Jim (and others),
First off, THANKS for your patience in trying to teach me new things!! (Sorry for all of the questions, but I'm a newbie in this area...)
Debbie,
You have lots of questions that need to be answered, and understood in order before you move forward. The bolded section of your post above is the first thing you need to get your head around.
I understand that *in theory*, but I also know the *reality* of being away from home.
Would I leave my MacBook unattended in an airport or Grand Central Station? Of course not!
But would I momentarily leave my cabled and screen-saver locked MacBook at the local library in Mankato, MN? Yes...
Is that "ideal"? No. Is it a fair compromise between "security" and "living"? I personally think so.
In an ideal world, I would have a wired, cabled desktop at home, behind a steel door. But the reality is I am away from home most of the year, and when I'm at Panera in Average-Town USA, it isn't practical to shut down my laptop, go outside, lock it in the trunk - which creates new issues - then run back inside to go to the bathroom, and then start the process again... (No sarcasm, just describing "real" life...)
Anyways...
Let's assume you get a new MiFi... and the default wireless SSID is "Mifi-1234" and the default passcode which is written on the bottom of the device is 1234.
When you turn on your computer and MiFi... you will see a network named "MiFi-1234" and if you try to connect to it, it will ask you for a passcode and you will type in 1234 and you will be connected to the network.
At this point, you go into setup... and you rename the device to have a new network name. You set it to Debbies-MiFi.
(Lots of questions to follow...)
1.) Not to turn you into "Verizon Support", but how likely is it that the "Verizon Jetpack 4G LTE Mobile Hotspot MiFi 5510L" that I have been eyeing would allow that?
All the teeny-bopper kids at Verizon have told me that "You can reset the passcode on your JetPack, but it is EXTREMELY difficult, and requires our Tech Support to help you out. You wouldn't want to go there..."
2.) I have heard from different people at Verizon - and one really angry blogger - that - at least in the past - when you get your new JetPack, you cannot manage anything online UNTIL Verizon - in their infinite wisdom - MAILS YOU a Passcode Letter to your home, and then you have to use that to set up your online account. The blogger said this took like 4-6 weeks...
I've had several Verizon people verify this, and yet an equal amount say, "Oh, no, we can set you up in the store!"
And that fact would be a real worry for me, considering that I am 2,000 miles away from home right now, and won't be heading back anytime soon...
Any Verzion customers out there that can prove/disprove this horror-story??
(One thing that makes me *cringe* about Verizon is the fact that if you ask 50 people - including managers - anything, you'll get 60 different answers...) *sigh*
3.) From my limited research, it seems like most people say "You SSID is designed to be 'public knowledge', so don't worry what it is..."
Agree? Disagree?
Now if you were to start your computer and MiFi, then you would see a network called "Debbies-MiFi", and if you connect to it, you would type 1234 as the passcode.
Now obviously... this is still not good... so you would then go back into setup, and you would set your passcode to something tougher... such as p9DPDJ=T+m2adjBvMDwYagvo
Again, maybe a question you can't personally answer, but...
4.) What are the chances that I could actually change the JetPack Passcode? (The Verizon Sales people tried to scare me off from wanting to do this. The same ones that said, "The worst thing that could happen if someone got your passcode is that they'd get free Internet while sitting next to you.")
You would think you would treat the JetPack's passcode the same way you'd treat your password to any important online account...
- Kept secret
- Strong password
- Change regularly
Right?
Now... when you log into your network... you would connect to "Debbies-MiFi" and for the passcode, you would type: p9DPDJ=T+m2adjBvMDwYagvo and it would be preferable if you told your computer, iPad, or whatever to remember this passcode. Note that p9DPDJ=T+m2adjBvMDwYagvo is not written on the bottom of your device. The default is now no longer active. Hence nobody else can connect to your wireless network... unless they cracked that 24 character code... which I suspect that would never occur... unless you spent decades sitting in the same Macdonalds.
Okay, on one hand, that all makes good sense. But on the other hand...
5.) Are you sure it is a good idea to create some really complex passcode, only to then set things as 'Log in automatically'?
I mean, wouldn't it be better to create a "secure passcode" that I could remember, but have to type in each time?
6.) Any idea how you type in the passcode on the JetPack? (It doesn't have a keypad, right?!)
7.) Assuming there is a way to type things in, would creating a Pass-Phrase that I type in every time, e.g. "MacRumors*Is*My*#1*Site"
You would also set a "basestation Name + basestation password" to the device... so that nobody else could change your settings.
You totally lost me here.
8.) What are those??
9.) And what about the "Admin Username" and "Admin Passcode" I have heard about? How do they relate to all of this?
Note that on the MiFi... there is probably a reset button... which would reset the machine back to the state as when you first bought it. However... if someone was to reset it (while you were in the bathroom)... then you would instantly know, because your computer would no longer connect... so you would still be safe.
What about from the reverse...
10.) If my JetPack was compromised, and a hacker signed in, is there anyway I'd know this, or would they be logged and "surfing in the shadows" unbeknownst to me?!
If you are not sure about the above... then do not read any further... just re-read the above to full comprehension before going further.
I think you did an excellent job explaining things. And I have definitely learned some new things, so
thanks!!
(Of course, I had a *few* follow-up questions, too...)
Regarding VPNs (like WiTopia)... there are many competing companies. I chose WiTopia because when I researched... they seemed to come up on top... and was highly recommended by several seemingly unrelated sources... including two journalists in which I have moderate trust. So I tried them, and found them easy enough to use.
Yeah, they seem like a good place to start.
If you use a VPN... then you can connect to public networks. The VPN will encrypt all of your data... and send it to the VPN company which will then forward your requests over the net. There is a small performance penalty most of the time... but it is usually negligible. Nothing to worry about.
Okay.
I do have a MiFi equivalent... and I also have a VPN. I NEVER attach to a public hotspot without using a VPN. NEVER. It is too easy to be sidejacked.
Yep, I got that message crystal clear.
I generally do not use a VPN when I am using my MiFi because I am impervious to being sidejacked. It would probably be better to use both concurrently (for other unknown reasons)... but MiFi devices are fairly slow (the cell phone networks are generally not great)... and I do not want the double whammy of a slow telco connection plus a VPN slowing it down more.
Okay.
One final thing. Ignore the comment someone made about suggesting setting up a personal VPN at home by using a NAS. I do not think that is great advice. It is sort of like asking someone for the time... and being told how to build a clock. You do not need that complication in your technical life at this point.
Yeah, I felt the same way when I read that. (Way over my competency level, and probably little or no savings.)
Yes, all of this opens up a new world to me.
I can't believe I have been so ignorant (and cheap) for so long, but "Better late than never!!"
Look forward to your replies...
Sincerely,
Debbie