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WiFi security issues? Newbie ? for W7
I'm switching to Windows 7 on my new laptop and I wonder if there are
WiFi issues I should be aware of. I normally have this machine wired to a hub on a wired modem/router and so I don't use WiFi, but I'm thinking if I do, there should be some gotchas. Yes this is an anti- virus question, don't be stupid you a.c.a-v freaks. For the rest of you, even you Linux freaks, this should be right up your alley. I have newbie questions such as: 1) Password. You are supposed to change the Default Password from "linksys" to something else that's hard to crack. Is this done in the WiFi hardware installation or by Win7? 2) Public vs private network. W7 has a distinction, but all I can tell is that when sharing a WiFi say at Starbucks, you switch to "public" from "private" by clicking on the "public" icon in W7 as shown by numerous HOWTO sites on the web--is that it? Is there anything more? 3) What if, assuming I get wireless for the home (like I say right now I got everything at home wired, but I might switch to wireless now that I got this new laptop), you find that a neighbor is sharing your wireless connection? I hear this is possible, but does that person need a password? I think they do. If I give them a password, will they be able to read my files on my hard drive, or just be able to share my internet connection? I don't mind the latter, unless they are a download hog, but I mind the former. Any advice "appreciated", even from you critics that think they know it all. You know who you are. Yeah you. Ash whole. RL |
#2
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WiFi security issues? Newbie ? for W7
RayLopez99 wrote:
Newsgroups: alt.comp.anti-virus, microsoft.public.windows.vista.general, alt.comp.hardware.pc-homebuilt, comp.os.linux.setup Not antivirus, not vista, not homebuilt, not linux setup - and RL doesn't read some of the groups that he crossposts to f/ups to cols only - which is where I read the message 1) Password. You are supposed to change the Default Password from "linksys" http://bit.ly/hIi5eZ+ This article will guide you on how to change the password of your Linksys router. 2) Public vs private network. W7 has a distinction, http://grok.lsu.edu/Article.aspx?articleid=13097 Windows 7: Changing Between Public and Private Networks 3) What if, regarding wi-fi security You should configure your wireless with WPA secured password. You can get in 'trouble' if someone uses your connectivity for bad purposes. -- Mike Easter |
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WiFi security issues? Newbie ? for W7
On 12/19/2010 5:38 AM, RayLopez99 wrote:
I'm switching to Windows 7 on my new laptop and I wonder if there are WiFi issues I should be aware of. I normally have this machine wired to a hub on a wired modem/router and so I don't use WiFi, but I'm thinking if I do, there should be some gotchas. Yes this is an anti- virus question, don't be stupid you a.c.a-v freaks. For the rest of you, even you Linux freaks, this should be right up your alley. I have newbie questions such as: 1) Password. You are supposed to change the Default Password from "linksys" to something else that's hard to crack. Is this done in the WiFi hardware installation or by Win7? 2) Public vs private network. W7 has a distinction, but all I can tell is that when sharing a WiFi say at Starbucks, you switch to "public" from "private" by clicking on the "public" icon in W7 as shown by numerous HOWTO sites on the web--is that it? Is there anything more? 3) What if, assuming I get wireless for the home (like I say right now I got everything at home wired, but I might switch to wireless now that I got this new laptop), you find that a neighbor is sharing your wireless connection? I hear this is possible, but does that person need a password? I think they do. If I give them a password, will they be able to read my files on my hard drive, or just be able to share my internet connection? I don't mind the latter, unless they are a download hog, but I mind the former. Any advice "appreciated", even from you critics that think they know it all. You know who you are. Yeah you. Ash whole. RL You will set up your wireless router by connecting it to your PC with an ethernet cable (temporarily). You enter the router setup by following the instructions in your manual. For linksys you open a web browser and type the address http://192.168.1.1 and Go. The router setup is where you name your network and setup your wireless security. Password: "Linksys" or "Netgear" are not the passwords you should concern yourself with. They are the default names of your wireless network. You should change the name of your network to something less identifiable. Something like 7X5gT0, not something like "Apt 322" or "Joe's House". Your new router will allow you to enter the setup by using the User Name "admin" and a blank password. After entering the setup and making sure your wireless network is working you should change these. Normal User Name and Password rules work here like any website. The point is you do not want your neighbor to see "Joe's House" as a possible connection and then just log in to your router setup using linksys and no password. Unbelievably, this is the way a lot of wireless routers are set up. Wireless Security: The wireless security type you use must be capable in your wireless devices. Only very old devices can't handle advanced security encryption. The security types you can choose from are WEP, WPA, and WPA-2. WEP is antiquated and useless. WPA is good and WPA-2 is better. Here is where you will be asked to come up with an Encyption Key. This is the "password" that is important. Linksys automatically generates a 20+ character key. The longer the key, the better the security. This key is what you will need to get your PC and any other wireless device to use the wireless connection. In Windows You will see a wireless connection named 7X5gT0 in your Network. You click on it and there will be a "Connect" button. Click that and it will connect to the router and up will pop the "Password" screen. Here you type in that 20+ character Encryption Key to be able to use the wireless network. Somewhere in here Windows will ask if this is a Home or Public Network. A home network is treated as a private (secure) network by Windows. A Public network is treated as an open, unsecured network connection. When you installed and set up Windows the OS asked if your PC was part of a Home or Public Network. You may need to change that in Network & Sharing Center. Hope that helps. |
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WiFi security issues? Newbie ? for W7
On 12/19/2010 5:38 AM, RayLopez99 wrote:
I'm switching to Windows 7 on my new laptop and I wonder if there are WiFi issues I should be aware of. I normally have this machine wired to a hub on a wired modem/router and so I don't use WiFi, but I'm thinking if I do, there should be some gotchas. Yes this is an anti- virus question, don't be stupid you a.c.a-v freaks. For the rest of you, even you Linux freaks, this should be right up your alley. I have newbie questions such as: 1) Password. You are supposed to change the Default Password from "linksys" to something else that's hard to crack. Is this done in the WiFi hardware installation or by Win7? You would access the router through the browser to access the router administration pages, off of the router's device IP in the browser's address line. 2) Public vs private network. W7 has a distinction, but all I can tell is that when sharing a WiFi say at Starbucks, you switch to "public" from "private" by clicking on the "public" icon in W7 as shown by numerous HOWTO sites on the web--is that it? Is there anything more? In the public domain, you only want to go to sites that are using HTTPS or your machine has a VPN connection to the site both use encryption, if credentials are needed to login to the site. 3) What if, assuming I get wireless for the home (like I say right now I got everything at home wired, but I might switch to wireless now that I got this new laptop), you find that a neighbor is sharing your wireless connection? I hear this is possible, but does that person need a password? I think they do. If I give them a password, will they be able to read my files on my hard drive, or just be able to share my internet connection? I don't mind the latter, unless they are a download hog, but I mind the former. If using WPA on the router, then the wireless client must know the password for the WPA in order to access the wireless. Any advice "appreciated", even from you critics that think they know it all. You know who you are. Yeah you. Ash whole. I use my Droid as the 3G Mobile Hotspot for my wireless laptop, which I am using now, and it's WPA2 enabled. |
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WiFi security issues? Newbie ? for W7
On 12/19/2010 5:38 AM, RayLopez99 wrote:
Here are some other basics for what they are worth. http://compnetworking.about.com/od/wirelesssecurity/tp/wifisecurity.htm |
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WiFi security issues? Newbie ? for W7
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#7
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WiFi security issues? Newbie ? for W7
On Dec 19, 3:28*pm, TVeblen wrote:
On 12/19/2010 5:38 AM, RayLopez99 wrote: You will set up your wireless router by connecting it to your PC with an ethernet cable (temporarily). You enter the router setup by following the instructions in your manual. For linksys you open a web browser and type the addresshttp://192.168.1.1and Go. The router setup is where you name your network and setup your wireless security. Password: "Linksys" or "Netgear" are not the passwords you should concern yourself with. They are the default names of your wireless network. You should change the name of your network to something less identifiable. Something like 7X5gT0, not something like "Apt 322" or "Joe's House". Your new router will allow you to enter the setup by using the User Name "admin" and a blank password. After entering the setup and making sure your wireless network is working you should change these. Normal User Name and Password rules work here like any website. The point is you do not want your neighbor to see "Joe's House" as a possible connection and then just log in to your router setup using linksys and no password. Unbelievably, this is the way a lot of wireless routers are set up. OK, so apparently a human recognizable network name is a sign of unsophistication and invites hackers. Got it. Wireless Security: The wireless security type you use must be capable in your wireless devices. Only very old devices can't handle advanced security encryption. The security types you can choose from are WEP, WPA, and WPA-2. WEP is antiquated and useless. WPA is good and WPA-2 is better. Here is where you will be asked to come up with an Encyption Key. This is the "password" that is important. Linksys automatically generates a 20+ character key. The longer the key, the better the security. This key is what you will need to get your PC and any other wireless device to use the wireless connection. Question: the longer the key the better the security, but I think (from my experience) the longer the key the slower the connection too, right? Maybe not radically slower, but it should be slower with a bigger key. Please confirm. In Windows You will see a wireless connection named 7X5gT0 in your Network. You click on it and there will be a "Connect" button. Click that and it will connect to the router and up will pop the "Password" screen. Here you type in that 20+ character Encryption Key to be able to use the wireless network. Somewhere in here Windows will ask if this is a Home or Public Network. A home network is treated as a private (secure) network by Windows. A Public network is treated as an open, unsecured network connection. Question: why would anybody use a public network then, such as Starbucks? Why do people do this? They don't care if people read their email, is that it? Or does Starbucks always have HTTPS? When you installed and set up Windows the OS asked if your PC was part of a Home or Public Network. You may need to change that in Network & Sharing Center. Hope that helps. Yes it does, thanks. RL |
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WiFi security issues? Newbie ? for W7
On Dec 19, 5:27*pm, Steel ""Fake99XX1199999fake\"@(Big)
(Steel)theXfactor.com" wrote: In the public domain, you only want to go to sites that are using HTTPS or your machine has a VPN connection to the site both use encryption, if credentials are needed to login to the site. How would you know if it's HTTPS? Does a little padlock icon show up, like in Firefox? Also do most airports and Starbucks, in your experience, have VPN and/or HTTPS? If using WPA on the router, then the wireless client must know the password for the WPA in order to access the wireless. OK, thanks. I use my Droid as the 3G Mobile Hotspot for my wireless laptop, which I am using now, and it's WPA2 enabled. Do you think the bigger (longer) the encryption key, the slower the connection? Classic communications theory predicts that, but I'm curious if anybody has seen it in practice. Maybe it's only 10% so people don't really notice. RL |
#9
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WiFi security issues? Newbie ? for W7
On Dec 19, 11:24*pm, Dustin wrote:
That's probably because you are a newbie. G Dude, just type "how do I setup a secure wifi network?" in google. You'll get *all* of those questions answered in a very helpful fashion. Newbie style; so you will have no trouble understanding it. If you have questions after doing this, then present them to the appropriate place. Say, a networking newsgroup? Thanks. After reading this article: http://www.labnol.org/internet/secur...network/10549/ I've concluded a wireless network is inherently insecure. Might not end up using it at home. Practical question: when at airports, Starbucks, etc, and you want to send an email, do you do so with impunity or with the chance somebody can steal your password when you log on? I might end up just using the laptop at such "public" places so I need more info on what to do there. Also what is the usenet group for networking? I use Google Groups and could not find any. RL |
#10
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WiFi security issues? Newbie ? for W7
On 12/19/2010 8:28 PM, RayLopez99 wrote:
On Dec 19, 5:27 pm, Steel""Fake99XX1199999fake\"@(Big) (Steel)theXfactor.com" wrote: In the public domain, you only want to go to sites that are using HTTPS or your machine has a VPN connection to the site both use encryption, if credentials are needed to login to the site. How would you know if it's HTTPS? Does a little padlock icon show up, like in Firefox? Also do most airports and Starbucks, in your experience, have VPN and/or HTTPS? Do you mean to tell me that you have never been to a Website that is using HTTPS:\\ in the URL? If you have been to a bank site or any other site that is using HTTPS as a secure connection, like a site you purchase things with a credit card, you are going to clearly see the HTTPS:\\ as part of the URL in the browser's address line. As for the VPN, the link below should explain it. You also have ISP(s) that have VPN as part of their customer package, which you can do a VPN over wireless in a public hotspot to get protected email and other things provided by a VPN enabled ISP. http://www.plathome.com/products/pac...html/10-12.htm The thing is this. If you want security over wireless where you are giving up credentials like user-id and password to login to a site, then you should have some kind of secure encrypted connection. You have people sitting around those hotspot sites, looking to eavesdrop on sensitivity information and/or credentials. If you are just surfing sites at a hotspot, big deal, your not concerned about the security over wireless. But if you are using wireless where credit card information is being given up to do a purchase, you don't do it at a hotspot or you make sure that HTTPS is being used at the site to protect the connection. If using WPA on the router, then the wireless client must know the password for the WPA in order to access the wireless. OK, thanks. I use my Droid as the 3G Mobile Hotspot for my wireless laptop, which I am using now, and it's WPA2 enabled. Do you think the bigger (longer) the encryption key, the slower the connection? Classic communications theory predicts that, but I'm curious if anybody has seen it in practice. Maybe it's only 10% so people don't really notice. I have not paid any attention to it, because wireless is slower than a wire connection, a given to be expected when using wireless. I have not seen any download speed degradation in using the Droid as a hotspot and doing downloads to the laptop I also use the Droid smartphone about 99.9%, which can do everything the laptop can do in a personal usage situation while I am traveling, from doing MS Office documents to going into HTTPS sessions over wireless with the HTTPS showing in the smartphone browser's address line, doing Usenet, email with my ISP and Gmail too -- all of it. All that I was doing on the laptop, I do with the smartphone. You don't need to go into a hotspot with a wireless laptop to do something. That smartphone is a little laptop you carry in your pocket. I may get a Windows 7 phone too, just on GP. |
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