12 replies to this topic

[efrain_aguilar]

It is possible. If you have wifi on your laptop, run the search function. It will show you which networks are available in your location. They may be coded however. But you will be surprised how many free services there are, and how many people do not realize they have not secured their network. If you find a connection with a small box in the right corner, it means it's an ad-hoc network. You may try to connect but not be able to, but if you can't, just run the network set up wizard, wait until it finds it then add it !
Otherwise, if you can only get secured networks then you need to get more sophisticated. Try googling airsnort for windows for more info.

The wireless net work would need to be broadcasting its SSID (Network Name) and be unsecured i.e have no password to log on to it.

Or it could have WEP encryption which is easy to crack or no encryption and no Network card Mac Address filtering as each network card has a unique Mac Address.

The only secure way is to employ Mac Address filtering, don't broadcast the SSID and use WPA, and Limit the number of Connections and even use Static IP (when you tie and unique ip number to each network card.)

Yes, you can connect to anyone's WiFi as long as there is no password on it. You will ALSO need a WiFi card in your computer, if you don't have this you wont receive the signal, if there is a password on the WiFi there are certain programs you can download that get around the password for you, if you have drivers in your wifi card. To connect to a wifi connection
On mac, next to the battery icon there is the "airport" icon, click on the icon and it should list all available wifi connections. On windows, open up internet connection, click on wireless connection then click search or scan.

Routers send out signals and they can not be controlled where they go. They go out in a circle all around for around 100 feet. If someone was to go in a car by the house and open up their wireless network you will see something like LINUX, 2WIRE***, MY HOUSE, and stuff like that. You will pick up from the signal that the routers are sending out. Most networks are password protected but can easily be broken into by typing in a simple password. I am not going to tell you guys the password.

[toby]

How compatable is WPA, my mum has an internal wireless card and I don't want to shut her out.

With wpa instead of wep, the password is safe, therefore the rest of it is basically safe. I personally don't bother with mac filtering or hiding SSID, if the password is safe enough I'd rather not make it hard for people I want to connect to do so.

[FirefoxRocks]

Reminder: It is illegal to gain unauthorized access to people's wireless networks in the United States, Canada and possibly other countries.

WEP is crackable within 3 minutes according to a security book from my library. WPA is more sophisticated but it can still be crackable. WPA2 can only be accessed by government officials and people like that (military, etc).
I prefer broadcasting my (E)SSID because I want my network to be visible. However I do employ security tactics such as MAC addres filtering and WPA2 passphrase security.

[TavoxPeru]

Thanks a lot for the information, in my case this comes just in time, because i was a bit confused with these parameters and how to correctly configure them.

But not any more, now i'm able to configure correctly all my network devices, because i have the information .

Best regards,

[veerumits]

I am using Laptop so may time my home page is pop up when i hit on any links on the web page what i thinks that there is a any virus on my computer i scan it by anti virus but it is not shown any thread on my laptop could any way give the right way to resolve this problem on my laptop i blocked all pop up on the explorer menu. and i am using security firewall still have this problem any idea suggestion most welcome but please not say to reinstalled it again give the steps.

It is possible. If you have wifi on your laptop, run the search function. It will show you which networks are available in your location. They may be coded however. But you will be surprised how many free services there are, and how many people do not realize they have not secured their network. If you find a connection with a small box in the right corner, it means it's an ad-hoc network. You may try to connect but not be able to, but if you can't, just run the network set up wizard, wait until it finds it then add it !
Otherwise, if you can only get secured networks then you need to get more sophisticated. Try googling airsnort for windows for more info.

The wireless net work would need to be broadcasting its SSID (Network Name) and be unsecured i.e have no password to log on to it.

Or it could have WEP encryption which is easy to crack or no encryption and no Network card Mac Address filtering as each network card has a unique Mac Address.

The only secure way is to employ Mac Address filtering, don't broadcast the SSID and use WPA, and Limit the number of Connections and even use Static IP (when you tie and unique ip number to each network card.)

Yes, you can connect to anyone's WiFi as long as there is no password on it. You will ALSO need a WiFi card in your computer, if you don't have this you wont receive the signal, if there is a password on the WiFi there are certain programs you can download that get around the password for you, if you have drivers in your wifi card. To connect to a wifi connection
On mac, next to the battery icon there is the "airport" icon, click on the icon and it should list all available wifi connections. On windows, open up internet connection, click on wireless connection then click search or scan.

Routers send out signals and they can not be controlled where they go. They go out in a circle all around for around 100 feet. If someone was to go in a car by the house and open up their wireless network you will see something like LINUX, 2WIRE***, MY HOUSE, and stuff like that. You will pick up from the signal that the routers are sending out. Most networks are password protected but can easily be broken into by typing in a simple password. I am not going to tell you guys the password.

[rpgsearcherz]

Lots of great info here, really. I didn't know that there was a WPA2...I personally don't have any protection on our network at the moment, but I live out in the middle of nowhere so people don't log on it anyways,

[yordan]

I am using Laptop so may time my home page is pop up when i hit on any links on the web page what i thinks that there is a any virus on my computer i scan it by anti virus but it is not shown any thread on my laptop could any way give the right way to resolve this problem on my laptop i blocked all pop up on the explorer menu. and i am using security firewall still have this problem any idea suggestion most welcome but please not say to reinstalled it again give the steps.

This is far away from the topic of this tutorial. You should rather open a new topic in the "Antivirus and Anti-spyware" section, it would be more efficient.

[Quatrux]

Well, as it was said, don't use WEP as it's really easy to crack, even though some friends of mine said, that they are using WEP, they thought it's save and I said to them to use WPA2, it's quite impossible to crack it, some people don't even use a password, as they forget it whenever you need to retype it when connecting to the wireless network.. Also I use AES.

Also, it's really good to only allow connection for certain Mac addresses.