posted on July 7, 2005 08:48:23 AM new
This a community service message
Traveling the roads so much this summer, I have been delightfully surprised to find easy WIFI access many places. However, I'm sure that those "providers" were not aware that I was using their routers.
I found that all I had to do was power up my laptop and "View available wireless Networks". Many home users do not know that if they do not set up the security features on their home router, anyone can use their wireless router.
I assure you that as soon as I arrived home, I set up my security. I had thought that a firewall was sufficient to protect me. I was WRONG!
Here is a good website with some easy to understand info:
posted on July 7, 2005 12:52:39 PM new
I'm going to read all of this very soon - my new laptop has wireless capability but I'm clueless to say the least, so this should really help me.
Thanks for the post
posted on July 7, 2005 02:00:06 PM new
It looks pretty intimidating at first, but once I finally starting setting it up, it was easy on my Linksys Router.
posted on July 7, 2005 02:31:45 PM new
I jumped!! straight out of my chair upon reading this! I immediatly went to work tearing into my router.....I am frantically trying to figure even WHERE the code is,,,,,a friend walks in,,,,I frantically tell him,,,,
Jack,,,,,do you see that wire? yeaaah? That is the first sign that your NOT wireless,,,Oh! O.k. well,,,,ah,,,,.
Finding unprotected Wi-Fi hotspots is a game with some people I know. There are even symbols they chalk on the sidewalk to tell people where they are. It is called Warchalking. -----o----o----o----o----o----o----o----o
“The illiterate of the future will be the person ignorant of the use of the camera as well as of the pen.”
Maholy-Nagy, Vision in Motion, 1947
posted on July 7, 2005 03:17:34 PM new
So..here's how clueless I am - what's wrong with someone tapping into your wireless connection? I don't think I have a home network set up - we just all use the same connection. My kids bring lap tops home from college - my sister comes for a visit - I want them all to be able to use my wireless connection.
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posted on July 7, 2005 03:40:58 PM new
Also, if you use file and printer sharing between your household pc's, anyone who taps into your wireless can also look at your files. Do you really want some neighborhood punk messing with your computer?
If you don't secure your wireless, you are inviting trouble in. The least they can do is view your files, the most they can do is steal any private info you have on your system which means identity theft, spam being send from your server ID, and any kind of skam they want to run, which will lead the FBI back to your front door.
Sounds to fantastic?? Check Phots and sciclone2000 posts. These are real problems in even the smallest of town.
At my Dad's, it is a small town of only 2K people. I picked up a wireless link with no problem. Lucky for the owner, I only wanted to surf the internet. If I were a hacker, I could have caused them all kinds of misery.
posted on July 7, 2005 03:41:58 PM new
basically, what's wrong with someone using your wireless system is as stated above - let's say someone wants to transmit or receive kiddie porn...they can tap into your unprotected wireless network and use your isp address - and the cops, etc. think you did it.
there are two basic things you can do:
1 - get a WEP (wireless encryption) key
2 - get a password
getting the WEP key is less hassle (no password to type in over and over). if you call your cable company and ask for the networking division, they'll walk you through setting up a WEP key. you then put this key on all your desktop and laptop puters in your home or when your kids come home, you put it on theirs.
this means (there are ways around this but people have to be pretty sophisticated to do it) that ONLY YOU AND THE PEOPLE YOU GIVE THE WEP KEY TO are on your own little "network" that you've created. people not in your inner circle can still "see" your connection (with wireless, you're broadcasting a radio signal), but...they can't get on because they don't have the key.
posted on July 7, 2005 03:43:49 PM new
yeah, lt. ray, i live in a town of about 2k. i can sit here all day long and log on via all of my neighbor's wireless networks all day long if i want to...not good
posted on July 7, 2005 03:54:18 PM new
Google "wifi theft" for some interesting reading.
As for broadcasting your router id, that is an option that can be turned off on most routers. I have it turned it off on mine.
My router still broadcasts, but it can not be seen by a user using Win XP doing an available network search. It also prevents someone from "accidently" using your wifi when they think they are on another system.
If you notice slow transmission periods on your network, you may find your neighbor is using your link because his computer picked up and signed into your router instead of his.
You may also find people who do not want to pay for internet access using your bandwith. It would be awfully sweet of you to provide a stanger internet access for free when it is costing you $30 to $40 a month. Kind of like sharing your phone line with someone who is too cheap to pay a phone bill.
posted on July 7, 2005 04:07:29 PM new
afterthought...actually, WEP is not as secure as i believe it's WAP (tired right now). but not all systems are compatible with it, whereas most anything nowadays should accept a WEP key. http://stores.ebay.com/postcardspostcards
posted on July 7, 2005 06:13:47 PM new
Never heard of it, so I went and looked. I can see it being a big plus for bulk e-mailers and spammers, but I'm not sure why you would want it?
It would put a layer of security between you and the internet, but you would still be vunerable at all points between your system and secure-tunnel.
I don't see how your home network and your connection to your ISP provider would be protected by secure-tunnel.
Looks like they are offering a service that basically provides a mask for you on the web. You would still have to be able to connect to them thru a service provider such as dial-up, cable or DSL and therefore would still have vunerability in those areas.
Let me know how you were thinking of using it and I might be able to see the benefit.
posted on July 7, 2005 06:33:55 PM new
okay, you answered my questions about secure tunnel in what you wrote...just trying to majorly beef up my wireless security here and not as knowledgeable as you are about it.
i don't use linksys per se at all...have created a "mini-network" - for lack of a better description that only has the three puters on it, accessed via the WEP key.
what else would you do to harden my system? i'm behind a couple of firewalls already as well. thanks! (re: the av and anti-spyware, run f-prot, spyware doctor and a bunch of stuff like that, have a little regular maintenance program of sorts that i go through about twice a week while doing listings)
any info re: hardening wireless systems would be greatly appreciated, esp. as my best friend is a firefighter and they just got cable at work and i don't think they even have WEP yet...ironically, in light of today's events in london, he was already scheduled to start teaching a course on homeland security in the morning to some volunteers. so i want to be able to explain WEP and whatever else i can think of to him, the importance of having it on the wireless system system at the small fire station he works at in a remote location.
posted on July 7, 2005 06:45:56 PM new
One of the best things you can do is to enable "MAC Address control" on your wireless network.
This will restrict access to only those specific computers that you list. The computers are identified by their hardware address (also known as the MAC address, not to be confused with the computers from Apple)
Once you do this, random passers-by will not be able to share your wireless network.
Each vendor's router or wireless Access Point has this feature in a different spot on the Admin menus, so you will have to look in the manual to find it. Then you find the MAC address for each of your computers, add it to the list and bingo! you're locked down.
My SMC Barricade wired router also has this feature, under the "DHCP Server" section.
WEP is good protection against signal-sniffing, but MAC address control keeps them off your network.
posted on July 7, 2005 07:22:12 PM new
good point Gaugagaug. I have an older Linksys that is not WAP compatible. I felt much more secure once I read up on MAC and configured it. On my Linksys, I can encript my WEP with a password, but to feel more secure, I set up my MAC address and then copied all the config info of my setup to a backup so I won't have to struggle thru it the next time.
Also, remember to set up wifi configs from a wired port. When you enable WEP and/or MAC, you won't be able to access the router from your wireless laptop until you enter in the new addresses. Of course, I HAD to do it the hard way first .
question. enabling MAC address control, hmmm...that's wonderful! i understand about MACs. no problem with my two desktop puters. is this possible with my laptop and, more importantly, what happens if i take it with me on a trip? does the laptop still work alright, or have i then created crippleware for myself?
You'll be setting up MAC address control on the routers/access points, not on the computers themselves. Essentially, you're telling the router/access point which computers to respond to.
So you'd be adding the MAC address of your laptop to the "allowed" list on the router. Your laptop won't be aware of this and won't have any problem when you're on the road.
You just have to remember that if you get a new computer or a friend/relative is visiting who you WANT to allow to use your network, you'll have to add the new MAC address before it will work.
posted on July 11, 2005 12:38:28 AM new
Secure-tunnel would be useful where you'd worry that your ISP would snoop on your surfing. In a large city that's not really a problem because nosey employees don't know you but it might be a problem if you live in a small town with a mom 'n pop DSL service (like I do). It would also be useful at the workplace if you think your network administrator might be nosey.
[ edited by john2005 on Jul 11, 2005 12:39 AM ]
posted on July 12, 2005 06:41:47 PM new
Click Start ->
Look for "Connect to"->
(Mine shows in the same frame as "Control Panel" and "Set Program Access" )
Show All connections ->
Also, if your wireless is configured, your active taskbar should show an icon that looks like a monitor)) when your link is active.
Holding your mouse over the monitor shows your network connection, status, and signal strenght. Right Click on the icon and you will see "View Available Networks" in the list.
Click there and then the fun begins
Edited because....Smilie gifs "pop in" when you get a ) too close to a " !
[ edited by LtRay on Jul 12, 2005 06:46 PM ]
posted on July 12, 2005 06:56:12 PM new
Well, since I'm here, I will also respond to John.
John, most of us do not need to hide our surfing habits from the spouse or Big Brother.
Paying someone $$$ to hide your surfing is likely to be a sign you are doing something you know you should not be doing in the first place or I guess you could just be extremely paranoid. In either case, something like Secure Tunnel will only slow down your pursuers (and your computer I/O). I doubt it would detain them for long.
All Secure Tunnel does is set up a priority Port that is a different address than the communications protocol normal uses. Then ST "funnels" all your traffic thru that port.
Anyone with a little computer suave` who is curious about your surfing habits can still hack that port.
The only really secure computer is one that is not connect.
posted on July 12, 2005 08:12:37 PM new
I'm hoping someone has the answer for me on setting up my new laptop with my NETGEAR wireless connection.
I've had my desktop linked to the computer in the other room for some time now through Netgear.
I've gone online on the linkup computer and have the WEP passwords in place and have allowed the MAC addresses for both the desktop and the laptop.
The desktop is and has been set-up for about a year with the Netgear wireless adapter and is working just fine.
Just yesterday however I purchased a new Gateway with the built in Wireless network reader. I'm picking up my Netgear but can't seem to get pass the password. I've added the information to my wireless networks and even inputed the password in the network key area. It's still not picking it up and I'm not certain what to do about it or how to fix it. Ugh!
I know the notebook's wireless is working because it's picking up the hotel across the street, albeit faintly. Not enough juice from the hotel to work with.
posted on July 12, 2005 09:01:21 PM new
You can also turn off MAC and WEP on your router long enough to see if that is the problem and then work with it from there.
posted on July 12, 2005 09:31:06 PM new
I did input the new Gatway Mac address into the router. I thought I tried hooking it up with it disabled but then the desktop wasn't reading at that point either. So I had to re-do the Mac and WEP so at least the desktop worked.
posted on July 13, 2005 09:46:35 AM new
just a note in passing...
mainly i thought about secure tunnel because i DO have a small local dial-up service as my backup plan in case the cable fails. the owners are personal friends, but i don't feel it's any of their business about my business. i like my privacy.
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