yazdzik
Premium,MVM
join:2000-07-26
Honesdale, PA
 ·Verizon Online DSL
 ·New York Connect
| wireless security?
Dear Friends,
As the quintessential non geek, I understand as little about what I use as possible without actually using the dvd drive as a cup holder.
Now, even I have some protection for my wireless gateway, as weak and dumb as it may be.
We live in NYC flat, however, and in windows the wireless connexion is genuinely funky. There are lots of networks at any point, usually from three to five, within signal range, and some better than my own. Unless I connect to mine, the prism dirver connects apparently randomly, and nothing at all stops me from connecting to any one of those I can reach.
Linux is more interesting. In order to keep my connexion alive, I can configure the ethernet adapter to connect only to my network. I have to enter essid as well as my easily crackable code. More interesting, however, is the ability to connect with ease to any other network. I get great signal from another gateway, so, just for fun, and with no harm intended or done, I typed in essid XXX, X being the gateway downstairs, I believe.
Not only did I connect, but saw all the neighbours computers, and, over samba, all his shared files. I am not sufficiently curious to read them, but, in what I thought was neighbourliness, told him that he might consider at least wep if not windows unfriendly wpa.
His answer, verbatim, ¨That is just too much work. If people want to leech my bandwidth, I don´t care, I have cable.¨
It is easy to click on ¨share this file.¨
It is easier to ignore even the band aid of wep.
But since no one here seems even to try to create a password, I cannot, on the one hand, imagine anyone learning to use other people´s networks,on the other, presume I am safe from left clicking nonchalants.
So I, on the tenth floor, am safe from my neighbours, who cannot be bother to do anything more than flip a switch. Protection seems like too much work.
I am certainly happy I am their neighbour and not their call-girl, though.
-M
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If the nurturing teats of justice must be covered because she will suckle us with the sweet milk of compassion, what then is law? |
