Security on Open Wifi.

[rKunda]

So our cable company accidentally moved our service to our new apartment a week before we scheduled it. Great. However, tech support can't help we have to talk to billing—but they won't be back until Tuesday. Great.

So we've been mooching off a neighbor nice enough to leave his wifi open. Thanks anonymous neighbor. (Side note, his computer looks invisible to me. Once we were house sitting and an open wifi network has a man sharing his entire computer, including documents for taxes, all his banking, info logins, etc. Luckily the people whose house we were in knew him so we found his house and let him know he needed to seriously make some security changes (and change passwords!)). And it got me to thinking. When we move, I wouldn't mind leaving my network open for others to use.

We have the following: Time Capsule (last edition), original express w/ printer & speakers and two macs: uMB and G5 Mac.

Are there any settings I can do on our computers to ensure a moderate degree of safety while leaving our wifi open?

 

[njl]

he's probably using wireshark, etc to sniff your packets and possibly stealing your data (along with other "no tech hacking" and basic social engineering) - people do this for easy ID theft.. i would NEVER use an open wifi network unless you are using a VPN solution or such.... and even then, there are ways around it.

as to leaving your network open, it's really not wise AT ALL to do; someone may use an exploit and mess with you. i wouldn't do it, BUT, if you want to sniff packets and steal IDs/passys/etc, well then to each his/her own.

btw, why give others your bandwidth (if you're not hacking)?

just my two cents..

 

[rdowns]

Leaving your Wifi open is stupid. What if you have a neighbor who downloads kiddie porn? Would be traced to you.

 

[njl]

excellent point

 

[markojug]

Yea, if you want other people using your bandwidth. They could download so much you would have to pay more.

Also, people connected to your network could make your router password protected to become their network, not yours.

 

[rKunda]

Also, people connected to your network could make your router password protected to become their network, not yours.

Umm, there is a /slight/ difference in letting the network stay open and posting the admin password to the router.

And we do little more than browse the internet, so what do I care if someone else is using some of my bandwidth? If for reason half the planet decided to use my network to an extent that caused it to slow down, I could always lock it later.

And to be honest, I'm not at all sold on the child porn point. I've yet to see a case where someone was sent to prison because someone else used their network to download illegal imagery.

So I get it, you think it's a bad idea. I'm interested to hear from some people that do not.