Legality over sharing networks.

[Swordfish]

Looking for a bit of clarification here on the legality of two business's sharing one internet connection.

I had a call today to go and setup a wireless network for a small local business and on arrival I was asked to configure an access point to be connected to the wireless network from a different business in the same general area. The buildings are not physically connected but are fairly close together. I refused the job on the basis that the internet was provided (by BT) to one business only and was then told that the two business are owned by the same owner yet are completely different in what they do (one is a sun tan salon and the other is a general food store).

I did not do the job and the owner did give me a bit of a hard time as I was leaving but I am convinced that to do what he wanted would be in violation of the terms he signed up with BT.

Am I right ?

 

[Swordfish]

Violation of terms with BT != breaking the law - not sure why you wouldn't just do it?

If he's aware of that and still wants to proceed it's on his own head?

Things is if I do them I'm at fault not the BT owner as he could simply he did not know and I said it was OK.

I was just wondering if it did break the terms of his contract or not?

 

[Swordfish]

Like most people, I honestly don't see how this is any of your business. You do not have an agreement with BT, thus how exactly would you be liable? You probably should have just let them know there was a potential licensing problem, then done the work when asked to anyway.

You only really need to concern yourself when you know you're being asked to do something thats probably illegal, such as facilitating the sale of medical records or ddosing your competitor, and even then the brunt force of the law will generally fall of the people telling you to do this.

Not really. If you do something illegal you face the punishment !

So a business owner asked you to set up the internet connection for his two offices and this seamed dodgy to you??

No, I was asked to make it possible that one company can share the internet supplied to another. It makes no difference who owns the company at all. I have checked with a friend who works with BT and have had it confirmed that doing so would be against the terms of the agreement for the internet supply. Technically BT would class it as theft.

In the end I'm glad I did not do it.

Thanks for the helpful replies.

 

[Swordfish]

ToS isn't law. I still wouldn't have done it though, as it sounds like a headache waiting to happen

Ture.

why is it your concern... type in the password and take their money! you jsut lost a customer...

Not worried about that at all.


I've been thinking about this a bit now and what makes an internet supply any different from a gas or electricity supply. It's a utility supplied and paid for one site only. You cant share your electricity/gas with your neighbour etc.