Help!! - Wide Open Network!!

Hi - I have a wireless network between two desktops. The equipment used is a
Netgear MR814 router and a Netgear MA101 USB adaptor. The main computer uses
WXP-Pro, the other uses W98se.The network works fine, but it was setup by my
EX-boyfriend, and I don't really have a clue how it works. I just found out
that my neighbor can access my network and browse via my internet
connection, as well as access files. I need to fix that, but I don't know
how. I MUST have file sharing between the two computers, for my work.

I tried to read thru the Netgear online help files, but that just confused
me. Is there a simple way to fix it, without having to hire high-paid help?
If anybody has the time and patience to try to talk me thru the process via
a few postings or emails, I would sincerely appreciate it. Thanks!!

Fixed!! - Thanks mage!!

"Jane" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:YjdVa.280168$(E-Mail Removed) .com...
> Hi - I have a wireless network between two desktops. The equipment used is
a
> Netgear MR814 router and a Netgear MA101 USB adaptor. The main computer
uses
> WXP-Pro, the other uses W98se.The network works fine, but it was setup by
my
> EX-boyfriend, and I don't really have a clue how it works. I just found
out
> that my neighbor can access my network and browse via my internet
> connection, as well as access files. I need to fix that, but I don't know
> how. I MUST have file sharing between the two computers, for my work.
>
> I tried to read thru the Netgear online help files, but that just confused
> me. Is there a simple way to fix it, without having to hire high-paid
help?
> If anybody has the time and patience to try to talk me thru the process
via
> a few postings or emails, I would sincerely appreciate it. Thanks!!
>
>

"Jane" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:YjdVa.280168$(E-Mail Removed) .com...
> Hi - I have a wireless network between two desktops. The equipment used is
a
> Netgear MR814 router and a Netgear MA101 USB adaptor. The main computer

I am new to networking and just setup a adhoc network between my two PC's,
so I know how incomplete the manuals are at explaining security. One is XP
and the other ME.

As you discovered, anyone within range of your access points can use your
computer through Internet Connection Sharing to surf the net. On my second
computer, the ICS comes up automatically when you open a web page.

Mine are D-Link so you may need to consult your manual. Both are USB
adaptors, not an AP.

Enable WEP on your devices. This requires you make up a key. The manuals do
not say this, which is confusing for newbies, but you just make the key up.
The process goes like this. Open the utility for the device on your host
computer (the one with the internet connection). There should be some place
to enable WEP and enter keys. Where you enter the key, make up a long series
of letters and numbers. If you have the option, set it to HEX instead of
ASCII. Enter anything in the 0-9 A-F range. The text input should not let
you enter any more than the number of chars allowed for a key given your
level of encoding. You should enable 64,128 bit WEP unless you have 256bit
WEP, but that is non-standard, so you might just start out with 128.

Write down the key you entered. Go to the other machine and bring up the
utility. Make the exact same settings as the first computer. Enter the exact
same key you wrote down. The computers must have the same key.

You should be connected using WEP.

In the utility, where it says SSID, you should make up another arbitrary
string of characters. If you're connected, this has probably already been
done. The machines have to be on the same SSID to network, so you do not
want it to be something like "default." You can try not broadcasting the
SSID if that is possible.

I also only share one folder between the machines. I move any files there
when I want to work on them. So even if someone did get in, they can only
see files in that folder. You can mount a folder and series of sub-folders
instead of mounting the whole drive to share it. Look in Windows Help for
that.

I enabled the Windows ICF firewall on the computer with the internet
connection.

If you do not need to share the internet connection, you should be able to
disable ICS on the computer with the connection to the internet.

If you ask specific questions, I am sure someone here will be able to help.

Steve

"Jane" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in
news:YjdVa.280168$(E-Mail Removed) .com:

> Hi - I have a wireless network between two desktops. The equipment
> used is a Netgear MR814 router and a Netgear MA101 USB adaptor. The
> main computer uses WXP-Pro, the other uses W98se.The network works
> fine, but it was setup by my EX-boyfriend, and I don't really have a
> clue how it works. I just found out that my neighbor can access my
> network and browse via my internet connection, as well as access
> files. I need to fix that, but I don't know how. I MUST have file
> sharing between the two computers, for my work.
>
> I tried to read thru the Netgear online help files, but that just
> confused me. Is there a simple way to fix it, without having to hire
> high-paid help? If anybody has the time and patience to try to talk me
> thru the process via a few postings or emails, I would sincerely
> appreciate it. Thanks!!
>
>

http://netsecurity.about.com/library.../aa022703a.htm

You can checkout the wireless security part and security in general.

You have one out two machines that have the means to protect itself. I
cannot say much about , other than dump it.

http://www.uksecurityonline.com/husdg/windowsxp.php

You should learn to enable some of XP's security feature.

http://www.homenethelp.com/web/explain/about-NAT.asp

The link explains about that NAT router you have and also provides links to
other basic home networking topics.

You should also visit comp.security.firewalls to post questions and get
basic answers on security.


Duane

--
The protection of the machine is a process and not a given!