How to know if my wireless is 'safe'

espresso

dc wrote: »

I read it as WAP/gprs, interesting, time will tell.

Did you read the title of the thread?

How to know if my wireless is 'safe'

dc

Yes, don't shout.

The OP said her son had used his mobile to go on the net. Tis possible to do that without involving BB/wi-fi. As Ideofreak pointed out in post#6

Seems this a could be panic/communication problem that is spreading. There's a lot of it about .

superscaper

dc wrote: »

Tis possible to do that without involving BB/wi-fi. As Ideofreak pointed out in post#6

Tis also possible to do it through wi-fi (my mobile doesn't have it but at least half the mobiles in this house do). Possible to read it either way without it being specified. We can't really assume anything at this stage.

mrs_baggins

ok then some clarification is in order to clear up my possibly misleading post!

I wanted to be able to use my laptop while in the garden/in bed etc so I bought a wireles router recommended by my cable provider. The router is a BT Voyager 1500-8d if this helps. I then bought a card for my laptop which slotted in the side to enable me to use it wherever I wanted in the house but I could only use it after first switching on my main pc and accessing the internet on that. I then just switched off the pc minitor and was then able to use laptop. I seem to remenber that when I first connected i had to 'give permission' from my main pc if tht is the correct word.

When I bought the router I just thought it would be simple to install but just couldnt do it so got a mate who works in It to do it for me. He also had problems and after a couple of hours said he couldnt do it but when i checked later and switched the laptop on the main pc asked if I wanted to allow the device to connect or something like that and after that I had no problems.

My query about it been 'safe' was a query from my son who reckoned that he was using my main pc to gain access to the web but I dont know if thats what happened or if he connected any other way .

I just dont want someone being able to sit outside when my pc is on and be able to use my broadband.

And to answer another question yes the router is connected via a cable to my pc.

Sorry if my initial post was a bit vague I guess i just needed to give a bit more info that I thought!! hope this now answers the queries to my original post

dc

I was just saying that, of the two ways to read it, I personally read it as a possibilty and was backing up what you and Idiophreak were pointing out. I also said time will tell. Perhaps I also should have said ALSO, between Tis and possible.

BTW my cellphone/mobile can do both.;)

mrs_baggins

I have just been having a look at my pc in 'wireless network connection properties' This states that my voyager 1500 is an unsecured wireless network so to me that means anyone can access it and I need to be able to secure it. There was also another unsecure wireless network accessible by me. It just said 'kwokchan' . Now I may be wrong butI have some chinese people who live nearby and guess that this may be their network. So if mine is at present insecure how do I make it secure

superscaper

A link on security was given in the first response.

Access to the options is given in your user manual:

1. Start your usual Internet browser and browse to http://192.168.1.250
2. If prompted for a user name and password, enter admin in both fields.

dc

Following above, posted by superscraper,
First hide your Network name (SSID), tick "Hide SSID" box, make note of SSID and channel for future ref, ( you will need that if you add other wi-fi to your network), then click apply.
This is a basic precaution to stop letting others know you are there, unlike your kwokchan neighbours.

For further security now you can encrypt using WEP or WPA as in post#2.

This is also usually on the cd supplied with the router, if you havent got it I will try to look it up.

dc

Found this regarding your router, WPA is recommended. HTHs

Securing your network
1. Hide SSID (Recommended)

The Voyager 1500 provides an option to hide the broadcast of the Wireless Network Name (SSID). This offers an added level of protection, similar to a password, to prevent unwanted connection. Other users will not be able to connect to your Base Unit without knowing the SSID of your wireless network.
To hide the Wireless Network Name (SSID):

• Open the BT Voyager Configuration Manager by entering http://192.168.1.250 in your browsers address field.
• Select the Advanced | Wireless | Settings screen
• If you are prompted for a user name and password, enter admin in both fields.
• Under Network Name (SSID) & Channel, click the Hide SSID box
• Click Apply to save your changes

Note: Wireless adapters that were connected to the Voyager 1500 BEFORE the SSID was hidden will still display the wireless network as if the SSID was not hidden. This is normal.
2. Enable WEP or WPA encryption (Recommended)

Your Voyager 1500 supports basic WEP security and also the more advanced security offered by WPA. WPA (Wi-Fi Protected Access) is a powerful, standards-based, interoperable security technology for wireless networks that encrypts data sent over radio waves. WPA was developed to overcome the weaknesses of WEP (Wired Equivalent Privacy).
Various options are available for enabling wireless security on your network. First you need to decide the type of wireless security you want to use.
WEP WEP (Wired Equivalent Privacy) is the security used as standard in older 802.11b wireless networks.
Select 64-bit WEP or 128-bit WEP if:

• You wish to connect older wireless adapters that do not support WPA (see opposite) such as the BT Voyager 1010/1020 to your wireless network now or in the future

WPA or WPA-PSK WPA (Wi-Fi Protected Access) is the next generation of security for wireless networks. WPA-PSK is the version of WPA specific for the home or small office users because it does not require an authentication server. With WPA-PSK, your network key is regularly and automatically changed so hackers cannot decode the key by listening to your connection.
Select WPA-PSK if:

• All your wireless adapters support WPA. Check your wireless adapter's specification.
• You wish to benefit from the additional security offered by WPA over standard WEP

To setup WEP security:

• Open The BT Voyager Configuration Manager by entering http://192.168.1.250 in your browsers address field.
• Select the Advanced | Wireless | Encryption screen. Note that the Encryption link is under the page heading
• If you are prompted for a user name and password, enter admin in both fields.
• From the Wireless Security drop down list select 64-bit WEP or 128-bit WEP
• Under Encryption Settings select either ASCII (default) or Hexadecimal
• Enter the Encryption Key.
  – If you selected ASCII, enter any string of 5 characters if you selected 64-bit WEP or 13 characters if you selected 128-bit WEP.
  – If you selected Hexadecimal, enter any string of 10 hexadecimal digits if you selected 64-bit WEP or 26 digits if you selected 128-bit WP. Note that hexadecimal digits are the numbers 1 to 0, and letters A to F (upper or lower case)
• Important: Make a note of the key somewhere safe, you will need it later to connect your wireless adapters.
• Click Apply to save your changes
• Your computer will lose its wireless connection with the Voyager 1500. You now need to configure your wireless adapters with matching security settings. Please refer to your wireless adapter's instructions.

To set-up WPA-PSK security:

• Open The BT Voyager Configuration Manager by entering http://192.168.1.250 in your browsers address field. For more information click [URL="mk:@MSITStore:E:\help\userguide.chm::/ConfigureManager.html"]here[/URL].
• Select the Advanced | Wireless |Encryption screen. Note that the Encryption link is under the page heading
• If you are prompted for a user name and password, enter admin in both fields. For more information click [URL="mk:@MSITStore:E:\help\userguide.chm::/AdminPassword.html"]here[/URL].
• From the Wireless Security drop down list select WPA-PSK (for Home/SME)
• Enter the WPA Pre-Shared Key. The key can be any string of between 8 and 63 characters. The encryption option can be ignored unless you have specific security requirements.
• Important: Make a note of the key somewhere safe, it will not be visible after you have saved it and you will need it later to connect your wireless adapters.
• Click Apply to save your changes
• Your computer will lose its wireless connection with the Voyager 1500. You now need to configure your wireless adapters with matching security settings. Please refer to your wireless adapter's instructions.

3. If using WEP: Regularly change Keys (Advanced)

WEP security offers effective protection against unwanted connections on a typical home/small office network. However, for added security, the WEP encryption Keys should be changed regularly. Depending on your data traffic, this can be from every month for a typical home user to every week with high traffic load.
Note
When you change security settings on your Voyager 1500, remember to also change settings on ALL devices on your wireless network