Can you get a virus if you connect your laptop on the available wireless hotspot or your neighbors?

Question

Can you get a virus connecting to a neighbor's router? He has no passwordd so I can connect to it freely. Is it okay to continue to do this? I have my own dsl line but i only connect my other laptop to the neighbor's router via wireless. Can it get a virus?

Answer 1

I believe you are asking at least two questions here.

First, the potential to get a virus is independent of the method of getting your Internet connection.

Separate the "road" (Internet connection through DSL, Cable, FiOS, etc.) from the "accident" (virus/trojan/worm/etc.).

It does not matter if you are on a dirt road or on a 6-lane highway, you can get into an accident on both.

The second question you seem to be asking is if you should continue to use your neighbor's connection.

If your neighbor has not approved this, then you are stealing his service. This is not a gray area. Several individuals have been prosecuted and sentenced with financial punishment and jail time for such theft.

If your neighbor has approved, then most likely they are violating their Internet Service Provider contractual agreement. Most ISPs stipulate that only one household can use the connection.

I suggest you educate your neighbor, potentially gaining a good buddy, and use your own DSL for Web surfing with an appropriate software and/or hardware firewall and anti-malware protection.

Answer 2

A wireless router doesn't protect against virus's it just passes traffic the weak point in a network is the computer. You can get them from the wireless just as easily as your dsl. The question you might want to ask is if what you are doing is legal laws are being written to start prosecution of people like yourself, be careful

Answer 3

Yes, a virus can get through an unsecure open internet line, which is exactly what you and your neighbor have. What you need to do is ask your neighbor to put a password on his connection and both of you should have a software firewall install on both PCs. The free ZoneAlrm from Zonelabs is free and work great. Both of you also need somekind of Antivirus software like Avira. The link for both free aps are below:

http://www.free-av.com/
http://www.zonelabs.com/store/content/catalog/products/sku_list_za.jsp?dc=12bms&ctry=US&lang=en&lid=nav_za

Answer 4

.
Depending on their security settings, and yours,
PLUS
your attention to NOT be carelessly opening programs, e-mail attachments, and other "executable" applications,
will depend on whether you encounter a virus or not.

If you want reliable protection
Get AVAST
1. Remove what you have now. Dump it
2. Go to Control Panel > Add/Remove Programs and delete the anti-virus program you have now,
if you have one;
then use your Search feature, type in the name of your current anti-virus program
if you have one > right click and delete any instance it finds.

3. Get this neat free program
Get FREE Home version of an excellent anti-virus software = AVAST
http://avast.com/eng/avast_4_home.html....
Install > run > do a thorough scan
and allow it to run on your computer all the time.
Whatever it finds > selelct DELETE

The annual registration and frequent updates are free too.


B. Also
Get Ad-AWARE spy-removal tool from Lavasoft
http://www.lavasoftusa.com/products/ad-aware_se_personal.php
1. Download, install and run this program weekly or more.

h2h

Answer 5

yes a virus can spread thru any connection (wireless,dsl, dial up etc..)
i would advise against using your neighbors connection

Answer 6

Technically, that's illegal to access someone else's wireless network without their permission. And yes, you can get a virus, because their network is not secure and if they have a virus, any computer on the same network can get it.

Answer 7

You can connect. But safeguard your PC by installing a standard antivirus and an antispyware.http://fixit.in/antivirus.html and I can give a few links that offer free virus and spyware removers...!You may be having a virus or spyware installed on your PC. Norton, AVG , Avast are free antivirus software. Ad-aware, Ewido are free spyware removers. You can download free softwares at
http://fixit.in/antivirus.html and http://fixit.in/spywareremover.html

Answer 8

u in elementary words get a virus even as u transer a record to/out of your pc or you "percentage" any source on your HD and someone move you an contaminated record for your pc. otherwise, this is only a fashion to connect with the internet.

Answer 9

Yes you can still get a virus if your not careful while surfing!

Answer 10

Yes it can. I'm sure your neighbor wouldn't like you to do that.