Wireless Network Security

[AlanHo]

I was round at a friends house today and happened to have my laptop with me. He needed some info from me so I fired up the laptop in his house - to find to my surprise that it detected and connected to a wireless network. I was able to browse the web and access my Emails. He lives in a residential area so I presume it must be a neighbour using a wireless broadband router on his home computer. I guess it cannot be a commercial hot spot because it did not request any log-in details.

This sponsors two questions.

Would anyone local - who has a wireless PCI card in their computer - be able to make the connection.

I have a wireless network router at home to connect with my laptop - how do I check whether it can be accessed by others - and if it is - how do you stop it?

[homecomputeraid]

Hi AlanHo,

Question 1:

Would anyone local - who has a wireless PCI card in their computer - be able to make the connection.

I assume you mean on your friend's neighbours Wireless Access Point, and it sounds like that's a yes. The person does not seem to have any wireless security set.

Question 2:

how do I check whether it can be accessed by others - and if it is - how do you stop it?

The exact details of how you check vary by Access Point manufacturer, but there should be a page on your Router/Access Point's (I'm assuming you're using one device for both purposes) administration page that says something like "Wireless". You should be able to see the hardware or MAC Addresses of any devices that are connected to your AP. You should also be able to select them and use some command to remove them.

* If you want to post the make and model of your AP, I'll try to find the manual online and tell you where to look.

To keep others from re-connecting, you can do MAC Address Filtering, and only allow your MAC Addresses to connect, and/or set WEP or WPA security on your AP.

[AlanHo]

Since I posted this topic I have done two things.

Firstly I made sure that my home network is secure from intrusion - it wasn't - but hopefully is now since I visited the netgear web site and correctly set up the wireless router.

Secondly I took the laptop out in the car and cruised down a couple of local roads to see if other people were secure. In the space of a mile or so I located three wireless networks I was able to connect to. I don't know why I pay for broadband when it seems to be so freely available by courtesy of others.

This seems to indicate that there is a lot of ignorance (me included) about how to set up a secure network. When I purchased my router I soon had it up and running using the excellent Netgear guide - but the installation guide does not include setting up the security options like WEP or WPA-PSK etc.

I had used the Microsoft wizard to establish the network name, network key and data encryption type which I hope stops access to my computer but it appears that it does not prevent the wireless router from being hooked into by someone else (Or does it?)

Does anyone know of a simple abc guide I can refer to - all the ones I have found seem so complex to a simple minded old chap like myself.

I have a desktop computer connected by cable to Netgear WGR614 wireless router which in turn is connected to my internet cable modem. I also have a Dell laptop with wireless built-in which I use around the house and when I am away.

When away from home I use either BT or T Mobile wireless hot spots to connect with the web.

So what is the optimum procedure for setting up this combination?

[-pops-]

Alan, I seem to remember that someone was "done" recently for downloading from someone else's wireless Internet setup. I'll see if I can find the reference.

Here it is http://www.pcadvisor.co.uk/index.cfm?go=news.view&news=4873

[AlanHo]

pops

Thanks for the info. Very timely because we are off to the USA next week for a 7 week holiday which includes Florida. I intend to use official T Mobile wireless Hot spots in Starbucks café's and you have happily put me off piggy backing on any home freebies I happen to find.

The article only increases my concern that the need for - and how to establish - proper network security is not generally known.

I have read several magazine articles on the subject and browsed the net for info. However - and with the greatest of respect to homecomputeraid who posted above - all the info assumes a level of knowledge and computer jargon I frankly do not understand.

Hence my request for the location of an "Idiots Guide for setting up a secure wireless network" in plain English.

As I said - I initially used the Microsoft XP wizard to set up security - but I am not sure just what it protects. I guess it stops intruders from browsing your computer but does not prevent unauthorised use of my cable connection. My use of the word "guess" was deliberate.

[trackrat]

Alan have a read of this. Pages 9 & 10 should be of interest.

http://www.pcstats.com/articleview.cfm?articleID=1489

[AlanHo]

Thanks trackrat - looks good.

I'm still wrestling with some of the terminology but it's slowly becoming more clear.

[AlanHo]

Man fined for bandwidth theft

In a landmark ruling, a UK court has fined a man £500 for logging onto a domestic Wi-Fi network without permission.

A jury in Isleworth found Gregory Straszkiewicz guilty under the 2003 Communications Act of dishonestly obtaining an electronics communication service and possessing equipment for fraudulent use of a communications service. In addition to his fine, he was given a year's probation.

Straszkiewicz was caught by police outside a private building with his wireless-enabled laptop, having attempted to connect to the network several times before he was arrested.

The police said that this is the first ever UK prosecution for 'war driving', which is the name given to the practice of locating and tapping into unsecured wireless networks.