As part of my MBA program we are given laptops with built in wireless so I figured I would set up a wireless network at home. Right now I'm sitting on the patio smoking a cigar and surfing the web. I should have done this long ago!
Gotta love wireless
- Thread starter Slammer
- Start date
I'm with you Slammer. I'm in my garage right now experimenting with a new coffee roaster. I'd be smoking a cigar too, normally, but I'm having to keep up with time and temps so I can't have the distraction. I do get time to hit the "new posts" button from time to time though! Wireless is great.
Slammer - Be sure to enable WEP w/ 128 bit encryption, turn of broadcast ssid and use a hex key.
Someone on Monday used my wireless router to try to hack into my ISP's server and they shut my account down. They said that I would be liable for any damage done to their server (they can try...) but my point is that you should secure your signal.
.
Someone on Monday used my wireless router to try to hack into my ISP's server and they shut my account down. They said that I would be liable for any damage done to their server (they can try...) but my point is that you should secure your signal.
.
Todd,wasch_24 said:
In your manual for the router, there will be an IP address to access the router settings.
ex: http://196.88.0.1
This is where you set up all the security with your router. There usually is a "wizard" that will walk you through most of it.
.
Wasch_24
2005 BoY
Yeah, I have done all that. I was just wondering if the only way to check if it is working is to bring another laptop or wireless device into the home and try and get on the network.N2Advnture said:
Basically to "test" the security.
One of the reasons I haven't been too worried about it is that where I live I'd mostly only have to worry about my neighbors tapping into mine. Some of them I know don't even have computers and none of them have teenagers. There's nowhere for anyone to park close enough to jack into it without raising major suspicion in the neighborhood. I've heard that with a "pringles can" antenae someone could get in from miles away but until I figure out how to secure it I'm not going to worry too much.
cvm4
BoM - July '05 & Dec. '10
How hard is this to install? I plan on gettin a Lap Top Dell soon but all of our computers (3 total) in the house go through one router. Would it be possible to install wireless on my computer and then transfer it somehow to the cable router, etc. I have no clue what to do and more then likely I'll have to pay someone to set it up.
Wasch_24
2005 BoY
It is really easy. Once you buy the wireless router you connect the cable that currently connects the PC (whichever PC is most convenient) to the modem to the router instead. The router will come with a cable to connect the modem to the router. If every PC in the house currently has it's own modem you are done. If they all feed from a single modem you just connect them to the router instead.
WEP is easily broken with tools available from the 'net. I use MAC authentication on mine instead. That way the router will only allow machines with addresses that I type in to connect. I checked it with my other laptop and it works great. You can't see the MAC address from the outside so anyone that tries to get on mine is screwed.Slammer said:
I was outside tonight and noticed two other wide open routers though. My neighbor is one I think and I have no idea where the other one is but it's close.
My uncle does that. He has cable internet and doesn't care of other people are using it cause he probably wouldn't notice anyway. At least it gives a war driver an idea of which house it iswasch_24 said:
I changed the ssid and default password on mine so its safe. My e-mail etc goes through encryption on its own, so I don't worry
Except that you can sniff those easily with the tools available now. If you're using web-based email like Hotmail I agree. If you're using port 465 (SSL) to an encrypted email host (using Outlook, Mozilla/Netscape or something like that) you're fine but if you're using the default port 25, that goes across the wire/air in clear text. Your password can be sniffed in minutes.