out how many PC's are behind that router through advanced techniques, but, unless they invest a great deal of time and money in that, as far as they know, a router is still 'one pc'.
bubble.tea
Jul 3rd, 2006, 01:31 PM
thanks.
How then would multiple PCs (connecting via that low end wireless router) be differentiated on the connection? Surely they EACH have their own IP no?
st7860
Jul 3rd, 2006, 01:42 PM
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00004SYLI/103-4063162-2063854?v=glance&n=172282
NAT protocols hide the local IP addresses from outside Internet users.
http://onlineelectronicsinc.com/faq/definitions.html
So what you effectively do with a router is separate, or should say, hide your computer from the Internet
http://www.shoal.net.au/customer/adslfaq.html
Most routers provide a function called NAT (Network Address Translation). NAT effectively makes several computers "hide" behind a single Internet Address (known as an IP address). This is also highly beneficial for security, as it means that as far as someone on the outside it concerned, there is only 1 computer at that address.
gman
Jul 3rd, 2006, 03:44 PM
thanks.
How then would multiple PCs (connecting via that low end wireless router) be differentiated on the connection? Surely they EACH have their own IP no?
If you have a router doing NAT, anybody outside from your router can only see one IP address. Behind the router, you have those 192.168.0.1, etc IP address. Those are not real IP address from outside world. They only see the IP address your ISP gives you.
Go to www.dnsstuff.com, you will see your outside IP address in your top right corner. Any computer behind the same router (running NAT) visiting that site will see the same IP address.
bubble.tea
Jul 3rd, 2006, 03:49 PM
ahhh., interesting stuff., thanks chaps.
At least over the past years, I've learned enough to take apart my PC..JUST barely. I just put it back together now. Had my IO panel sitting on my shelf for about 13months from ASUS as a RMA replacement when I sold my old case (I forgot to take it off DOH!).
Anyway., I was able to take it all apart slide that ***** in, and put it all together again lol.
Cheers.