wireless question

I've been half considering changing to a wireless network, but in the last
week I've heard of two people I know who have managed to latch on to a
neighbours broadband internet connection via their wireless adaptor.

How exactly does this happen and is it commonplace? I'd be really worried
about next door's kids being able to do this, or change files on our
network.

Thanks

It is very simple to prevent. Turn on WEP (Wired Equivalent Privacy)
encryption on your wireless router, put in a WEP key, then put the same key
in your wireless clients. Now no one can connect to your wireless network
without the WEP key.

--
Richard G. Harper [MVP Win9x] (E-Mail Removed)
* PLEASE post all messages and replies in the newsgroups
* for the benefit of all. Private mail is usually not replied to.
* HELP us help YOU ... http://www.dts-l.org/goodpost.htm


"David" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:YO11c.92$(E-Mail Removed)...
> I've been half considering changing to a wireless network, but in the last
> week I've heard of two people I know who have managed to latch on to a
> neighbours broadband internet connection via their wireless adaptor.
>
> How exactly does this happen and is it commonplace? I'd be really worried
> about next door's kids being able to do this, or change files on our
> network.
>
> Thanks
>
>

Everything I read says that WEP slows down the network. My router has
a feature that prevents computers not authorized in a list of MAC
addresses from accessing the router. Does this also provide the
necessary security?

Regards, jimbo


"Richard G. Harper" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message news:<(E-Mail Removed)>...
> It is very simple to prevent. Turn on WEP (Wired Equivalent Privacy)
> encryption on your wireless router, put in a WEP key, then put the same key
> in your wireless clients. Now no one can connect to your wireless network
> without the WEP key.
>
> --
> Richard G. Harper [MVP Win9x] (E-Mail Removed)
> * PLEASE post all messages and replies in the newsgroups
> * for the benefit of all. Private mail is usually not replied to.
> * HELP us help YOU ... http://www.dts-l.org/goodpost.htm
>
>
> "David" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:YO11c.92$(E-Mail Removed)...
> > I've been half considering changing to a wireless network, but in the last
> > week I've heard of two people I know who have managed to latch on to a
> > neighbours broadband internet connection via their wireless adaptor.
> >
> > How exactly does this happen and is it commonplace? I'd be really worried
> > about next door's kids being able to do this, or change files on our
> > network.
> >
> > Thanks
> >
> >

WEP doesn't slow things down significantly - maybe by 10% of the total
throughput, more likely less if you buy a quality brand-name router and
doubly so if you have a newer router with better firmware. But remember
we're talking drops from a bucket here - if an 11mbps connection is slowed
by 10% you still have a 9.9mbps connection that's getting fed by a cable
modem, DSL line or other source that's most likely only running at 1mbps to
2mbps. 9.9mbps minus 2mbps at full-throttle still leaves 7.9mbps of unused
bandwidth.

Still plenty of bandwidth there, eh? :-)

The MAC filter is a reasonable precaution, but MAC addresses can be faked.
And whether or not someone fakes your MAC address, without WEP your data is
flying around unsecured, waiting for someone to use a sniffer and see if
they can catch a credit card number, social security number, etc. I'd
recommend (and I use) both WEP encryption and MAC filtering.

--
Richard G. Harper [MVP Win9x] (E-Mail Removed)
* PLEASE post all messages and replies in the newsgroups
* for the benefit of all. Private mail is usually not replied to.
* HELP us help YOU ... http://www.dts-l.org/goodpost.htm


"jimbo" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed) om...
> Everything I read says that WEP slows down the network. My router has
> a feature that prevents computers not authorized in a list of MAC
> addresses from accessing the router. Does this also provide the
> necessary security?
>
> Regards, jimbo
>
>
> "Richard G. Harper" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:<(E-Mail Removed)>...
>> It is very simple to prevent. Turn on WEP (Wired Equivalent Privacy)
>> encryption on your wireless router, put in a WEP key, then put the same
>> key
>> in your wireless clients. Now no one can connect to your wireless
>> network
>> without the WEP key.
>>
>> --
>> Richard G. Harper [MVP Win9x] (E-Mail Removed)
>> * PLEASE post all messages and replies in the newsgroups
>> * for the benefit of all. Private mail is usually not replied to.
>> * HELP us help YOU ... http://www.dts-l.org/goodpost.htm
>>
>>
>> "David" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
>> news:YO11c.92$(E-Mail Removed)...
>> > I've been half considering changing to a wireless network, but in the
>> > last
>> > week I've heard of two people I know who have managed to latch on to a
>> > neighbours broadband internet connection via their wireless adaptor.
>> >
>> > How exactly does this happen and is it commonplace? I'd be really
>> > worried
>> > about next door's kids being able to do this, or change files on our
>> > network.
>> >
>> > Thanks
>> >
>> >