For some reason, I found myself reading my Internet Service Provider’s End-User License Agreement.  Don’t ask me why I entertain myself with such an exciting bedtime reading; I will just read pretty much anything I stumble across.

Under Prohibited activities, my ISP’s EULA reads: “Resell or redistribute the Service to any third party via any means including but not limited to wireless technology.”

Besides the obvious security risks associated with running open wireless, you should also be aware that running open wireless is a violation of the EULA when someone connects to you access point.  That means you are breaking the EULA and the other guy is stealing service.

Many High Speed Internet Users have a wireless home router.  Let’s say the router is secure and encrypted and you also have more than one computer at home.  Apparently, you are still breaking the EULA: “IP address translation or similar facilities intended to provide additional access.”

In addition, if you are a geek and leave your home PC on at all times so that you can access it from work, or you use a P2P file sharing software, you are violating: “You may not operate, or allow others to operate, servers of any type or any other device, equipment, and/or software providing server-like functionality”

So what’s a power user to do nowadays?  Should you get a business account when you are not running a business, if some software on your PC is running in server-like mode?  Don’t some ISP give you a home router or wireless router with the service and isn’t a router main purpose to connect multiple PC’s?

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