Wireless routing question...............help!

[TRAVLINLOT]

After a couple of years sitting in my bedroom at my PC, I've decided to purchase a laptop (with wireless modem) and a "wireless router" for my DSL connection - now I can sit in my living room (comfortably) for a change! How can I be sure my neighbors aren't receiving the wireless signal I'll send to and from my Router to my laptop? If something is transmitted over the airways, why couldn't anyone with a wireless modem within the 100 or so feet receive them too? Help and education needed for the Internet impaired, please !!

[OneFinger]

Boy, that's exactly the same question I have. Looking forward to the responses.

 

But, I really think this is a signficant enough question to in the Lounge where it may be more responses. Not sure how many people look here.

[ErikMcAlister]

They can use your internet access, but not (without lots of effort) tell what sites you're visiting. Why would they care?

If you're concerned about someone "stealing" your access to the internet, just go into the router administrator & restrict access to your wireless card's MAC address, or require a WEP password.

[eastbayguy]

Check and make sure your wireless router has NAT, DHCP, a hardware firewall and so forth in it. (Don't worry about what they do, just make sure your alphabet soup has the right letters in it.) As was noted, turn on the password or encryption or something. Most of these devices have a screen you can review to see who all is using your wireless hub.

 

Yes, anyone nearby can receive (and use) your wireless signal. All sorts of bad things can happen. In reality, things rarely go wrong. Security by obscurity is valid. Unless Phiber Optik is one of your neighbors, I wouldn't loose just a ton of sleep over it. While there are lots of scary stories, the vast majority of people never have trouble.

 

Last Thanksgiving, my neighbor (retired) had all their kids/grand kids/great grand kids in for the holiday. They had the cable company install a cable modem and a wireless hub. For reasons we have never quite figured out, no one could connect to their hub and everyone connected automagically to mine. (Which was running unsecured.) I noticed it when I my connection slowed to a crawl and I began poking around to see what was going on. After the clan departed, I turned on encryption. Haven't had trouble since. I did end up giving my neighbor's son my encryption password last time he was in town, as he still can't connect to the wireless port at his folk's house.

 

Isn't technology fun?

 

--EBG

 

P. S. I will assemble a little list of utilities you can run now and again to make sure things are reasonably secure.

[+ deej]

You're wise to have concerns, but don't go overboard. :-) Follow EBG's advice and you'll be fine.

[Skyyguy]

Check out linksys.com there are several links there that talk about how to setup a secure wireless network. They even have wizards that will help you out. Spend the extra $10 on Linksys. Don't get a cheap no name brand. Look for rebates at Circuit City and best buy, or order online for best price. Just enabling WEP, changing default passwords will keep out 80% of the hackers.