wireless Internet how do you make it safe?

Question

i am interested in going wireless for my broadband but i have seen several programmes showing how basically anyone with the right gear can park outside your street and see every page to retrieve making bank details etc. open to thieves and id fraudsters

Answer 1

yes there are still people using wireless set ups that are not secure but these are very few
most wireless set ups come with either wep or wpa encryption security(64 and 128 but),this basically makes your bandwidth invisible to any other users,even with hacking software,allthough a expert hacker could probally get into your wireless set up but it would take them around a week to decrypt the wep key and by that time your firewall should of picked it up
and also as a home user you would not have much on your drive to make it worth hacking
the biggest problem these days is "stealing bandwidth",this is when a nieghbour can use your wireless internet connection to surf the net free of charge,but again this only normally happens on unsecure networks,so as long as you use a w.e.p(wireless encryption protocol)key you should be fine
another negative point with using wireless is the speed,as its wireless outside factors can slow it down,such as other networks and mobile phones
i personally like a good old fashioned ethernet connection,this way you get a full 100mbps were as a wireless connection gets around 54mbps
when going wireless think security..security..security
good luck

Answer 2

Wireless Network Security 101
If you're running a wireless network with a router connected to the Internet, you have a small two-way broadcasting station that's a tempting target for unscrupulous folks. If you don't take some basic precautions, someone cruising by with a wireless-equipped laptop can freeload on your Internet connection, or gain access to your PCs to steal your data or to use your computer to send spam.

Wireless security is a work in progress, with evolving standards; and given enough time and access, a determined hacker can probably break into your wireless system. Still, you can take a number of steps to make the interloper's job far more difficult.

(see web site for more)

Answer 3

This information is generalized for all Wi-Fi setups. It is still very helpful.

Most wireless routers are configured through your Internet browser. So you must connect your wireless router to a computer.

Type your router's IP address into your browser's address bar. You can find the IP address in your router's manual. You'll be prompted for a user name and password. These will also be listed in your manual.

You want to use WPA2 (Wi-Fi Protected Access) encryption to protect your network. You'll typically see this setting as WPA-PSK (pre-shared key). You'll be prompted to enter a password of eight to 63 characters--letters, numbers and symbols. The router will use the password to build an encryption key.

WPA2 is the latest and safest version of WPA. The only weak point of WPA2 is your password. So make it as strong as possible. Here is a tip that will help.

http://www.microsoft.com/athome/security/privacy/password.mspx

http://www.microsoft.com/athome/security/privacy/password_checker.mspx

Your router may use WPA, the forerunner to WPA2. If so, be sure your password has at least 21 characters.

The earliest security standard is WEP (Wired Equivalent Privacy). Don't use that; it is easily broken. Check the router manufacturer's site for updates. If there aren't any, don't use the router to go online.

Now you must update your computers. Click Start>>Control Panel. Double-click Network Connections. Right-click Wireless Network Connection. Select Properties from the pop-up menu and select the Wireless Networks tab. You should see your network listed under "Preferred networks." Select it and click Properties. If it's not listed, click the Add button. In the box labeled "Network name (SSID)," enter your network's name.

Under Network Authentication, select WPA-PSK. Select AES under "Data encryption." Under "Network key," enter the same password you used for your router. You must enter it twice to confirm it. Make sure "The key is provided for me automatically" is not checked. Click OK>>OK.

Answer 4

Easy. just setup your security....

you can set an WEP key that only you know so that only you can connect to the AP....

people can still brute force hack into the AP but regular users can;t "Park & Ride" if you know what i mean...

Answer 5

I use a bt wireless hub and with a key code its very safe to use .Even my neighbours can't get into it .

Answer 6

not true - ensure you make your wireless network secure (Usin a PSK )

Answer 7

password protect the frequency, or murder everyone else on the planet