dsavlin
Premium
join:2001-01-04
Chicago, IL
 ·Speakeasy
| reply to Techie2000
I switched to Speakeasy recently because their ToS states that, as long as you are not impairing their network with heavy load, "they're your bits, do what you want with them" (paraphrased from memory). Not only did I switch, but I bumped up my service, from 768/128 to 1.5/384, because my immediate neighbors are tapping in and chip in to offset the cost. It's a great deal for them, because they gain access to a fast connection without the huge expense. It's a great deal for me, because I get a better connection and still get to (sometimes) offset my cost. It's a great deal for Speakeasy because they have a higher-margin customer with a "deluxe" subscription.
The only thing that worries me is the liability. For that reason I made my neighbors sign a note that says, simply, they are not required to contribute anything in return for the service, and as such, I hold no liability if they lose that access, or are hurt by that access (eg. hacked), whether intentional or not.
I don't run an open network though. It's as secure as existing WLAN equipment can make it. So someone with AirSnort and spoofing experience could hack my network but the casual neighbor with typical (eg. no) computer knowledge isn't getting a free ride. |
Speakeasy.net seems to be one of the best ISPs out there from what I've heard. Although I personally love and use SBC DSL. I haven't heard anything from them on their stance on such things. Although from past generally they don't care what you do (as far as sharing, P2P, and setting up servers) as long as you aren't maxing out your bandwidth 24/7.