iMac Security from Neighbors Wireless

[BigRedOne]

I have done many searches and my questions have not been answered to my satisfaction. I'm sure it is because I don't understand it all yet.

Question 1, My neighbor is a real d*&k and has wireless set up, according to him he can pick up any computer a long ways away. My new iMac (2 wks old) can he hack it even if I don't have any wireless set up on it yet?

Question 2, I have Airport Express to use only for my speakers and possibly a wireless printer down the road. The Airport Express will be used in one room only and it is the room directly across from the the room he has his station set up in (approximately 16'). If I hook the Express up, how do I stop him from hacking my system via his wireless base station to access my iMac?

I know I am a little paranoid, but I just don't trust this guy at all. I know search is my friend and I have tried to us it, but I guess I'm not smart enough about wireless to feel comfortable. So thank you in advance for your knowledge on the subject.

 

[flopticalcube]

1. No. No wireless. No possibility.

2. Turn on WPA and choose a strong password.

 

[MagpieX]

I have done many searches and my questions have not been answered to my satisfaction. I'm sure it is because I don't understand it all yet.

Question 1, My neighbor is a real d*&k and has wireless set up, according to him he can pick up any computer a long ways away. My new iMac (2 wks old) can he hack it even if I don't have any wireless set up on it yet?

Question 2, I have Airport Express to use only for my speakers and possibly a wireless printer down the road. The Airport Express will be used in one room only and it is the room directly across from the the room he has his station set up in (approximately 16'). If I hook the Express up, how do I stop him from hacking my system via his wireless base station to access my iMac?

I know I am a little paranoid, but I just don't trust this guy at all. I know search is my friend and I have tried to us it, but I guess I'm not smart enough about wireless to feel comfortable. So thank you in advance for your knowledge on the subject.

Hide you ssid, set a wpa2 password and also for that exta bit of security lock down the MAC codes of your devices.

Now you should be safe as, if he does have some magic wifi hacking software he has to find you ssid, wpa password then guess a working Mac code. This should take him a year or so. You have anything thats worth all that hassle for him?

 

[MacDawg]

Hide you ssid, set a wpa2 password and also for that exta bit of security lock down the MAC codes of your devices.

Now you should be safe as, if he does have some magic wifi hacking software he has to find you ssid, wpa password then guess a working Mac code. This should take him a year or so. You have anything thats worth all that hassle for him?

Ha, Ha... I am sure all of that is great advice, but if the OP is anything like me I wouldn't have a clue how to do any of the things you just said. Could you be a little more specific about how to do these things? I know the OP said he was not "smart about wireless". There are a lot of us out here that aren't either. Thanks!

Woof, Woof - Dawg

 

[alphaod]

And if your neighbor "hacks" your computer, then just report him to the FBI. Problem solved and one less annoying neighbor!

 

[BigRedOne]

And if your neighbor "hacks" your computer, then just report him to the FBI. Problem solved and one less annoying neighbor!

The bad part with this option is then the FBI would have a file on me. Not sure whom I would worry more about, the neighbor or the FBI .

Thanks for all the responses; I don't have a wireless system set up right now so I don't have a worry about a wireless hack. When I do hook up my Airport Express, pick a strong password, select WPA2 and lock down the Mac codes on my devices. Did I understand it correctly?

MacDawg is correct about my intelligence on the subject matter. However, I will keep searching Mac resources until I figure it all out prior me installing Airport Express. Regards/ Big Red One

 

[Jethryn Freyman]

When I do hook up my Airport Express, pick a strong password, select WPA2 and lock down the Mac codes on my devices. Did I understand it correctly?

WPA2 with a long, random password. Long is 15 characters or longer, each character you add after 15 makes it take ~100 times longer to brute force.

Forget about MAC address filtering.

If someone has the computer power and exabytes of disk space needed to brute force a 15 character WPA key, they'll know how to defeat MAC filtering is seconds.

 

[Ov3rlord Falc0r]

The bad part with this option is then the FBI would have a file on me. Not sure whom I would worry more about, the neighbor or the FBI .

Thanks for all the responses; I don't have a wireless system set up right now so I don't have a worry about a wireless hack. When I do hook up my Airport Express, pick a strong password, select WPA2 and lock down the Mac codes on my devices. Did I understand it correctly?

MacDawg is correct about my intelligence on the subject matter. However, I will keep searching Mac resources until I figure it all out prior me installing Airport Express. Regards/ Big Red One

Its really not that difficult to set up. All you have to do is log into our router when you get it set up and follow a step by step guide you can probably find with google. I know on my router here at home I just log in, click "Wireless Encryption" and fill in the boxes.

But like I said, just follow a step by step guide from online somewhere and pick a strong password and you should be good.

 

[BigRedOne]

Thank you all for sharing. I feel I can handle setting it up, especially now that I feel better on how and what I need to do and look for. I just have to get past the thing about a possible invasion of my private little world I have set up in my computer/ iTunes blast room . I am fighting myself over going wireless just for my speakers, but I'm going to do it.

After all, I switched from many years of Windows PC to an iMac. I never even tried out an iMac until my new refurbished 24", 2.8 showed up at my door step two weeks ago. It's all good, wireless is really the next step. Regards/BRO