Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2007/01/08
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]I learnt the hard way - I'm convinced the kid next door was surfing hard through my un-secured wireless. Cost me a couple of hundred in excess download fees, back when I had a limited plan. Caused me to switch ISPs of course. Some ISPs have figured out that the quickest way to lose customers is to charge excess fees. Better to just throttle their speed right back when they hit their limit. So, I now have the Apple Airport Extreme set up so that: - it allows only our laptops to connect; - it requires an encrypted password to connect; - it doesn't broadcast its presence. If you don't know the name of the network, you can't even find it. Nice 'n secure (I think)! I couple of years back I was at a love-in conference for the week. Venue - a luxurious winery with the most wonderful and generous hosts. During the week they set up a wireless system for their admin computers. At an after dinner wine tasting session I opened my laptop and it found the network, totally insecure. "Do you want to join the network 'Winery'?" I read aloud. "Yeah, I guess so. Perhaps I can check my emails." The host heard me and tuned in, curious as to the result. "Right. Yep, I can see some folders. Finances, Clients, Staffing, .. Yep, I'm in. I'm into 'Fran'." Quick as a flash the host cried, "That's my wife, you cad!" Next morning we talked about security. The computer dudes who set it up for him hadn't even mentioned it. Rick. On 09/01/2007, at 10:53 AM, Harrison McClary wrote: > Also there is something called MAC ID filtering which if you set it > correctly will allow only the "allowed" IDs to connect. Each > computer or device has a MAC ID, look on the back at the back or in > the bios to find it. If you are using a Linksys this is all easy > to set up. Oh and be sure to change the default user name and > password. > > G Hopkinson wrote: >> Hi David, you'll need to check out the manual for your router. >> There are several security options for wireless. The simplest is >> called WEP. WPA is better. Either is WAAY better than none. Unless >> you don't mind people accessing your network and/or stealing your >> bandwidth. >> It's a fairly big subject and I am only an amateur. Obviously a >> lot of variables with which operating system you have and the >> router. Assuming Windows XP, there is a lot of info in the help >> etc and wizards to set up the connections. >> Goggle is your friend! >> Cheers >> Hoppy > > > -- > Harrison McClary > Harrison McClary Photography > harrison@mcclary.net > http://www.mcclary.net > ImageStockSouth - Stock Photography > http://www.imagestocksouth.com > Tobacco Road: Personal Blog: > http://web.mac.com/whmcclary/iWeb/tobacco-road/Blog/Blog.html > > _______________________________________________ > Leica Users Group. > See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information