Mac-PC Wireless Servers?? Very Techie Question!!

Murray

Hi all

I hope someone can help because I'm flummoxed!!

My boyfriend and I use a wireless router to connect to the internet, me from my Macbook and him from his Windows laptop. I'm concerned because I've just noticed that when I click on Macintosh HD, there is a menu on the left and in between 'Devices' and 'Places' there is a section called 'Shared'. In that section there are 2 PC icons called different names.

One I know is my boyfriends laptop because I can access his files. I'm concerned that other people will also be able to access his files because apart from not wanting other people to be able to snoop, he has work stuff on there...don't worry, he doesn't work for a government or a bank!!

I didn't recognise the 2nd name but having done a search on bt.com, I realise that someone who lives very closeby has that name. When I click on the name it says 'Connected as guest' but I cannot access their files like I can my boyfriends.

1. What is lacking in our security to allow me to access my boyfriends files on a different computer?

2. Will other people be able to access his files too?

3. Does the fact that I can see the neighbours computer (presuming that is what it is) mean that they are using our wireless broadband?

4. Is it likely that anyone can access my computer files i.e. the neighbours in question?!

Please help!!

Thank you in advance

Murray

PROLIANT

Hello there, ok I will try and put this without baffling you with IT speak, you have a router which basically is a barrier between your private-internal network and the Internet, for you to be able to see another PC/Device on your internal network that device would have to be on the same subnet address, for example if we use the post-office analogy here say you live on 192-street and your neighbour lives on 172-street, when a letter goes from 82-street (the internet) and is addressed to 192-street, you will see/receive it only and the same if it was addressed for 172-street.
However if your neighbour also lives on 192-street (the internal private network) you will both see the letter and see each other. So, your neighbour must be on your router internal network i.e. using your broad-band connection, have you not got security set up on the wireless router?

troublegum

1. He is lacking a firewall of some kind. Or his firewall is configured to allow access to machines on the same subnet.

2. Yes

3. Yes

4. By default file sharing is off on the mac, however incoming connections are allowed. Depends on how you had this set up really.

First thing you need to do is set security on your wireless network and kick the neighbour off.

Then add a firewall to the windows maching and unshare the files if they are supposed to be private.

Murray

Thanks for the helpful replies guys!

How do I set the security on our wireless network...I want to kick out this cheeky neighbour!!

I will check out my boyfriend firewall settings (I can do that - I think!!)

PROLIANT

I cant help you with the MAC side of things...Windows, Unix and Linux are my domain however the Windows firewall can be enabled by;
Control Panel > Windows Firewall > On, you will have to allow file sharing on the windows PC if you want to access your partners files on his share.
Once you have secured the router/wireless network then you will be safe, that is your first priority, what is the make and model of the router?

Murray

Its a BT Home Hub...

I really am grateful for all of your help!

PROLIANT

Murray wrote: »

Its a BT Home Hub...

I really am grateful for all of your help!

I have found a tutorial on the Home Hub for you, take a look and any problems please just ask and my self and the other guy's on here will help you, this tutorial is quite detailed.

http://www.frequencycast.co.uk/homehub.html

Murray

I was having trouble changing my router settings so I phoned BT for some 'help'! Apparently our wireless broadband already has in built WEP 64-bit security which would make sense because I had to enter the Wireless Key to be able to access the internet when I set it up on my computer.

Now I'm thoroughly confused because BT say that the neighbour would need to have the Wireless Key (which looks like it would be nigh on impossible to guess) and that I've got nothing to worry about...needless to say, I'm still worried!!

Boyfriends firewall is now enabled (goodness knows why/how it was ever disabled - even I know thats bad!) but I can still access his files...eek...this is a minefield!

mdbarber

change the wifi security to wpa and set up your own key, wep is fairly insecure now and a hacker doesn't need to guess the key, it will just try every possible combination(brute force attack).
With windows pc's set up accounts on the machine for each user allowed(even network users, then disable the guest account and make sure you have a password set for the built in administrator account . can't advise you on the mac but should be similar procedure,
this is a basic secure set-up but we could be here weeks to go into all possibilities, make sure anti-virus/spyware is up to date and don't fall for the mac urban myth they don't need security procedures

tomsolomon

If you suspect someone is using your bandwidth, phone the police........Simple....
And yes if you can't configure the security on your network pay someone to do it.

PS. If said neighbour is already on your network,, They already know your WAP key, so if you do manage to enable it's security features, they will still be able to connect to your network!!!!
You need to disconect from the internet, dissable the wireless, connect to your router with a LAN cable and change your WAP key.