I spend a lot of time in my summerhouse at the back of the garden and I'm thinking of buying a laptop pc. I understand you can now get wireless laptop for internet so I can carry on replying the Diynot! (sad I know!). Can anyone hacks into the system being wireless or it is safer to have a cable coming off my router via pc to the garden with a non-wireless laptop ?
Wireless laptop - is it safe ?
- Thread starter masona
- Start date
I
Igorian
There are numerous methods of protecting yourself from attack that range from encryption routines to username/password authentication. Apart from the fact that your data is floating about in the air and could be intercepted and decrypted, the usual security rules apply.
Buy a router that will support WPA security (replacing WEP) and MAC filtering (so you can restrict your network to known MAC addresses). While NAT is an effective firewall, look for a router that supports SPI for extra protection.
MS advanced server O/S ships with something called RADIUS, which is a user/password system to allow only authorised users on the wireless network. I believe you can get this as an add-in for other operating systems.
Not sure how well it will work from the back of your garden. Like any wireless device, they are subject to environmental conditions.
Buy a router that will support WPA security (replacing WEP) and MAC filtering (so you can restrict your network to known MAC addresses). While NAT is an effective firewall, look for a router that supports SPI for extra protection.
MS advanced server O/S ships with something called RADIUS, which is a user/password system to allow only authorised users on the wireless network. I believe you can get this as an add-in for other operating systems.
Not sure how well it will work from the back of your garden. Like any wireless device, they are subject to environmental conditions.
Thanks for the info...
I might use a cable to play it safe, the cable length will be approx 30 metres run. I don't understand how pc wire cable works but will it still work okay regarding the length of it ? Is there a high performance cable or bigger size or do they do a cable for external weather ? Like I say, I don't understand how and what they can do.
I might use a cable to play it safe, the cable length will be approx 30 metres run. I don't understand how pc wire cable works but will it still work okay regarding the length of it ? Is there a high performance cable or bigger size or do they do a cable for external weather ? Like I say, I don't understand how and what they can do.
I
Igorian
You can have up to a 90m run of category 5 cable between a switch/router and the node, but you will need to protect your equipment from transient overvoltage caused by lightning strikes (even if it is run underground). External cabling is not my area of expertise, but have a look here for more information.
The wireless route is much cooler. You can get directional antennae so you could have one pointing out into your garden. You can even use a Pringles can (eat the crisps first) as some kind of DIY waveguide. But I really doubt you will have problems with range unless you have literally acres of garden.
In terms of security, you can make them very secure.
As Igorian mentions, MAC filtering. This basically means that the network will ignore anything other than the actual piece of network hardware you tell it to listen to. So someone would need to actually steal your hardware (or be very very very clever) in order to get into your network. If they are going to steal your hardware they will be in your house anyway so wired or wireless, it's academic!
If I were installing a new network in a house, I would go for wired inside the house as the primary network with wireless as a secondary network, including the garden. Wireless is the future and in 25 years we will laugh at the days when we used wired networks.
In terms of security, you can make them very secure.
As Igorian mentions, MAC filtering. This basically means that the network will ignore anything other than the actual piece of network hardware you tell it to listen to. So someone would need to actually steal your hardware (or be very very very clever) in order to get into your network. If they are going to steal your hardware they will be in your house anyway so wired or wireless, it's academic!
If I were installing a new network in a house, I would go for wired inside the house as the primary network with wireless as a secondary network, including the garden. Wireless is the future and in 25 years we will laugh at the days when we used wired networks.
Igorian said:
You can go quite a bit further with better cable. In fact I think you would be hard pressed to find common Cat5 now, I found that Cat6 is about the same price by the reel and you can use that for gigabit networking with no problems.
B
breezer
i think you have no worries with radio, i once saw on tv a prog where they were watching what was being typed on a pc, because of its monitor.
and no it wasn't a james bond style film
and no it wasn't a james bond style film
I
Igorian
Yeah, I think I saw that program, they did a demo with a modified tv to show how easy it was to steal information from banks. You'd have to really want that data though eh.
DERA (the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency, now reshuffled and renamed) had a problem because of that technique. There was an old house within range of their spanking new site. They looked into all kinds of methods to prevent the possibility of the Russians spying from this house. In the end, they decided the cheapest and most effective solution was to buy the house and knock it down, so they did!
The thing is, if someone is desperate enough to see what is on your computer, they will. If you have information that is of interest to the people capable of circumventing any measures then network security is the least of your worries! I would start finding an Austrian cellist, an Aston Martin with an ejector seat and an ability to continuously drink yet still be a perfect shot with a pistol. The thing that it is easy to forget is that it is unlikely anyone has the slightest interest in hacking into our computers, no more interest than they have for trying to watch you wander around the house in your pants! However this doesn't avoid the fact that your neighbour may inadvertently start viewing a collection of compromising pictures of your wife when he buys a new wireless laptop and it automatically finds your network!
The thing is, if someone is desperate enough to see what is on your computer, they will. If you have information that is of interest to the people capable of circumventing any measures then network security is the least of your worries! I would start finding an Austrian cellist, an Aston Martin with an ejector seat and an ability to continuously drink yet still be a perfect shot with a pistol. The thing that it is easy to forget is that it is unlikely anyone has the slightest interest in hacking into our computers, no more interest than they have for trying to watch you wander around the house in your pants! However this doesn't avoid the fact that your neighbour may inadvertently start viewing a collection of compromising pictures of your wife when he buys a new wireless laptop and it automatically finds your network!
Interesting reading lads.....
I suppose nothing is 100% foolproof, my main concern was the clever one hacking into the bank account details, so as you say wireless or not shouldn't make any difference. I was thinking wireless with all the data information floating in the air is easier to hack into than wired pc.
AdamW said:
I suppose nothing is 100% foolproof, my main concern was the clever one hacking into the bank account details, so as you say wireless or not shouldn't make any difference. I was thinking wireless with all the data information floating in the air is easier to hack into than wired pc.
I
Igorian
AdamW said:
Errm, depends how old you r?
AdamW said:
Yeah true, Cat6 is becoming more common, but I think there will be a lot of Cat5e around for ages yet. The network hardware also has to be Cat6 compliant to reap the benefit (even the RJ45s), so it will be a while before it gets replaced.