http://www.google.com/search?q=Free+Public...lient=firefox-a

Our public school's here have been hit with this through our teachers laptops.
Only a few cases right now, but this is the first I've heard of this threat.
And I didn't find it on this forum, so here it is.

So anyways, you all probably know about it.
But if not, here's the heads up.
It does spread virus'.

I'm afraid you misread the article.
It's viral, but not a virus!
was IMO meant to warn that it spreads like a virus, but not in the way that it infects computers.

Not yet anyway, untill someone figures out how to use your computer as a spambox.
But you are right to issue a warning about this phenomenon.

Yeah, I've seen this around a few times in public places. I never connected because it always said "Unsecured computer-to-computer network", and I didn't like the sound of that.

Never heard of this TBH. I only heard about the 'open routers' project (something Spanish, forgot how it's called).

Thanks for the replies and corrections.
They are certainly needed.
I haven't looked at this thread for a while, my apologies.

Yeah once it gets on a computer, another computer can piggyback off of it and it continues to spread. It will not remove itself after disconnecting the connection and continues to transmit a signal for someone else to pick up.

Whoa! I may have a real problem here. I have an acer that has internet management built in. Apparently, when I boot up, it automatically turns on the antenna and looks for a wifi. One is connection is labeled Linksys and it automatically connects to it. According to one of the articles I read "If you've ever seen an ad-hoc network show up on your list of networks with the SSID of a brand-name router -- such as Linksys or Netgear -- in an area where you know no routers are present, you're seeing the same phenomenon. A user last connected to a network using one of these routers, whose owner kept the out-of-the-box SSID, and the notebook is now broadcasting that SSID. "I try to pay attention and turn the antenna off but sometimes it comes back on all by itself. From what I read on one of the search links posted I'm apparently connecting to someone else's computer (from my apartment)? I found settings in windows to turn off automatic searches for networks and to delete the networks from the "available" list but as long as the antenna is on, which acer apparently automatically turns on, acer still finds the linksys access and tries to log on. I've looked all through the "empowering technology" interface and can't find anyplace to turn this off. Anyone out there have any experience with this and know how to help me out?

Oops! Think I may have goofed posting this here. I didn't see the "networking" section. Somehow, I wasn't really thinking of this as a "hardware" thing being I tend to associate wifi with "the ethers". Anyway, sorry if I posted in the wrong place, not sure how to fix that!

CompooterDummy, best thing would be for you to start your own thread in the Networking Forum.
Cheers
Frantique

Thank you Frantique. I didn't want to "double post", but since you've given me the go ahead, I'll do just that. Thanks.

Isn't WiFi also used to create zombie networks? AKA a botnet?

Wikipedia Article on Zombie Networks
Wikipedia Article on Botnets

This is very alarming.

I believe they also WiFi at airports as well?

I am not a believer in public WiFi. It can cause its fair bit of damage.

But hey, thats my two cents :whistle: