can another computer view my internet browsing if we use a wireless modem?

Question

I have a wifi laptop and when I go places I hook up to any unprotected wireless modems around. Can they see what I am doing / looking at on the net? If I go round to someone house who I know, and I access their modem by typing in the encryption key (if the have security) can they then see what I am looking at?

Answer 1

Yes and no, they can't "see your computer" unless they have remote viewing software installed on your machine but they can indeed review the router logs and tell what sites were visited. If they have "packet capture" software installed somewhere on the system they can indeed see what data was sent and received but that is not an easy thing for anyone to decipher. However, that is the case whether you are wired or wireless! Unsecured wireless can be "intercepted" and captured by anyone within the same connection, secured wireless sends encrypted packets that only the router can decipher.

Added.. There are cases of Identity theft by wifi. Seems the bad guys setup "open routers" hoping you will connect and then capture everything including user-names and passwords which they can then use to become YOU. So the best advice I can give you is only use NETWORKS you KNOW!

Answer 2

first - its a wireless router i think you are referring to
The modem is said to be the device that hooks up to their internet service provider
If the other person has an unsecured router it is doubtful that they have advanced skills.
In the router control panel it can be determined what devices have logged on , and are on the wireless at the moment.
This is done by the mac address on the wireless card
( the device assigned by the maker of the card)
There are logs in the router control panel
They were never meant for surveillance. Just a bunch of chatter and in most cases it is ips not translated to web addresses. Someone would have to go to a lot of work.

There are programs to snag the data etc
However on an open router - it is likely that the nube would have that skillset
If a person has those skills I would think that reading your traffic would be the least of your concerns
If it is a closed router the same applies
They can tell when you log on

A number of useful links:

http://www.netstumbler.com/downloads/

http://www.networkmagic.com

http://www.usbwifi.orcon.net.nz/

http://www.phenoelit-us.org/dpl/dpl.html

http://www.routerpasswords.com/

http://www.usbwifi.orcon.net.nz/