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RE: Pitfalls of wireless access on my computer

prodech — Sat, 06 Sep 2008 18:02:02 GMT

Wireless and wired all have their strengths. I think a mixture of the 2 works well. My main PC is hooked up via ethernet to my wireless router. All the other PCs and peripherals are wireless. Just make sure that you have secured the network (I also add MAC address security) so that little Tommy next door doesnt steal your bandwidth!

Also ensure that all PCs only use limited accounts, keep the admin login for installing new software etc. This also minimises some security issues.

There are plenty of good articles that can help you with setting up a secure network!

Cheers

RE: Pitfalls of wireless access on my computer

kaotikjezta63 — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 18:05:43 GMT

In my opinion,wireless sucks.Not because you get hacked,it is soooo slow and it drops out constantly.Stay wired is my advise.

RE: Pitfalls of wireless access on my computer

paberb — Tue, 27 Nov 2007 11:36:51 GMT

You can put on Pc-Cillin and you can do a lot more with it , than the others because I have used least 1 of them and I did not like it.

RE: Pitfalls of wireless access on my computer

stanley33 — Tue, 26 Jun 2007 09:58:21 GMT

Best bet is to buy a bundle that has everything you need saves money and it makes setup easier, D-Link and Netgear are usually quite reliable.

RE: Pitfalls of wireless access on my computer

pointman — Fri, 22 Jun 2007 14:24:23 GMT

Great thanks, I just went and had a look around some shops on my lunch break is there a particular brand adapter and router anyone would recommend? there seemed to be alot of different brands.

Are they basically all as good as each other? i'm always wary with this kind of stuff.

RE: Pitfalls of wireless access on my computer

stanley33 — Fri, 22 Jun 2007 11:43:01 GMT

Pointman,

All you need to make it happen is a:

• Broadband Internet connection

• Wireless router

• A computer with built-in wireless networking support or a wireless network adapter

Also if you have an older computer you may not already have wireless capabilities built in. If this is the case, then you will need a wireless network adapter.

If you need to purchase an adapter for a desktop computer, buy a USB wireless network adapter. If you have a laptop, buy a PC card-based network adapter.

Make sure that you have one adapter for every computer on your network.

Good luck setting it all up, it will be worth it

RE: Pitfalls of wireless access on my computer

pointman — Fri, 22 Jun 2007 09:39:41 GMT

I recently bought a laptop and I'm interested in setting up a wireless connection so I can share Internet access, files, printers etc across my desktop and laptop - what exactly do i need to make it all happen?

Can anyone reccomend a good set up?

RE: Pitfalls of wireless access on my computer

exitmusic — Fri, 22 Jun 2007 09:22:37 GMT

People can get hacked on a wireless connection mainly because people don’t know how to - or just choose not to - secure their wireless networks. There's plenty of resources on the net that can help if your having any trouble.

RE: Pitfalls of wireless access on my computer

securetec — Thu, 19 Oct 2006 21:43:54 GMT

You might like to use a firewall alongside existing protection, Zone Alarm Internet Security Suite has won many awards with a very good name in the industry you can visit our website at www.zonelabs.com.au

You could also look at the following info from the Microsoft website below;

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/networking/security/wireless.mspx

How to protect your wireless network
Most wireless networks are completely unprotected when you first set them up. However, in just a few minutes, you can protect your wireless network by using the same method banks use to protect your password when you log on to their Web sites: encryption. Encryption scrambles data on your wireless network so that only computers that have the encryption key can read your communications.

You have several choices for wireless encryption:

• 64-bit WEP (Wired Equivalent Protection). The original wireless encryption standard, it is now outdated. The main problem with it is that it can be easily "cracked." Cracking a wireless network means defeating the encryption so that you can establish a connection without being invited.

• 128-bit WEP. An updated, more secure version of the original WEP. However, skilled attackers can still crack 128-bit WEP in a few hours or less, giving them access to your network.

• WPA-PSK (also known as WPA-Personal). A more secure alternative to WEP, but because it is newer, it is not as widely supported. Microsoft Windows XP with Service Pack 2 supports WPA, so this type of encryption is the best choice if you plan to connect only Windows XP computers to your wireless network. However, if you have wireless devices that don't support WPA, such as media extenders or wireless cameras, you'll have to use WEP on your network instead.

You might also see the security method called "WPA-Enterprise." As the name suggests, this method of network encryption is designed for business use. Setup for WPA-Enterprise is more complex than for other types of encryption, and it requires special network infrastructure.

• WPA2. The newest type of wireless encryption, WPA2 provides the highest level of encryption available. WPA2 encryption should be your first choice if your wireless router and all of your wireless computers and devices support it.

Even though one type of encryption may be better than another, any type will dramatically improve your network's security by making you a more difficult target.

Tip: To learn the quickest and easiest way to protect your wireless network, read Set up a wireless network and follow the steps in the sections "Configure your wireless router" and "Connect your computers and devices." The article walks you through the process of configuring your network to use 128-bit WEP.

RE: Pitfalls of wireless access on my computer

ketchupwarrior — Thu, 24 Aug 2006 11:13:53 GMT

ding. what Cowgrrl said.

If you're running XP and have it up to date, you can secure your wireless network using WPA-PSK and it'll be sweet.