I am a very very novice computer person. For some background, we have AT&T DSL internet on our home computer. Sometime back, our son was hooking his computer up to our computer (without our knowledge). Apparently, he was using the endless long distance plan we have to connect to his internet provider - which is against AT&T rules.

Now, our son is says that he has a wireless connection (but does not pay a monthly fee to a provider), he plugs into our wall outlet and says he can download music, but that it does not affect our service, nor does it affect the security on our home computer.

Can anyone give me answers on this, or advise of a website that could explain this to me in laymans terms!

Thanks to anyone who can give me an answer.

Pam

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Apparently, he was using the endless long distance plan we have to connect to his internet provider - which is against AT&T rules.

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This makes little sense unless you have a VOIP telephone connection and he has a dial-up plan.

[qoute]Now, our son is says that he has a wireless connection (but does not pay a monthly fee to a provider), he plugs into our wall outlet and says he can download music, but that it does not affect our service, nor does it affect the security on our home computer.[/quote]

This also makes little sense. Plug into wall (Power, ethernet?), but you said wireless. Wireless means "wireless router" or a AT&T cell connection?

Security on your home computer is relative. If he is connected via a wireless router, then the router does not have a connection password that you assigned. This, by itself, is a security risk for neighbors and drive by's

Accessing a provider's email requires a broadband connection and a browser typically. Restricting that is your responsibility. That's done in your router's configuration page.

If he is getting Internet access for "free" using a wireless connection, he may be stealing your neighbor's Internet connection.

It sounds like you are needing some straight answers from your son.