Precautions to take when connecting to a public wireless network

Tomorrow I'll be staying in a hotel that provides wireless connectivity. What precautions
should I take to prevent any possible intrusion into my laptop ?
Also, should I disable my WEP key, the one I use at home to connect to the router ? If so,
how ?
Thanks,

Mike

"Mike" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:%(E-Mail Removed)...
> Tomorrow I'll be staying in a hotel that provides wireless connectivity.
> What precautions should I take to prevent any possible intrusion into my
> laptop ?
> Also, should I disable my WEP key, the one I use at home to connect to the
> router ? If so, how ?
> Thanks,
>
> Mike
>

Your WEP key is only used to connect to your home wireless router. Don't
disable that or delete that unless you plan on not connecting at home again.
FYI, using WPA2/WPA at home is much safer and highly recommended. WEP is
very insecure and easily hacked.

Make sure you do run a software firewall on your laptop like the Windows
Firewall or a third-party firewall like ZoneAlarm, etc. I recommend setting
those for "No exceptions" and the laptop is set to NOT connect automatically
to open networks. See the last part of this page for examples.

http://theillustratednetwork.mvps.or...sSecurity.html

As far as email is concerned if your personal ISP provides a web mail
interface that uses SSL use that. A SSL link is encrypted. Otherwise you can
safely check email using the Mail2Web service which is free. Note you need a
POP3 type account with your ISP to use this.

https://www.mail2web.com/cgi-bin/login.asp?lid=0&il=1

Beyond that use prudence when connecting to strange networks. Generally
hotel networks, restaurants, etc are OK. Don't connect to someone's open
residential network for example. It comes down to common sense, IMHO..

--

Al Jarvi (MS-MVP Windows Networking)

Please post *ALL* questions and replies to the news group for the
mutual benefit of all of us...
The MS-MVP Program - http://mvp.support.microsoft.com
This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no
rights...
How to ask a question
http://support.microsoft.com/KB/555375

http://msmvps.com/blogs/wifizone/arc...from-home.aspx


On Fri, 13 Jul 2007 15:21:58 +0200, "Mike" <(E-Mail Removed)>
wrote:

>Tomorrow I'll be staying in a hotel that provides wireless connectivity. What precautions
>should I take to prevent any possible intrusion into my laptop ?
>Also, should I disable my WEP key, the one I use at home to connect to the router ? If so,
>how ?
>Thanks,
>
>Mike
>
--

Barb Bowman
MS Windows-MVP
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/e...ts/bowman.mspx
http://blogs.digitalmediaphile.com/barb/

Thanks, Al, very helpful.
One thing though : I used Web2mail to check my mail and I could actually retrieve it,
despite it being an IMAP-type account and not POP3. How's that ?

Mike
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Sooner Al [MVP]" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:79CE0C81-9A48-4DEA-A432-(E-Mail Removed)...
> "Mike" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:%(E-Mail Removed)...
>> Tomorrow I'll be staying in a hotel that provides wireless connectivity. What
>> precautions should I take to prevent any possible intrusion into my laptop ?
>> Also, should I disable my WEP key, the one I use at home to connect to the router ? If
>> so, how ?
>> Thanks,
>>
>> Mike
>>
>
> Your WEP key is only used to connect to your home wireless router. Don't disable that or
> delete that unless you plan on not connecting at home again. FYI, using WPA2/WPA at home
> is much safer and highly recommended. WEP is very insecure and easily hacked.
>
> Make sure you do run a software firewall on your laptop like the Windows Firewall or a
> third-party firewall like ZoneAlarm, etc. I recommend setting those for "No exceptions"
> and the laptop is set to NOT connect automatically to open networks. See the last part
> of this page for examples.
>
> http://theillustratednetwork.mvps.or...sSecurity.html
>
> As far as email is concerned if your personal ISP provides a web mail interface that
> uses SSL use that. A SSL link is encrypted. Otherwise you can safely check email using
> the Mail2Web service which is free. Note you need a POP3 type account with your ISP to
> use this.
>
> https://www.mail2web.com/cgi-bin/login.asp?lid=0&il=1
>
> Beyond that use prudence when connecting to strange networks. Generally hotel networks,
> restaurants, etc are OK. Don't connect to someone's open residential network for
> example. It comes down to common sense, IMHO..
>
> --
>
> Al Jarvi (MS-MVP Windows Networking)
>
> Please post *ALL* questions and replies to the news group for the
> mutual benefit of all of us...
> The MS-MVP Program - http://mvp.support.microsoft.com
> This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no
> rights...
> How to ask a question
> http://support.microsoft.com/KB/555375
>

"Mike" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:%(E-Mail Removed)...
> Thanks, Al, very helpful.
> One thing though : I used Web2mail to check my mail and I could actually
> retrieve it, despite it being an IMAP-type account and not POP3. How's
> that ?
>
> Mike
>

I guess my mistake. I always understood you needed a POP3 versus an IMAP
account. You have proven otherwise. Thanks..

--

Al Jarvi (MS-MVP Windows Networking)

Please post *ALL* questions and replies to the news group for the
mutual benefit of all of us...
The MS-MVP Program - http://mvp.support.microsoft.com
This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no
rights...
How to ask a question
http://support.microsoft.com/KB/555375