Wireless router for $13 shipped

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jesusfr3ak4evr

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OK, I just found this "deal" and am considering doing it myself. You must purchase the router through http://www.fon.com

Basically, you have to enable your wireless router for others to connect through it to you. It's complicated, but the video on the site and the description when you try to purchase it explain it nicely.

So which router do you get? It appears it's random, but either a Linksys WRT54GL/GS or Buffalo WHRG54S. The cost is $5 plus $8 shipping.
 
I heard about this deal... Don't they charge you 45$ if you don't register it on their network within 30 days or something?
 
Yes they do. They are selling you a router at a loss, so they make sure you use their service. That's the whole point of FON, to spread WiFi.
 
i ordered mine a week or two ago, i'm just waiting on delivery. it should come sometime this week actually. I'll let ya'll know how it goes.
 
This violates most ISP's terms of service, and can have your account terminated. Not smart.
 
wireless routers are not that much man.....this looks very much not worth it, and as someone else has mentioned, although the FON site tries to make it sound like ISP's are ecstatic about FON, my guess is somewhere there is a legal battle brewing to make people stop giving out their bandwidth to people not paying $$ to the ISP
 
That sounds ridiculous. I read it thoroughIy. I don't see how it benefits me to join there network. And I bought a wireless router a year and a half ago for $11. shipped. from Newegg.
 
this is a problem just waiting to happen... no security wise or technically but legally or with your ISP terms of service.

not worth the time/$/effort... in any way.
 
How would your ISP know that you're giving bandwidth away vs. just not smart enough to lock down your router?
 
vbrtrmn said:
Hack-a-Day article on FON routers: http://www.hackaday.com/entry/1234000903073775/

You can flash the firmware and add a CRON job to spoof the "heartbeat".
Click to expand...
That's not funny. These people are being nice, trying to spread somewhat free WiFi at a loss.

I could grab the router for $5 and do that hack, but it's just unethical. It's a lot better to pay the extra $20 or $30 and get the rea; thing.
 
Besides being against an ISP's TOS, if you have this fon router and someone actually uses your connection then downloads movies or other illegal material it's going to be on you.
 
S_G said:
That's not funny. These people are being nice, trying to spread somewhat free WiFi at a loss.

I could grab the router for $5 and do that hack, but it's just unethical. It's a lot better to pay the extra $20 or $30 and get the rea; thing.
Click to expand...

It is ethical if you still provide FON service, it is only unethical if you use the information to steal.
 
inscape01 said:
Besides being against an ISP's TOS, if you have this fon router and someone actually uses your connection then downloads movies or other illegal material it's going to be on you.
Click to expand...

I believe router logs can save which MACs connect to your router and when. If a MAC connected during the period of the alleged crime, that's reasonable doubt.

Heck, just having an open router might be reasonable doubt.
 
Just thought I'd throw in my loose change on this (almost dead) topic:

1. ISP TOS: If you have a shitty ISP, such as Ma Bell, Earthlink, most cable providers, etc. you *might* be disobeying your TOS. If, however, you have an ISP with a spine and some brains (like speakeasy) then this is "all good". My TOS allow me to do ANYTHING that is not illegal. I can share my bandwidth, I can *sell* my bandwidth. Hell, they will even do the BILLING for me if I chose to use thier program for selling my bandwidth. Call your ISP up and ask them about this. Tell them that it is important for you to be able to trade bandwidth for the ability to have a wifi connection almost anywhere and that you will move to one of thier competitors if they disallow you to provide this service. Record this conversation.

2. Security / Liability: This depends quite a bit on your technical abilities. I am planning on getting this service (last time I looked it was $20 for the router... good to see the price has been further subsidized) but I will only install it after I've had a chance to build out my firewall box again (long story involving a security hole, hard disk space, and the ENTIRE ports tree being needed in order to patch something... grrr!). Anyways, what I would suggest is that you disable NAT in this router so that you can preserve the originating MAC address of the clients for the WAP. This way, you can write QOS rules that allow your client machines (and those of friends / neighbors that would have priority access) to get a better slice of the bandwidth pie. This would also allow you to determine what activities are allowed by what clients on your network. Personally, I would allow HTTP, HTTPS, ssh, irc, http over 8080 for coralized links, and ftp with harsh bandwidth allocation, as well as some types of VPN. It might be nice to make it so that every client that isn't already listed with permissions by MAC address gets a splash page served up to them on thier first http connection with your TOS posted that they have to click through. The most important thing here, though, is that the WAP should *only* be able to talk to the internet, not your internal network, unless you specifically allow it by MAC and/or other more complex access controls. Don't want script kiddies driving by to get a hold of my data!

Now, if you do go through all the trouble to set things like that up, you will almost certainly lose any amount of "reasonable doubt" (IANAL, but in this case I think we're dealing with "plausible deniability"... but I digress) from running an open access point, as you obviously know what you're doing and have mitigating controls in place. I do not believe, however, that you can be held accountable for the actions of other users, so long as you log everyone's actions, and don't mind your machine getting hauled off for forensic analysis if it hits the fan.

Anyways, overall, I'd say this is A Good Thing(tm). Free wireless wherever you go certainly is positive.

-q
 
i got my router today and it's broken :( hopefully they can get me a new one soon :)

*edit* apparently these are all refurbished routers already :(
 
i found this thread interesting, and thought i would point out that compusa has a $14.99 router. it's similar to the edimax on newegg
hoping it offends no one. peace
 
Compusa Routers are garbage - mine would overheat and lock up when I was downloading stuff on multiple PCs. Garbage - stay away from CompUSA routers.
 
I just got mine today from FON ( WRT54Gs v.4 ). Probably will install ddwrt and manually enter in fon settings
 
Here's what to do:

Order the router for $13
When it arrives, unpack it and set it up
Register it on the FON network and get an account set up for yourself
Go to your account and change ypur account type to "Bill"
This account type lets you collect money for people who use your router, but more importantly it states that you don't have to run the router all the time, or even at all.
Reflash a custom firmware onto the unit.
As far as FON is concerned, your router is turned off (since it's not phoning home) and you're not collecting any money from it. Since you have a Bill account, this is within the TOS of both FON and your ISP. Everybody wins, and you get an uber-cheap router.
 
Trendnet wireless g routers.
come to about 10$ after rebates.

i order a few. got my rebate in 2 months. worth the deal.

good lil bugger router.
 
CEpeep said:
Here's what to do:

Order the router for $13
When it arrives, unpack it and set it up
Register it on the FON network and get an account set up for yourself
Go to your account and change ypur account type to "Bill"
This account type lets you collect money for people who use your router, but more importantly it states that you don't have to run the router all the time, or even at all.
Reflash a custom firmware onto the unit.
As far as FON is concerned, your router is turned off (since it's not phoning home) and you're not collecting any money from it. Since you have a Bill account, this is within the TOS of both FON and your ISP. Everybody wins, and you get an uber-cheap router.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the tip!
 
nilepez said:
I believe router logs can save which MACs connect to your router and when. If a MAC connected during the period of the alleged crime, that's reasonable doubt.

Heck, just having an open router might be reasonable doubt.
Click to expand...
That only works if the logging is turned on. Some routers by default have the logging disabled.
Even if you did have it on, then you have to prove that you do not own a machine w/ that MAC address.
 
oooeric said:
Trendnet wireless g routers.
come to about 10$ after rebates.

i order a few. got my rebate in 2 months. worth the deal.

good lil bugger router.
Click to expand...
I set up a trendnet router for my sister's apartment. Didn't like it from what I saw. You're better off to get a Linksys or more reputable brand name router.
 
S_G said:
That's not funny. These people are being nice, trying to spread somewhat free WiFi at a loss.

I could grab the router for $5 and do that hack, but it's just unethical. It's a lot better to pay the extra $20 or $30 and get the rea; thing.
Click to expand...

i didnt see anything about free wifi...It said that people purchase "24-hour passes" for 3 dollars. besides, dont you still have to pay your isp, afterall? ;)
 
Sounds like a great gift for my neighbor.

That way I can download all the music I want and he'll take the "rap" from the RIAA.
 
osalcido said:
i didnt see anything about free wifi...It said that people purchase "24-hour passes" for 3 dollars. besides, dont you still have to pay your isp, afterall? ;)
Click to expand...
It's still braking your ISP's ToS. Say you asked your neighbor to pay you $20/month for using your free wifi, that's still against your ISP's ToS. Trust me, I asked my ISP and read up on my ToS, and it's illegal.

robble said:
Sounds like a great gift for my neighbor.

That way I can download all the music I want and he'll take the "rap" from the RIAA.
Click to expand...
Don't expect this to save you from being caught. You are the one paying for internet, therefore YOU, no matter who downloads something illegal, will be held responsible. The only way you might get away with downloading illegal goods is if you're the one on the wireless end, and even then that's very unwise. Plus that's not even getting into the ethics...
 
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