Re: OT:Why Do Wireless Routers Ship With Security Switched Off?


"Colin Wilson" <void@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:MPG.1eacaf24941a33b99896be@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Having been using my router for a few months now just for its hardware
firewall and ethernet connection I was appalled to just find that three
other computer had decided to join my network!

Lets hope for your sake they haven`t been downloading kiddy pron...

Don't scare me like that

I can understand that people want to use these items straight out of the
box
and for their connection to be automatically detected but surely it is
not
too much to expect a little bit of security rather than the "hey come and
connect to me" signal that is broadcast

So basically you don`t know how to configure hardware you bought, and
think its the manufacturers and / or Windows' fault.

Have you now tightened up your network settings (disabling file and
printer sharing) and set up WPA ?

Have you also scanned your own system with a plethora of anti-spyware
just to make sure they haven`t put anything on it ? (my site at
http://www.coreutilities.co.uk might give you some pointers)

As for the other computers, have you scanned them to see what they have
open ? (something like AngryIP works great - http://www.angryziber.com)

Now I know what to look for I have totally switched off the wireless
functionality of the router. A facility does exist to allow only certain MAC
addresses and if I add any wireless devices then I will use this to keep out
unwanted elements

In regard to the comment about not knowing how to configure the hardware - I
know now of course but as a complete newbie to wi-fi I would have liked a
warning at least

Tricky


.

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