Wireless network Security

I am writing this message using a Compaq notebook computer from home. I am connected to my office computer over the Internet and am using Microsoft Outlook 2003 which is installed on that office computer. How am I connecting to my office computer from home? I am using the Remote Desktop Connection feature available in every version of Windows XP. That feature can be found under Start, All Programs, Accessories, Communications. But that's not why I am writing this message.

I am sitting at my kitchen table using this wireless notebook computer connected to a wireless network. But I don't have a wireless network in my house. So how am I connecting to the Internet? I am connected to a wireless network at one of my neighbor's houses across the street where they are connected to the Internet using Road Runner. And they don't know it! Connection speed isn't all that bad. The notebook computer's built-in wireless network connection is capable of 54 mb transfer rate. But with the distance and range from my neighbor's house, I am only getting 11 mb rate. Still, when you consider Road Runner provides much less than that, I am getting the full connect speed of Road Runner wirelessly. I just tried downloading a file from Road Runner's download test site and was able to achieve 250 Kb/sec download speed. Not too shabby at all.

So why am I writing this? To tell everyone with a wireless network to use the built-in wireless encryption available in all routers. If my neighbor had installed WEP, I wouldn't even be able to see the network let alone connect to it. Mind you I can't connect to my neighbor's computer files since they don't have file and print sharing turned on. But it wouldn't take a rocket scientist to overcome that little obstacle. User group leaders constantly preach to have a good up to date anti-virus program and a firewall (like Zone Alarm) installed on your computer. But here's a case where my neighbor is unintentionally inviting anyone to use his/her Road Runner access to the Internet. On a similar note, one of the people I know lives in an apartment building. He can connect to 6 different networks using a wireless notebook computer. All of those wireless networks are installed in different people's apartments. Apparently none of them are using any of the wireless encryption that comes with their routers.

The lesson here is the most important part of each of our computers is not the hardware or even the installed software. It is your data that consists of letters, photo images, spreadsheets, email, documents, financial information, etc. Don't allow anyone in the proximity of your wireless router to connect to your computer. Use the wireless encryption that came with your router to prevent anyone from connecting to your valuable data.

Anonymous

Wireless Networking Security