Wireless Broadband

[peterd]

Although I do not yet have the above, I have been told that a neighbour may be able to hack into your pc & use your broadband if you are online. Anybody else heard of this ?

[CT]

This may be true. You need to encode your wireless router. Which i'm sure someone will be able to tell you exactly how to do.

[Jay70]

They would have to hack you ESSID to start with. For extra security on a wireless access point you can normally set up an access control list within its config where you enter the MAC addresses of the wireless devices you want to run with it thus not allowing access to any unwanted devices. You can also set up an encryption key on all the devices on your network which your intruder would have to hack.

[jake-the-peg]

Yup they'd probably use NetStumbler http://www.wirelessdefence.org/Contents/NetstumblerMain.htm

to do it. Setting up an access control list is a very good idea

[dodgyshirt]

Of course none of the above will apply if you simply have one PC with a wired connection.

[wideboy]

Is there any way of knowing if someone is accessing your wireless network or using your Internet connection if you haven't secured it (yes, I know I should secure it but haven't yet!!)

[Jay70]

Hi Wideboy,

Again in an Access Points config there is usually a facillity called something like 'Show RF stats' which is a log of the wireless device's MAC addresses which have recently been connected to your WLAN.

[freddyboy]

I have wanadoo wireless and talk which has wirelees security built in with a secure key number . brilliant easy to set up and cheap