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Trading Post Member
 
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Last Login: 6/2/2006 11:57 AM
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| gdday, I am a computer illiterate and have been told I should get a wireless connection at home for my computer. I have heard stories about people getting hacked because of their wireless connection. Is this true? If wireless is a good option what should I be looking for?
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Trading Post Newbie
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Last Login: 8/18/2008 9:54 AM
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| just make sure you have your security up to date. norton or mcafee will have a product that protects your system from hijackers!
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Trading Post Member
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Last Login: 6/5/2006 9:17 AM
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You need to look into the security features of your particular wireless products. I have a good friend who lives in a unit complex and regularly picks up at least 3 other peoples wireless set up, it is free internet for him, not so good for the other people though. Its not that hard to secure your connection, simply contact your nearest computer store and they will be happy to discuss security with you.
Ross...
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Trading Post Member
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Last Login: 6/2/2006 8:47 AM
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As long as you follow all the instructions with your router or hub then you can secure the network pretty well. Make sure you apply all the levels of security available. Good routers and hubs have 3 levels to set and you should use these to make things extra secure. These usually involve generating a key that is applied to all network interfaces that want to connect to the wireless network.
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Trading Post Member
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Last Login: 6/2/2006 11:57 AM
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Thanks for you help on this, I found a computer shop close to me and they were pretty helpful.
Thankyou for all your help.
GM
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Trading Post Member
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Last Login: 6/15/2006 3:40 PM
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"People getting hacked because of their wireless connection"... ?? You'll have to be more specific...?
Anyone can get "hacked" regardless of their Internet connection. Providing you have a reliable ISP and some kind of firewall/protection on your PC, I can't imagine why you'd be at risk with a wireless connection any more than you would with a landline connection. When it's in the privacy of your own home, at least.
The only difference between a landline net connection and a wireless one is a single piece of cable. Information travels to and from a modem/router etc regardless of how it's connected to your PC...
Hope that helps a little...
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Trading Post Member
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Last Login: 8/24/2006 11:05 AM
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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.
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Trading Post Newbie
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Last Login: 10/19/2006 9:27 PM
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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.
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Trading Post Member
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Last Login: 9/17/2008 3:01 PM
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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.
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Trading Post Enthusiast
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Last Login: 9/17/2008 10:11 AM
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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?
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