I have a home wireless network. In how big an area around my home could a hacker detect a signal?

Answer 1

Yes they could detect a wireless signal; with a tools like airsnort, WEP encryption can be decoded relatively easily. Read this article:
http://www.wired.com/news/wireless/0,1382,46187,00.html

WPA security is much more secure. In terms of the area of coverage: a couple of guys in a white van parked outside yr house with airsnort, a laptop running Linux and bad intentions could easily decrypt yr wireless transactions and have all yr data, including passwords, credit card details etc in their grubby mitts within no time.
Choose to hide yr SSID (yr Router's name, normally the manufacturer + a simple code). Change yr WPA key to something other than the default and rename yr administrative account from 'admin' to something else. Likewise yr password.

Answer 2

Depends on your router and the antennae attached to it, as well as the walls of your house. Some people buy those extra-powerful antennae and attach it to their router so the signal becomes much stronger and therefore travels farther. Also, depending on the number of walls, as well as the material of the walls the signal must go through, the signal weakens. All in all, you should always enable security on your wireless router. Use WPA2 if you can, but WEP works as long as your password isn't easily figured out. An extra security measure is to limit which computers can access your wireless router through means of MAC filtering (each wireless adapter has their own unique MAC address so that the router can check if that MAC address is allowed to connect to the router or not). Another is through disabling the SSID broadcast function, which broadcasts your network name wirelessly so when you View Available Wireless Networks, it will show up. To connect, you need to make a profile that connects to your network with the provided password, and then disable the SSID broadcast.

Answer 3

Depends on the router. Different routers distribute the signal different lengths. Most routers will at least reach a couple of houses down the street with no problem; that's why it's important to have good security on your wireless network.

Answer 4

The signal strength is different for a phone. You buy a wireless router that is in your home, not an antenna that is miles away. So you should be fine, but keep in mind you might not be able to walk down the driveway with your laptop and still get a signal, but if you don't go through too many solid concrete walls you should be fine in the house.

Answer 5

wireless routers can have quite a range. I can get on my neighbors wireless, but without a password, it makes it hard. Before we lived here, there was an Eagle's club across the street from us and I could get on that as well. Your router really needs to have a password. It has to be 10 digits, but please don't make if your phone number.

Answer 6

Well Russ, that depends on which wireless router tech you have. Must of them I would guestimate about one city block. make sure you use wep key and secure logon. Also Change the pass word of the router. Must routers have a common password so changit.

Answer 7

since i was working at glorieta de dapitan, i remember the maximum length for wireless signal, it can detect about 100-150 meters only (without big buildings).god bless

Answer 8

yes i saw a report on TV that showed someone who had bought software on eBay for £13 they then used it to sit in a van and log on 2 some ones wireless it was on a program BBC3 called the real hustle

Answer 9

depending upon terrain & if your only using the normally supplied indoor or internal antenna for the router then approx. 300ft -500ft
Make sure you have the router W.E.P (Wireless Encryption Protocol) key enabled (usually 128bit),& only allow manually registered M.A.C addresses access. Then it is near on impossible for the average Joe to gain access .

Answer 10

it depends on how good of a signal it give s off usually only 100-to 300 ft