Laptop and wireless network help please

[wolf_bluejay]

Ok, just to answer a few questions and point out an option!

In my favorite wireless analogy, think of a wireless router and computer as a cordless phone base and handset. WEP/WPA/WPA2 are just ways of keeping the converstation between your handset and the base private, and stoping other people from using "their" handsets from using your phone line. MAC address filtering in considered lower than WEP, it doesn't do anything good, but it doesn't hurt either

For the most part WEP and WPA only keep out people that just don't care to go to the effort. I have been known to break a few WEP's when I REALLY needed to borrow and internet connection. WPA takes a few minutes longer.
Any encryption scheme is breakable, as they all technically are.

I light of all this, I run my wireless open as can be. If someone need to use an internet connection to check their email or whatever, feel free, just don't abuse it. For the most part, it's not all that often that someone will try to attack you computer or anything, just use your internet. If you haven't noticed at this point, don't worry.

I've had my connection open for about 5 years, I've had a total of 1 attempt to hack my network. I do however get attempts at one my my work sites, that has a 1 gbps internet connection, which brings up the other point.

All "secure" web traffic that you do is encrypted in a much more secure way. As the rest of the internet is not secure either. So, at most someone will be able to track your browsing history. In terms of the cordles phone, if all that is going on is your 16 year old kid gabbing at their friends then who cares if someone listens in? If it is confidential stuff, it's a different story.


For those of you now trolling around for my wireless, the rest of my servers are behind a separate firewall