Allow me to preface this with something I’ve said before and will likely say again: I know next to nothing about computers. Although my father thinks I am a computer genius because I realize that you plug the red cord into the red hole, I am- in fact- not nearly as computer savvy as my dad would think. That’s why I’m here.
:: Offers goat to the shrine of computer geniuses ::
My roomie just reinstalled Windows on her laptop (for no particular reason other than that she felt like it). Everything went swimmingly until she noticed things weren’t quite right with her wireless stuff.
Some slight background (she’s actually asleep at the moment so I can’t get the specifics, but I can get back with them if it is necessary): she’s got a Dell something-or-another, running Windows XP, and has her wireless card on the outside. I’m sure that whoever is reading this will know what the port it is hooked up to is called, but it isn’t the USB drive and it isn’t the square looking network port (that you would put the broadband or highspeed cable into).
The wireless is actually working, but the problem is that the whole shebang looks funny.
Instead of looking like this (you know, a little thing with green lines coming out of it), the icon in the tray looks more like two computers. Then, when you click on the icon (or go to the networks menu), the menu looks really strange. Rather than looking like this, the menu (stay with me here, I’m horrible at describing things) is a gray box with a small list of networks at the top, then a bunch of options below.
So what’s going on? Clearly there is something up with the settings, but is this something that needs to be fixed?
Oh, and while we’re at it: does anybody want to settle a dispute for us? I say we ought to lock our network, she says there is no reason to. Thoughts one way or the other? I was always under the belief that an open wireless network can either a: cost you extra money or b: leave your network (and computer) open to be tampered with by strangers.
If she’s got an outboard PCCARD network adapter (what you described) she’s going to need to download & install the drivers for this card before it will be able to see and log onto the wireless network.
Re security your friend is an idiot. Unsecured networks are subject to all sorts of malicious tampering, and if your net use is metered you can incur additional charges from someone DLing or surfing on your connection.
Ha! I win! That’s exactly what I told her (about the network). Any cites that I can show her, just so she’ll stfu?
And the wireless is working just fine- she can connect and such. The problem is just that the stuff looks totally different than before. I suppose it really isn’t a big issue, I’m just curious if there’s a reason to change, etc.
Windows XP has a built-in wireless controller, and that’s probably why the wireless is up and working now. If she has a PCMCIA card plugged into the side of the computer, she’ll need to find out what the make/model is, and download and install the drivers and utility from the manufacturer’s website (or the CD that came with the card, if she still has it…) before things look “normal” again.
Regarding wireless security: yeah, I’d lock it. If left unlocked, other people could connect to your network and suck up all your bandwidth downloading things, causing your connection to run turtle-slow, or even cause you other problems… for example, if I have a virus that is sending a thousand e-mails a second from my computer as it tries to spread, and I’m connected to the 'net through your unsecured wireless network, who do you think the ISP is going to come looking for? Won’t be my internet connection that gets shut off; they’ll see the malicious traffic as coming from your modem, and your service will be suspended. Me, I’m gonna have to go find another wireless network to leech off of.
And while you’re locking down your network, may I suggest you enable both 128 bit (minimum) WEP as well as MAC filtering? No sense sitting out there like a shining beacon to every dork with a laptop, y’know? I used to weeze off networks like that sitting in my car across from big apartment buildings. Damned things were lit up like WiFi Xmas trees and every darned one of them open wide and every file shared… Lucky for them I’m ethical but broke and was just looking for an avenue to cruise the Dope, otherwise I’d know their bank balance and what their girlfriend’s crotch looks like! :rolleyes: :smack: :dubious:
Absolutely enable WEP. I travel a lot in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, and in the event that I need to download or email something urgently, all I need to do is park my car near an apartment block in either city, open my laptop and have at least 5 unsecured wireless connections just asking to be used. Even more surprising, there are plenty of internet cafes around that haven’t bothered to secure their networks!
The biggest threat IMHO is not direct tampering but the use of your network for illegal activities that will trace to you. Someone could easily tap into a file sharing system like limewire with a load of kiddie porn to share. If someone does a little digging it will backtrace to your current IP address at your ISP. Just as easy to use for purchasing things with stolen credit cards, logging into bank accounts via logins harvested by viruses, the list goes on. There are also several websites dedicated to posing maps of where open networks are in various major cities
:dubious:
