But is it really true that you don't need permission to publish? Let's take a look at how easy it is to get content onto the web without permission.

What is the Internet?

Connect two laptops with an Ethernet cable. Congratulation - you have a network!

Now you need to connect it to another network. So you run a cable between your network and someone else's. The Internet is the largest network of networks.

But how do you connect to this global network?

Devices and Internet Access

A domestic Internet connection requires you to seek permission from an ISP (Internet Service Provider).

In the UK, you can buy a smartphone and a SIM for cash. You don't need to show any ID, prove that you're over 18, nor register with a central authority. That's not the case in many parts of the world.

You can even skip the SIM, and leach off free WiFi in most city centres. This isn't quite permissionless, but it is close.

If you don't want to purchase a device, many libraries have computers.

Library computers either require you to register - so not anonymous - or pay a nominal fee. Either way, you still have to ask permission from the library staff.

A word on Internet connections

When you connect to free public WiFi, you're often told to provide personal details or an email address to connect. You don't need to give your real details. That's the only way I know to get online without cost, or exchange of personal data.

Conclusion, part 1

Getting online generally doesn't require much permission. There are enough communal WiFi spots to make access pretty easy. But the owner of that connection can kick you off at will.

There's no way that I know of for an individual to own their own connection to the Internet. And, if you did join something like the London Internet Exchange - you're bound by their terms of service.

There are financial barriers. A crappy second-hand phone can be picked up for £20, and a data SIM for around a tenner. Not an extremely high, but not free. While you don't need a licence to own a computer or phone, the SIM provider can terminate your connection whenever they like.

Publishing

Twitter is free! Most people can register on the service - but it requires an active SIM card in order to "confirm" your identity. As mentioned earlier, a SIM and phone can be had cheaply - but you need permission to use the SIM. And there's the pesky notion of your phone provider tracking your activity. And of Twitter mediating your content.

Sites like WordPress, Medium, Facebook, Google, and GitHub require you hand over personal data and they are able to remove your content on a whim. You have to ask them for permission to publish - and agree to lengthy legal contracts.

Self Hosting

While software like WordPress is free (libre and gratis!) - having a server to run the software on usually requires permission.

Web hosts require you to adhere to their terms of service. Yes, even the magical ones in the cloud. You don't need permission to run web-server programs, but you have to agree to the computer providers' terms of service.

If you want to avoid that, you can host web content on your phone or laptop - and make it available to the Internet from a leached WiFi connection.

But how do people get directed to the content on your laptop?

Domain Names

When you connect to the Internet, you get given an IP (Internet Protocol) address - for example 198.51.100.1. No one can remember these numbers, so we use domain names. The DNS (Domain Name System) maps shkspr.mobi to an IP address.

Getting a domain name without permission

Buying a domain name is a financial transaction. That usually means giving up some privacy - although some providers give out free domain names. Either way, you are beholden to the terms of service from the registrar.

You never really own a domain name. WIPO (the World Intellectual Property Organisation) have a copyright dispute process which means your domain name can be taken from you if it breaches certain laws.

Even if you pay hundreds of thousands of dollars for your own Top-Level Domain, you're still beholden to ICANN and their policies.

Conclusion, part 2

The Internet is an agreement.

You have to agree to something to get an IP address, and you have to agree to something to get a domain name, and you have to agree to something to use someone else's machine.

Using your own machine is possible - but comes with financial costs and practical limitations. But I don't know any way to connect to the network-of-networks without permission.

The Glorious Future

Many ructions over the last few weeks about whether certain sites should be "allowed" on the Internet. The Internet is a (mostly) decentralised agreement in how to behave. If you violate the norms of that agreement, it is to be expected that other parties will refuse to send or receive data to your network.

Perhaps the future is more decentralisation? But there will inevitably come a point when someone will decide that they don't want to carry your bits. All networks are a weak form of distributed politeness.

For example, my Smart TV and my Lifx don't require a password to access. Any device on my network can control them. That's extremely convenient - but it's a security nightmare.

Consider, for a moment, my WiFi Smoke Alarm. It periodically connects to the Internet to check for software updates. What if a hacker uploads fake firmware which scans for local devices and abuses them? Or opens up a tunnel into my network for criminals to access?

We're all one software update away from being infiltrated.

How should a suitably paranoid person design their home network?

All Together Now!

The naïve design is just to shove everything on one network.

Without a doubt this is the easiest to configure - just tell each device the WiFi password - but it's the most dangerous. Any device can talk to any other device. If your SmartTV receives a commercial for a DELICIOUS MILLER LITE™ BEER OF CHAMPIONS® it might connect to your smart fridge (no password - because who needs security on a domestic appliance) and order you an unwanted beer.

Or the Taiwanese company which made your lightbulb might get sold to a company who have no ethical qualms about exploring your NAS to see what sort of "exotic" material you have on there. Then encrypting and ransoming it back to you.

Blind Segregation

The router supplied by my ISP allows me to set up two isolated networks. I currently have a guest network which is open to anyone who visits (although that, in itself, may not be a wise idea).

So I could put my untrusted devices on a separate network to the devices I have a reasonably high degree of trust.

This makes accessing those devices less convenient - and it still means my Smart Toaster can turn off my Security Cameras.

Complete Separation

Suppose I set up a separate subnet for each device? 192.168.0.* for trusted devices, 192.168.1.* for all the security cameras. 192.168.2.* for all the Samsung kitchen appliances. And so on and so forth.

A chore to set up, but this has a superficial charm. Until I come to do anything. I want my phone's app to be able to control my games console. I want my TV to be able to read media off my local server.

Of course, that assumes that a regular ISP supplied router can do that. Hint - it probably can't.

Complex Firewalls

Ok, so now we move way beyond what a domestic router can normally do and into professional grade stuff. Forgive me if my use of terminology isn't 100%.

Each device added to the network needs to be part of an access control list. The firewall determines if any two devices are allowed to communicate with each other. For example:

• My tablet and laptop should be able to connect to everything.
• My Kindle should only have access to the Internet.
• My fridge and freezer can talk to each other - but nothing else.
• My solar panels can talk to my solar battery - but only on port 80.

What an absolute nightmare to set up. I'm not even sure what sort of router I'd need to buy in order to make something like that possible. How easy would it be to misconfigure? One errant mouse click and my Sonos speaker can unlock my front door when it plays a specifically crafted MP3...

How to build this?

I pride myself on being relatively tech savy. I've got around 40 Internet connected devices around the house - only some of which are under my direct control.

I've asked this question on the Security StackExchange - but I'd be grateful for any wisdom from you, dear reader. Are there any products that you can suggest?

Or, do I just give in gracefully? Stick strong passwords on everything which can be protected, and hope that none of me devices become part of the Internet of Traitors?

Nestled at the bottom of the annoucement is this curious specification.

That seems... low. Doesn't it? I did a quick tally of all the devices my wife and I have which use WiFi.

1. My phone
2. Wife's phone
3. My ebook
4. Wife's ebook
5. My laptop
6. Wife's laptop
7. My work laptop
8. PS4
9. Xbox 360
10. Wii U
11. 3DS
12. Media Player
13. Onkyo Amplifier
14. Smart TV
15. Original Xbox
16. Home server
17. Lifx Lightbulb (only the one so far!)
18. IP Security camera (internal)
19. IP Security camera (pointing the other way)
20. IP Security camera (external)
21. IP Security camera (PTZ)
22. IP Security camera (internal upstairs)
23. Roomba!
24. Raspberry Pi environmental monitoring station
25. WeMo plug socket
26. WeWo IR Blaster
27. Solar panels
28. nCube IoT Hub
29. Car dashcam
30. Google Glass (meh, someone has to keep the dream alive!)

That doesn't include all the odd phones I trial, nor the couple of Raspberry Pi's I fiddle with.

Admittedly, we're a fairly high-tech couple - and being child-free means there's more money for gadgets - but I don't think we're that unusual. Over the next few years, I'd expect us to get more WiFi lightbulbs, and plug sockets, and probably doorbells, washing machines, thermostats, and an Internet fridge.

We're a two person family. A typical UK family is likely to have 4 people. So that's double the amount of phones and laptops, more TVs, probably more handheld consoles, baby monitors, pet trackers, and and neural implants.

128 devices looks like an achievable limit for a modern family home.

For those of you young enough not to get the reference in the title, computer companies have a habit of self-limiting their technology.

I would hope that OnHub will receive updates to make it useful past the year 2020. Given Google's record with Android updates, I suspect we'll all just have to buy a new router. Plus ça change!