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Joeytpg

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Jul 1, 2004
467
0
Vienna, Austria
Ok guys, we know that the wireless connections are great....you can surf online without a cable hooked to your machine, so you can move and be wherever you want.

but i also would like to know the CONS of having a wireless connection. (for example: people trying to hack your system .... etc. etc. but i really don't know 'em) can some one explain the CONS of having wireless?......and HOW can i fix a few of this CONS :)

is there a wireless block so people won't network with my pc if we're sharing the router.......etc .etc?
 

KingSleaze

macrumors 6502
Feb 24, 2004
410
0
So. Cal
To prevent others from "hacking" in and using your web access, when setting up your wireless router, password enable it and enable encryption. Airport setup assistant makes it easy. :)
 

12ibookg4

macrumors regular
Dec 22, 2003
199
0
i would recommend turning on encryption and MAC address filtering so that only computers with the MAC addresses you specify will be able to connect. even if they crack the encrytion (which btw takes a week or two to do). but there is no way to make your network 100% secure becuase if someone finds out what MAC addresses are allowed then they can spoof them. your best bet is to change your key every week and also check your router's DHCP table if you feel that someone else is trying to connect.
 

emw

macrumors G4
Aug 2, 2004
11,172
0
MAC address filtering is probably the best bet, along with having the firewall running on your router, and if you really want it, on your Mac and/or PC as well.

Also, disable broadcasting the SSID, so it'll make you network harder to find.

Other potential cons of wireless:

1) Local file sharing is slower than over wires

2) Speed of connection drops significantly as you increase the distance from the router.

Otherwise, they're fantastic. I use wireless with my laptop, but generally leave my iMac and PC wired in.

One note on hackers trying to get into your connection. Their ability to do this is somewhat dependent upon where you are. If you're in an apartment or dorm room, then your neighbors will be getting as good a signal as you are. However, if you're in a house with a reasonably sized yard, odds are probably pretty good that someone would have to be sitting on your property to grab a signal, which is a little unlikely.
 

numark

macrumors member
Jul 24, 2004
67
0
Buffalo, NY
Fear the 2.4Ghz phone. Many of them behave extremely badly, especially in my experience the vTech phones. I don't know how many times I've had to work around phones that were interfering with wireless base stations. Many times it's able to be fixed by changing the wireless channel, but you don't always know that it's going to interfere until your phone, or someone else around you, starts ringing. Some phones you simply can't use around wireless base stations. Some base stations act better. YMMV.
 
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