Unsecured Network Acess?

My cousin got a laptop the other night, and she wanted me to configure it for her, and I did. Cleaning and installation. It runs Vista Home Premium.

It's a great computer for her, but one is that she doesn't have internet access. The father, my uncle, won't get internet, not even dial up, so she has been out of the techno/internet/os/ipod loop for about 7 years. Her previous computer which she got in January of 2000 is a pile, and no longer really works. So anyways, I am wondering is there a way to access an unsecured network? Her neighbors (5 of them atleast are all unsecured). She initially attempted to just press okay and log into their network, no luck. She needs a password. Is there way around this? She doesn't want to steal music, she just wants to surf and browse and update and email. She doesn't use aim, nor a myspace account or any account aside from an ebay one to sell books, and a email account which i gave to her yesterday. I know this illegal, but I figure, you maybe point in the right direction.

 

If it needs a password, it's a secured access point. Unsecured access points don't need a password.

 

well that's odd because it comes up as unsecured, but when you try to just press okay connect or whatever the button is, it says you need a password.

 

I think asking permission from the neighbors to use their network would be a good idea. Hacking into one's network is illegal and simply wrong and you would not want others to hack into yours. If it needs password it is indeed protected...

 

Ill keep this brief...

You need a program such as Network Stumbler to work out the IP address, and you need a program such as Kismet to monitor packet transfer and decipher the WEP or WPA code. Google it.

 

i went to the kismet site, and i am unable to decipher what program i should download as all of them have this weird and complex names.

 

best option would be to ask a neigbour, offer them a token gesture and see if they will let her. They could even limit her bandwith so that she doesnt make much of a difference to their speed

 

if the neighboards are more then 200 feet or so you might want to suggest looking into a cantenna. if your cousin offered to buy a couple of cantennas and give one to the neighbor that might be a reasonable gesture

just google cantenna, you can buy one or build one out of a pringles can

 

Breaking into someone's secured wireless network, as proposed and endorsed by Lil Mayz, is not the legal or moral way to go about this. Have your friend ask one of her neighbors if she can use their wireless connection.

 

Indeed...you could try GPRS/3G networks.