This is a question for those of you who have/know a lot about wireless
networks.
I got a laptop a few months ago (hooray!) and a wireless router for our
cable modem (hooray!). When I first set it up I put a password on our
network. Then, after traveling with my computer a little and stumbling upon
other people's open networks I began to formulate the philosophy that
having an open network is a nice thing to do. Plus my mac started not
liking the passwords, and I got sick of having to deal with changing it and
trying to make all the computers in the house happy.
So, here comes the stupid question part. Is it a bad idea from a security
standpoint to keep the network open? I don't have file sharing or anything
like that turned on on my laptop. Is there anything someone could do that
would make keeping it open a bad idea? Just lookiing for thoughts...I'm
kind of ignorant about networking in general...
____________________ Wind me up and make me crawl to you, tie me up until I call to you.
as long as your individual machines have thier own security running, I
don't see a problem with an open network... the only issue I have is when
people use my bandwidth... SOOOO I have a password becuase I have 5
machines going most times, andd when I want my bandwidth, I want it NOW
____________________ The earth turns on a tilted axis - just doing the best it can.
Hohenheim of Light~Full Metal Alchemist
IamSquid
Extreme Fanatic
Posts: 658 Registered: 27/5/2002 Status: Offline
posted on 17/4/2004 at 04:11 PM
I provide open wireless at my house and the only thing that I worry about
is shady people hanging around outside my house. If that happens I can
always just pull the plug on them and they'll wander off.
____________________
i wanted to die, and then it progressed into wanting everyone else to
die so i could watch, and then me die.
-ickgirl
Devin
Administrator
Posts: 317 Registered: 31/12/1969 Status: Online
posted on 17/4/2004 at 04:28 PM
If none of the machines on your network have any kind of file sharing on,
then probably the worst that could happen is someone could do something
illegal and have it traced back to you. Or send out a few billion spam
messages and have you get blamed. If there's any kind of legal
investigation, I'm sure they'll prolly just say "another girl with an open
wireless network" - and let it go at that. But if your ISP thinks it's
you, they'll prolly just cancel your account without checking if you really
did anything wrong.
____________________ So Sayeth Me
IamSquid
Extreme Fanatic
Posts: 658 Registered: 27/5/2002 Status: Offline
posted on 18/4/2004 at 09:04 AM
Oh and hey, props to yoo Kira if yoo decide to provide open wireless.
There need to be more of us out there. It is very much my attitude that
the internet should be free for everyone.
I provide open wireless because I have mooched a whole hell of alot of open
wireless off of others, usually without them knowing it. In the occasions
in which I would be outside someone's house and they'd walk by and see this
wierd looking squid thing sitting outside their place online they were
usually very happy to see mee.
I used to have a link to a website that gave street address of places all
over the US (and a fair amount of the res of the world as well) where one
could pickup open wireless. I don't have the link anymore but if someone
finds it, please post it here.
If yoo happen to live in San Francisco, yoo will find that all yoo have to
do is walk around and within in an hour yoo'll probably ping something
friendly. I once got a connection in the middle of Golden Gate Park ( by
the senior citizens center on Fulton).
One day open wireless wil be everywhere.
____________________
i wanted to die, and then it progressed into wanting everyone else to
die so i could watch, and then me die.