If you use your neighbor's wifi network, can they read your email?

Question

I know the person with the router is able to see which websites you visit, but can they only see which web mail servers you use (yahoo, gmail) or can they read the actual emails in your inbox, etc?

I'd appreciate explaining what it is they see on their end (a simple URL log, or more?).

Also, I heard SSL encryption can prevent this...how do I get this for gmail and yahoo? Any other ways to prevent my actual emails from being read?

(And for those who are wondering, I just use the wifi to do a little faster surfing, I have my slooooow own connection.)

Answer 1

They cannot read your email. The router does not keep specific logs like that. The only way they can do it is if they have an actual computer monitoring the internet.
Unless they allow you to use their connection, you are stealing their bandwidth thus breaking the law,
Ali

Answer 2

OK, so you are "stealing" wifi. You may want to read this about wireless networking and then decide if this is such a good idea.

http://www.infoworld.com/article/07/08/01/Web-apps-over-Wi-Fi-put-data-at-risk_1.html?source=NLC-WIR&cgd=2007-08-02

Basically when you connect to a wireless signal you are NETWORKED to the system that owns that router. Depends on the owner being "stupid" or "Smart". There have been arrest of those running "open" networks for the purpose of ID theft. Yes they can read mail and a whole lot more if they know what they are doing. There have been arrests of those "stealing" wifi. So GO AHEAD! Its your risk.

WiFi Theft is illegal in every STATE in the US and in the UK for the US laws just follow the link below to your state. PS the lawyers fees alone would pay for a whole lot of DSL service!

http://www.ncsl.org/programs/lis/cip/hacklaw.htm

http://www4.law.cornell.edu/uscode/html/uscode18/usc_sec_18_00001030----000-.html

Answer 3

Yes they can hack into your computer if they are good, or you can hack into their computer if you want; and that's why you set a WEP/WPA security key on your wireless network. These things can happen :S

They can use programs such as aircrack, wireshark, or kismet, which are wireless security (Hacking) programs!

Hope this helps & good luck,

Answer 4

You mean like just picking up your neighbor's wireless signal? I don't think they can even see what websites you go to, therefore they can't read your email. From what I've seen, they might not even know you're picking it up, unless they have an alert on it, which will lead them to firewall it.