What would you do if someone borrowed your phone to prank call innocent people, perhaps to some of your friends and family? Would you try to gain control of your phone again?
What would you do if someone borrowed your car to drive recklessly through neighborhoods and scare parents and kids, perhaps even your friends and family? Would you try to gain control of your car again?
What would you do if someone borrowed your computer to download child pornography? What if they used your computer to write statements on the Internet that ridiculed your religion or even you as a person? Would you try to gain control of your computer again?
If you have a router or broadband modem with wireless capability, and you have not taken steps to secure that wireless access point, you are probably living in that third scenario.
Routers and broadband modems (such as those from DSL and cable Internet providers) are setup to make it as easy as possible for consumers to get online wirelessly. I can understand the company’s can quickly lose customers if the setup becomes too difficult. However, the trade off for setup ease is an insecure wireless access point.
Did you know that your wireless access signal can extend beyond your house walls and out to the street? Your next door neighbors and anyone parked nearby can open their laptops and see your wireless signal.
These are the four ways you can inadvertently create a free Internet on-ramp with your wireless access point:
- If you have not set any encryption, or setup the weaker WEP encyrption option instead of the stronger WPA encryption (or even stronger WPA2 encryption).
- If you have no username or password to access the Internet.
- If you have not changed the router/modem’s default username and password to access the Internet.
- If you have not changed router/modem’s password in a long time.
Why?
- WEP encryption is easily hacked, WPA encryption is much stronger.
- Setting no username or password to get online in your home makes it just as easy for someone outside your home to get online as it is for you.
- The default usernames and passwords for all routers and modems are widely published online, so it does not take much effort for someone outside your home to try the defaults and gain access through your home.
- Software can sniff analyze information being sent between your computer and your router/modem, and can eventually crack your username and password. Changing your router/ modem password once a month will help secure your wireless signal.
Notice how I started this article with three examples of someone using your device, and that each of those devices have a means to be traced back to you (not the person who actually caused the problems)? The phone has the traceable phone number, the car has the traceable license plate, and the person surfing on your wireless access broadcasts an IP address traceable back to … you!
When the federal government (and increasingly ISPs and vigilante volunteer groups) notices child pornography being downloaded, the IP address points to YOUR home, not to the person surfing from your curb.
When the RIAA or MPAA searches bittorrent seeds to generate copyright lawsuits, it is YOUR IP address they see, not the person surfing from your curb.
When a nasty message appears on a website like IdahoFallz.com, it is YOUR IP address I see and report to your ISP, not the person surfing from your curb.
Regarding anonymity at IdahoFallz.com, I have noticed most anonymous commenters and writers conduct themselves maturely. They chose our anonymous path because they are concerned about unwarranted retribution for their beliefs, not because they want to libel and be mean and cause heartaches.
The few anonymous commenters and chatters at IdahoFallz.com that do libel others and are mean and try to cause heartaches, when I report the IP address to the ISP it always turns out to be a person who had an unsecured wireless access point! The person is usually someone who never heard of IdahoFallz.com, and sometimes is member of the religion that was being attacked by the person who surfed on their access!
If you want to protect yourself from illegal content being downloaded through your wireless online access, and/or if you want to cut off your access as an avenue someone might use to attack your own beliefs (or even you or family members), then please secure your wireless access point!
Securing your wireless access should take less than five minutes. After you have done it once and are familiar with the process, it should only take 20 seconds to turn your wireless on or off, and to change your password.
If you have no idea how to secure your wireless router/modem, please feel free to post a comment with your ISP provider and your modem name (and model # if possible), and I and others will comment back the instructions.
You can make your home more secure, protect yourself from implication in criminal activities, and you can make IdahoFallz.com a more pleasant site for your local discussions if you secure your wireless access.
Please use the Email this to a friend link below to send this article to friends, family, and co-workers who may have unsecured wireless Internet. Please go to those peoples’ homes and help them secure their access. Please link to this article from your own blog, magazine, newspaper, or news broadcast, or write your own version.
This problem really is that important.
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{ 81 comments… read them below or add one }
I illustrated the scenario of someone surfing your online access from the curb, but this happens a lot in apartment complexes.
The problem is even worse in an apartment complex, because there are usually many tenants with unsecured wireless points. A person can freely surf a number of unsecured Internet accounts from inside their apartment.
I may take a laptop around Idaho Falls and report on the areas where I find unsecured online access.
Unless a local news reporter beats me to it (hint hint).
I used to live in a place where the guy above me had an unsecured wireless network. I was able to surf on a t3 for months before he moved and I had to get my own dang internet. What a jerk!
Ah, the joys of dial-up. . .
I have cable internet at home as I live in a wireless dead zone here in town. I’ve tried Microserv, Teton, and Keyon and none can even get a signal at my house or anywhere in a block radius. None of them have a clue why its a dead zone. Cell phone reception is lousy here too.
To the point though, I have a laptop I use in my car. I access other peoples wireless all the time. I never do anything harmful but its utterly amazing at how many unsecured wireless connections are out there both homeowner and business alike.
This very issue even came up in the TV show Veronica Mars last year. A student was in very hot water for some hate speech things he had done on the net. Veronica started sleuthing and realized that he had an unsecured wireless and it was actually his neighbor. Even though its fictional its a good example of what can happen. Not all people are going to be like me and play nice while we are piggybacking on your signal.
Some people are happy to share their wireless access with neighbors. That is certainly their right.
Keep in mind, though, that the more computers connected to your wireless signal, the slower your own connection will be.
You may discover your speed increases after securing your wireless signal, because others are not surfing on your same connection.
If you do want to share your connection, then still secure it and only give a password to the people who you want to share it with.
Hey Joe
I could help with that driving around town finding the unsecured wireless connections. There used to be one that I could get from my house. Just as Jeremy did!
I’m pretty sure my internet connection is OK because we have to have a password to get on. I’ll check that WEP stuff though…
Unlike “Hotspots”, piggybacking IS illegal according to the Communications Act 2003.
Like Joe stated, the best way to secure your wireless connection is through WPA. But it is amazing how many people set up their wireless routers without any protection whatsoever!
But don’t think for a minute that just because you’re piggybacking someone elses connection that you can’t be found. Most routers will allow you to log onto the router and look at all the MAC addresses of pc’s that are accessing your router. It will also list all the incoming and outgoing IP’s, ports/protocols.
The problem is, MOST users that have a wireless router and have not set up any security, won’t know how to look up who’s piggybacking their wireless connection anyways.
But there is a freeware program out there called “Airsnare” that will pretty much do the same thing.
Don’t pay for someone else to access the internet on YOUR dime! It’s one thing to access “hotspots” legally, but piggybacking is stealing and we shouldn’t have to pay for those people who are too cheap to purchase highspeed access for themselves.
Just MY opinion!
Another issue is that many people do not use wireless access in their homes, but many routers and modems are preconfigured to enable the open wireless access when they turn on.
This is again part of company’s trying to make it easier for consumers to use their products.
However, if your computers are all wired into the router/modem, you should shut off the wireless.
Leaving the wireless enabled when you don’t need it is making you unnecessarily vulnerable.
Also, for an example of how anyone can hack into and ride your wireless Internet, watch ‘The Broken’ video episode 1 here: http://revision3.com/thebroken
Be aware they have mucho profanity in the episode, but they show how easy ‘wardriving’ is. Was. That episode was shot about 3-4 years ago, so the tools have only gotten more sophisticated since then.
Also changed since then is their video depicts them getting excited over finding 3-5 access points. I heard Kevin Rose talking about that a few weeks back, laughing because now you can find hundreds of access points in a city.
Good point Joe.
The fact of the matter is there really is no reason for there to be SO many people out there with unsecure internet access. If you’re going to spend the time and money to get a router for your home network, or a wireless router for your cable modem so you can roam around the house with your laptop, take 5 minutes (& that’s all it really takes) to secure your network.
And for those of you who must have high speed wireless access, there are so many wireless hotspots around IF there’s really no reason to be stealing someone elses.
You also have no idea if some hacker is leaving their network “open” to piggybackers just so they can access your system & steal your personal information or set up shop by using your hard drive for storage without your knowledge. But hey…what goes around comes around right?
I have cable one, the wireless cable router. Motorola SBG 900. I had it set up to prevent someone else from using it, but now it is showing as unsecured wireless. Not sure what to do.
The surfboard?
I found the Motorola SBG900 quickstart guide here:
http://broadband.motorola.com/consumers/products/SBG900/downloads/SBG900_Quick_Install%20_Guide.pdf
Open your browser, type 192.168.100.1 in the address bar, hit enter.
The login screen: enter your username and password if you have changed it, the default is admin / motorola (case sensitive)
Look at that, top of page 13: “The SBG900 firewall and wireless security measures are disabled by default.” Therein lies the problem.
And that is as far as the quickstart instructions go.
Reading the same product’s user guide:
http://broadband.motorola.com/consumers/products/SBG900/downloads/SBG900_User_Guide.pdf
These instructions recommend you connect to the modem via wired, not wireless. That makes sense cuz you don’t want to be connected wirelessly and make a mistake.
Looks like pages 65-76 of that user guide have all the security steps. I would describe the steps, but they also provide some screenshots.
Let us know if you have any issues.
Any other router/modems and model numbers for anyone else?
Any other comments about the whole wireless (non)security issue?
I was thinking about the whole “drive around and find unsecured connections” thing, and wouldn’t that just generate a list that some people would use just to piggyback? Perhaps listing the locales shouldn’t be done, maybe just “we found ‘x’ number of unsecured wireless connections in ‘y’ part of town”
Doh! Logic!
Ronin-
Brilliant, I tell you, brilliant!
Hey, I was looking on how to secure my wireless internet on my laptop. I stumbled on the article by Joe Vandal about the unsecured wireless internet. My computer knowledge is basic, but trying to increase it, (still no where near capabilities to secure my wireless
I have a toshiba laptop with my ISP of sierra wireless (cingular), model # psmbou-15007 … Can some one assist me please? much thanks!
I could not find information for a “psmbou-15007″.
What kind of broadband is it? DSL or Cable with wireless router? A purely wireless provider? Is it cellular or WiFi connection or ?
I googled ’sierra wireless’, a cingular provider, and clicked on their support page, but they do not list a product resembling the model described.
I would suggest in this instance to call your provider, ask for tech support, and ask them for instructions to secure your signal.
If you find out, please post back to let us know what solution you found.
Well actually wifi usually needs to be secured at the base station, the device where your broadband enters your home and then broadcasts the shorter-range wifi signal to your laptop. I do not believe it gets secured in your laptop, which is considered just a client station.
So it sounds like you surf via the aircard, and you do not have a router in your home? Your connection is via cell tower? I do not think you have anything to secure then, because you are not broadcasting a wifi signal that anyone can piggyback onto.
You are probably fine right now, but you should still call your ISP and ask if there’s any way someone could piggyback your connection and steal your bandwidth.
Sounds like your accessing the internet through Cingulars data connect service. (which uses your cell phone as the “base station”) When they sent you your pc card, an instruction manual should have been included. Look in the manual to find out how to secure your wireless connection or call them directly at 800-331-0500.
May I ask why you chose to use Cingular for internet access? Unless you do alot of traveling and need access to the internet in out of the way places that don’t have WiFi hotspots, it seems like a waste of money. I do quite a bit of traveling myself and have never had a problem finding internet access at either the job I’m going to, the hotel I’m staying at, or a “hotspot” in the town I’m visiting. Even most airports these days have free access throughout the airport for travelers to access the internet.
I have Cingular cell phone svc as well and I checked their pricing for the wireless cards last year and it was pretty expensive. I ended up going with CableOne’s broadband service with a wireless router so I can roam around the house if need be.
But I have never needed a wireless card for access whenever traveling. Most libraries offer free wireless access, as well as places I noted above: airports, hotels,coffee shops etc. I mean unless you like sitting at the park and surfing the web, it’s really an expensive price to pay to access the internet. Not to mention you’re not going to get as fast or dependable download speeds then if you went with regular DSL(phone line) or better yet Cable broadband access.
Regardless, you’ll definately want to secure your connection. I would read the manual first and if that’s too confusing, then call the number I gave you. Cingular is usually pretty good about giving you easy to follow intructions on the products they sell.
Good luck & let us know how it turns out!
Awwww… Mr. Vandal, God bless you my friend….I could hug you!!! in fact, if there is such a thing of an Internet hug ( when i get my “Dummie’s” book, i’ll check for that) i would/will send them to you! My sincere gratitude for your kindness in sharing your knowlege with me in regards to my inquiries. I will take your advice in contacting my isp just to be safe…. Many thanks and kind regards
awwww, two angels to help me…. firstly, thank you Chrisr671 for your assistance as well. 2ndly, let me give you some answers to some of your ?’s. As I am sure you can tell, my knowledge in the whole technological aspect of things is minimal. I did some research before I bought through cingurlar. But after reading your comment, I guess I should have done a bit more
, All the LINGO and Jargon gets confusing after a while.. N e who, the other providers i checked were about the same price as cingular if not more. So, i figured since i already have my cell phone service I might as well go with them for my wireless internet service too. ( i didn’t stumble on Cable One, do you mind me asking what their prices are?)
I got the card, cuz it seemed like everytime when I did go to some hot spot, I couldnt get a connection to get on to the internet… (or more so it said i was “enabled” but when i click onto internet explorer I kept getting the “this page cannot be displayed.”)
As far as speed with cingular, from what i was told, they dont go broadband (or a bit faster then broadband) until this coming June, so my speed right now is about 2x’s the speed of dial up. Well, i think that was all… o yeah, one last thing,,, i didnt get a manual per se, I didnt get it through the mail… I went directly to the cingular store,(which i got the pc card, and cd to install the software)… i guess ill have to check on the site, or better yet i guess ill just call the number you so graciouly provided for me already. Thanks thanks thanks kind Sir
p.s i do travel here and there… but i think now i will be traveling even more so…to some local parks
If you go onto Cingulars website, you can look up all the information regarding your sierra card and if I remember corretly you can download their manual in PDF format.
The “this page cannot be displayed” is usually an easy fix. You just have to adjust your settings. go into Tools, internet options and click on the security tab. If your security setting is set to “high” that usually gives you that message. Set it to medium. If after doing that you still get that message, it could be your firewall or antivirus program. Those can be easily adjusted as well.
As for Cable One, I’m only paying 39.95 right now for 3MB speed. If you want 1.5MB it’s only 29.95 and 4 & 5 MB are each 10 dollars more.(49 & 59.95) Their service is very dependable. I’ve been with CableOne now for almost a year and have had no problems so far. (knock on wood!)
Good luck with everything. And if you have any more problems or questions just come on back, Joe is the wizard in this area so he’ll be able to help you out if need be.
I think you should also be aware that if you are piggybacking and the person who owns the router is “wise to its ways”, there is the possibility of them being able to see what’s on your computer as well. If your PC is set up to share files for other reasons, you may be vulnerable yourself. Just a thought.
Any other questions about securing your wireless connection?
Anyone learn how to secure their wireless signal from their ISP?
Anyone still have an unsecured wireless signal at their home?
Hi im teen with tech knowledge that is higher than most but way lower then any expert
Im connecting to wireless internet connection from the router in my house so wait your(ppl here in general) saying THAT ALL HISTORY can found from the routr URL HISTORY
Im not doing anything illegal or really bad however i dont want anyone esspecially my parents invading my piracy .
So i ask
Is what your telling m that anyone given the know how could find any url and history even if I delete all temp history recent cookies and etc.. files
Sorry lent me at further detail about myself
Im teen amateur comp skills AND IM BAD WITH grammer and spelling
I am just getting my wireless router up and running. It is a Linksys G. I am hard wiring it to my desktop and then want to access the internet through my laptop.
The router came with Norton, both computers have Mcaffee, one comes with the cable subscription and one came with the computer.
1. I’m not sure if my laptop is connected to the network. (still working on this)
2. When the laptop is connected does it need to have seperate internet security, like the Mcaffee already installed? Or does the main computer connected to the router need to be where the security is?
You have to login to the router’s interface, and turn on the wireless option. If you cannot find a wireless option anywhere, your modem may not have that function. You can test if your laptop is connected by opening a browser and loading google.
Generally in Windows you will see an icon in the lower right corner that looks like a box with airwaves coming off it, or an antenna with airwaves. Double click it and it should show you all available local wireless networks. You want to look for the one named like yours.
For security, I recommend using the Windows built-in firewall, the router acts as a hardware firewall on by default, and running spybot search and destroy along with lavasoft ad-aware.
For the wireless connection, WEP is better than nothing, but not much better. WPA or WPA2 is much better. If WPA2 isn’t working, try WPA; they are different.
I need help securing my wireless internet. I have cable, high speed . The router is a LINKSYS model WRT54G V8. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Thank You.
Here are the main things you need to do to secure your router.
Type this address into your browser: 192.168.1.1 then hit ENTER. You should see the router’s login screen. The defaults are Login: (leave blank) Password: admin
1. IMMEDIATELY change the default password! Leave the login name blank but change the password to anything, up to 32 characters long.
2. Turn off SSID broadcast. This prevents the router from advertising its name to your neighbors.
3. Change the default SSID name to something other than “linksys”. Write down the name you use.
4. Enable MAC filtering. Enter the MAC address of the computers you want to allow to use the router. To get the mac address of your computer, click START then RUN. Enter either CMD or COMMAND then hit ENTER. Type, ipconfig /all and hit ENTER. Write down the 12 digit Physical Address for your computer. It will look something like this: 0A-BF-14-F2-35-20.
5. Do this step last) Turn on encryption. Use WPA-PSK since it’s the easiest and most secure mode for a home user. Enter a passkey and remember it. You’ll also need to set up each computer you use with this router to use the same encryption mode and enter the passkey when connecting to the router. I think the Linksys Version 8 will do WPA. If not, use WEP with shared key since it’s better than nothing (but not as secure).
6. Click “Apply” to save all settings.
7. After turning on the encryption you’ll lose contact with the router. Set your computer’s wireless adapter to the same settings then reboot. You should now be able to connect with the WPA passkey. Once connected you can login to the router again using the new password you set up.
If you’re not comfortable tweaking these settings yourself, get someone to help you. It’s pretty easy to screw up the encryption settings if you’re not familiar with how it works. I’ve also seen some Linksys routers just refuse to function at times even though everything is set up right. They can be quirky and unreliable. I use D-link routers myself and have been really impressed with them.
Here is an older Linksys user manual. It isn’t the V8 but the basic setup should be the same. The link is: ftp://ftp.linksys.com/pdf/wrt54g.pdf
Great instructions CafeDelSol! This is a popular and reliable router.
#2: I hear different things about this idea. Others will still see the signal, just no name on it right?
The Mac filtering is good, as I understand it helps by only allowing the devices with the mac addresses you tell it.
The encryption is really key to the security here, though. It took a few minutes for me to get the WPA handshake to work, but it’s been great ever since.
The WEP security is like closing the door but not having any lock on it. WEP can now be cracked in less time than it takes to input your key and enter the network legitimately.
WPA can be cracked only so far as if you use a weak password, like a dictionary name. Use a mix of letters and numbers and you should be fine.
Joe, that’s a very good point regarding ALL passwords. Always use a mix of letters and numbers, and most programs these days recognize capital letters, so always throw some of those into the mix as well.
How horrifying. What if someone should use my hammer to bash someone’s brains in? I’d better keep that under lock and key… It’s an evil, predator infested world where everyone means harm and will use your things to continue the onslaught!! How terrible it is in Idaho Falls!
To make your example analogous to router security, it’s like someone took your hammer to bash brains in, but your fingerprints were left on the handle. That is what happens when someone piggybacks your WIFI to conduct illicit activities.
I wanted to point out a poorly done story by KPVI 6 this week on wireless security:
http://www.kpvi.com/Global/story.asp?S=7478092&nav=menu546_2_1
I don’t know what “expert” they consulted, but it was bad advice.
They do a good job of explaining some of the dangers of an unsecured wireless signal, so good on them to educate people on that.
However their advice to secure it was poor and would leave you at more risk! The only advice they had was to shut off your SSID broadcast, which is what broadcasts your signal name. I’ve heard multiple times that this is a waste of time because the signal can still be seen and hacked into.
They say to pick a name for your router that nobody is going to guess, which is somewhat good advice. When I see “netgear” or “linksys” I can tell that will be signal easily hacked into because if the user didn’t bother to change the name then they probably didn’t bother to set security. However this does nothing to secure your router, it just makes you a slightly less attractive target.
KPVI 6 mentions one line of “Setup network passwords that aren’t easy to guess…” without suggesting what makes a password strong or weak. Strong passwords are not dictionary words, they contain a mix of upper and lowercase letters and numbers.
Then KPVI 6 goes into viruses infecting your computer and that you can get a virus from websites like MySpace. I have no idea what they think viruses have to do with router security, so I wanted to clarify the truth in case anyone was misinformed by that KPVI 6 piece.
The number one thing you can do to secure your router, and possibly the only thing you need to do, is to enable encryption using WPA, and use a strong password. Period.
I always recommend to home users that they avoid wireless completely if they don’t really need it since that’s the best way to guarantee security of your connection. If you’re going wireless you NEED to take security seriously and most home users don’t, either because they don’t think it’s really necessary or just out of laziness.
For either wireless or wired internet connections it’s always better if you use a router between your modem and your computer, even if you only have one computer. The router is actually the best defense for the home user against internet hackers in general since it is a hardware connection and your computer is invisible behind it. Nobody can probe your computer’s ports for security holes if they can’t find your computer!
A hardwired router also needs to be secured. Start your browser and enter this address to enter your router’s setup: 192.168.0.1. First, change the default password. Then turn off the setting that says, “Enable WAN Ping Respond”. This won’t let your router reply to internet pings, making you hard to find for random hackers.
Another thing that contributes to the high level of lax security on home computers is that most of the cable technicians who install high speed cable modems know NOTHING about internet or security issues. This should be required training for those guys since this is a critical area that affects the cable company itself, not just the customer. When a malicious worm or gets loose it can bring down an entire segment of the internet. Every customer should receive a security briefing when they get their high speed connection installed. Most just plug it in and start surfing, immediately opening themselves up to every hacker on the planet.
The problem with securing your wireless router is a smart person can hide his mac address and also use a router bot to crack the security. I would recomend not to broadcast the name. That would prevent hacks. You do not even need to put a password on. If your sid isnt being broadcasted and its unnamed a hacker usualy wont even know you exist. Another good method is to install a shared folder security program that will let you password protect all of your files and folders. Information is the key to the universe that will unlock all of its secrets. The laws of attraction will grant all of your wishes and also give you everything you do not want. Be mindfull of hyour feelings because they will manifest into real things.
Actually if a hacker is using a simple packet sniffer tool, using MAC filtering and turning off SSID will do absolutely nothing for you. It will only stop casual snoopers or your neighbor who is too cheap to pay for his own internet access. The only way to assure real security for a home wireless connection is to use strong encryption. This means either WPA-PSK or the newer WPA2. If your wireless router only uses the older WEP encryption it can be broken in about 5 minutes by your aunt Martha. In other words, it’s useless and you should throw it away and buy a newer model.
Even WPA-PSK can be broken if you don’t use a strong passkey. This would be at least 10 characters using random letters, numbers and other characters. The newer WPA2 uses AES encryption and is supposedly rock solid. Only problem is it requires newer hardware so many home users won’t have it on their existing system. The newer N routers like my D-Link Rangebooster all come with it.
I listen to the Security Now! podcast with Steve Gibson, and he always rails against a “UPnP” setting in modern routers. UPnP I guess is used by few software applications but a lot for XBox and Playstation online gaming, I guess it makes it much easier to play those online.
So he always says what an insecurity it is, and a couple weeks ago reported that malware is now showing up in some computers which gained access to computers via enabled UPnP.
I logged into my Linksys router, hit the “Administration” tab at the top, and the UPnP was the bottom setting on that administration page. It was enabled, I selected disabled and saved the setting. I hope my router is more secure now?!
Another thing about routers, there was recently a bad vulnerability in Windows 2000, XP, and yes Vista which could bypass all known firewalls. Microsoft pushed out the update in the last week or two so make sure you run windows update on your machine. The only computers NOT at risk were those behind a router! So there is another great reason to buy yourself a $50 or $60 router, even if you only have one computer.
hi i would like to get wireless do i just buy a router and i get signal or how? please explain
yes, you need a router….but what service do you currently log online with? Cableone, Keyon, etc? Routers are really easy to hook up, just follow the instructions that came in the box and dont forget to secure your network. It will tell you all about it in the directions…..just don’t leave it “open” so anyone can piggyback on your connection.
I just saw the one I have, the Linksys WRT54G is still selling at walmart for $50.
I’m encouraging everyone with XP to get a router now, even if you only have one computer at home. There was an exploit several weeks ago which could get past Windows firewall, but not a router.
(comment deleted by admin for inappropriate language)
I nominate comment #44 for removal by the volunteer moderator(s). No point to the comment and no reason to have it sitting here all coiled up and hissing.
comment 44-
comment 44- what is it you are” doing right now from the hospital”? stealing
secured info ?I dont get it please explain
ditto to nemesis………
Comment #44 deleted. Language like that will not be tolerated.
Wow.. PiggyBacking… it is illegal to cause damage, enter and/or deny access or criminal harm to one’s SECURED network but to access someones secured network requires time and is called “hacking” but accessing one’s UNsecured network and not causing harm at all is legal… if you leave a couch in the steet i can considerate mine and take it cause it’s on public property.. as long as you not on there property your OK
get netsniffer and go war driving it’s funny to see how many people are open it’s your responsibilty as a wifi access holder to lock it up if not then it’s completely open to the public… if you don’t like it then take your part to take care of it on your end don’t go blowing you mouth saying it’s illegal *Cough* Chrisr67 *cough*
Hi:
This sky is falling atttude is ruining the net. I leave my wirless open so others can use it. I don’t call it unsecu7re I call it open.
You want all to pay and pay and pay with your dumb point of view.You are silly.
Ron
Your theory of “leaving it open for others to use” isn’t very smart. Leaving you connection “open” also allows hacker to gain access to your system and all your files. Not only that, allowing others to piggyback on your connection, also slows down your system. So if you’re downloading music, videos or just surfing the net, all those other people using your connection are also using your bandwidth. If you don’t have anything important on you pc than you don’t need to worry, but what you do need to worry about is people accessing other sites to do harmful acts and/or computer crimes. Guess who their going to come visit when these people get busted….thats right, YOU! But I’m ok with it if you are. Have fun!
msn
dlink wbr 1310 (b1)
Very useful and informative article on theft of internet signal and how its misuse would land you in danger. It is time to wake up and turn off your wireless capability or at least, secure it.
I read something interesting today, in an AP piece about online banking: the risk isn’t in giving out your info to the bank (fair enough, you just need to stay away from phishing scams via your email and not give info to anyone who you didn’t contact) …..but that, because all your account info, etc., is now in your computer, that a virus or spyware could enable someone to access that info…that is pretty risky, IMO.
The only “suggestion” (admittedly, no security program can keep up with the ever-evolving online scams/hacking that go on) was to have separate browsers installed, one for fun and games and then a second one for the serious stuff like banking….
Uh, no thanks. Call me old-fashioned, but I will stick to a real bank and paper checks, money, etc.
I pay quite a few bills online,(as I have for many years now) but I don’t keep any of my personal and/or account information saved on my pc. I re-enter my account information and passwords each and every time I pay a bill. After said bill is paid, I than log off the site and clear my cache, cookies, etc. This way, if by chance somebody does happen to get into my system, they’re not going to find personal information about me or my accounts.
If someone does use your unsecured wireless account to commit a crime, their mac number will differ from yours; which will absolve you from the crime. If they used a Proxy server to access your account, authorities can still check your computer for past activities. If that proxy service wasn’t used by your computer then, you and your computer are innocent. Even if you accessed that proxy service it would be pretty difficult to connect you to the crime without the help of the proxy administration.
Except for something called “MAC address spoofing”, where they can easily make their hardware look like your hardware in the records.
Just secure your wireless signal please.
If you have a router (a hardware “firewall”), you don’t need to be concerned about that potential spoof.
I have set up a secured wireless network with WPA and a password, and every time after about a week the internet first changes its name back to linksys. Then soon after the internet becomes unsecured. This has happened to me many times. I reinstalled it many times too.. I want to start using ebay, but I am not sure if its safe with thepaypal/credit card and all…
Call your internet provider. It sounds like something associated specifically with their service requirements. As far as eBay is concerned, they are a safe outfit but I’d not use the service until your home service problems were solved. Also, don’t save any banking numbers on-line. Re-enter them each time eBay requests them.
Sounds like somebody is changing settings in your router. If it’s not you, I’d say it’s a reason to be worried. Do you have malicious children? If so, there is a reset button on the back of Linksys routers that, if held in, will take it back to factory settings. This factory setting results in a non-secured network, and isn’t safe in the least.
First I’d check within your home. It’s hard to crack a router password, especially if you follow advised password creation conventions (8+ characters, uppercase and lowercase mixed, at least one number). Unless you haven’t set a new password for your router configuration, in which case just about everybody on the face of the planet knows that “admin” gets you in.
With the network name reverting back to linksys though, I’m betting on somebody hard resetting it, unless you have a broken router.
No, Marcus, what you and he are describing is completely clearing internet options; a very purposeful act. You can do that with or without a router.
The problem he’s having is entirely spontaneous and sounds like it’s provider controlled. He needs to check with his IP for assistance to contain the problem.
Do you even know what a router is Wendyjo? This has nothing to do with internet options, it has to do with the hardware sending out his wireless signal – on HIS side of the modem.
This is not an ISP problem.
Everyone’s a freaking professional!
Ron, just call Lynksys tech support and they’ll be able to help you. (800) 326-7114 Their avail 24/7.
Good luck.
Good damn idea Kernel.
Ron – your biggest problem is you have a Linksys router. Quite a few of them are buggy and will drive you nuts trying to keep them running properly. It sounds like yours is resetting itself to the default factory state for some reason. If tech support is no help (or it’s out of warranty) I’d throw it out and buy a decent router like D-link. Make sure you get an “N” router so it’s up to date.
Yeah, Marcus, I do. You’d be surprised what I do occasionally on weekends for close associates in the Ada County area.
Then I must not understand what you mean by “completely clearing internet options”. Want to un-dumb it down for me?
im piggy banking right now
I guess I’m a horrible person, but my wireless is locked because I work hard for what I have, and I think if someone else wants the luxury of wireless internet, they should have to pay for it. There are plenty of places in town to get free wifi, and they can go find them.
A lot of disinformation here. The author clearly either has a poor appreciation for freedom of speech or is writing from a position of poor understanding on the subject. Perhaps both.
What does keeping ones internet connection secure have to do with freedom of speech? I’m not trying to be facetious, just wondering what your comment means. All the author was trying to do was inform those of us with wireless access, which is quite a few of us these days, to make sure our connection is secure.
Comment #71 sounds like a spammer if you ask me, he/she could be posting that paragraph anywhere. Sounds like a one size fits all horoscope if you ask me.
How was post #71 a spam or “horoscope” post?
Give examples as comparisons, please.
TIA
Ok so I know you are all worried about someone using your internet to bad things child porn, posting things etc. But I was on vacation I took my laptop and did a scan of PC’s active on the Hotels network, 45 were active out of those, 25 I could read their e-mail watch their videos, view their photos. with out any program., One guy had a file with all his bank, eBay, PayPal, 401k, etc with login’s and passwords. If some one dangerous wanted to still someone’s Identity it would be thought wireless not digging in your garbage. Oh let me spook your paranoia even farther, If someone wanted to they can access your files, and can View every packet you send, then decompile them and see what your doing on your internet, even get all your usernames and passwords on the fly. Oh and this can be done from 10 miles away with a modified wifi satellite dish. Look stop arguing whether it legal or not who cares. With a 20 mile Radius for someone to hide you’ll never find them. You’ll be the one with the Cease and assist letter, or worse a stolen identity. Just set up the highest encryption WPA with a Strong passwords, cant think of one Google for one they have generators for them. Most important change it every 90 days. Every time you change it the uninvited have to start all over if they want on your network. The Wolf always goes for easy pray. The open networks are fair game.
Even better, use a wired router.
Good day to you. I’m new to wireless internet having started out with dial up before DSL, years ago. For some time now, I began using DSL. I have a laptop that I’ve just begun to use since last night wirelessly because something went wrong with the ethernet hook-up two days ago. I’ve always heard horror stories of wireless use and the many dangers of having personal information compromised and stolen, so am here this morning begging for instructions on how to make my laptop as secure as possible by doing all those things you mentioned at the top of the article:
1. If you have not set any encryption, or setup the weaker WEP encyrption option instead of the stronger WPA encryption (or even stronger WPA2 encryption).
2. If you have no username or password to access the Internet.
3. If you have not changed the router/modem’s default username and password to access the Internet.
4. If you have not changed router/modem’s password in a long time.
The brand name of the router or modem is 2WIRE and it appears that the model number is 2701HG-B. It’s hooked up to my PC in the den but I use the laptop in my bedroom. I’ve really become paranoiac since beginning using it and am afraid now to access my bank account and other sensitive areas.
I feel the PC is already compromised so for the past two years I’ve used it only for “regular” surfing. My son had started using the PC and he played games, downloaded games and music, used software from those places like limeware and kazaa and the Lord only, knows where else he surfed so for fear of having personal and private information being compromised, I stopped using the PC.
Now I’m just as afraid of this laptop and this open connection, wondering if in these past few hours of having begun using it in the wireless manner if it may already be compromised. Thanks for any help.
.
The internet laptop poltergeist must have gotten her…
http://www.localnews8.com/global/story.asp?s=11497435
Again really… jesus what a cat and mouse game they whould have trying to find someone
If you’re working on a public, unsecured line, is there a way to secure your own computer and your own work? Or, are you always vulnerable whenever you use a public line, like in the hospital waiting area or an internet cafe?