I’m a wee freaked.
I was trying to download the piccie I made in Caroluna’s Bayeaux Tapestry thread, and in hunting around for a program on my HD I noticed a “shared” folder showing up on my MacBook.
It contains some stuff, under the sub-heading “Doug’s Computer.” I don’t know Doug, but based on a resume I found on “Doug’s Computer,” he lives somewhere roughly across the street from me. There is also access to a whole batch of pictures, such as of someone named “Christy” recovering from surgery, going to a homecoming dance, etc.
I presume this means that either Doug or Christy have been sponging off my wireless internet connection, currently not password protected. (Because the password thing was giving us headaches.)
Do Doug and Christy have access to MY files? This is highly worrisome.
p.s. Doug’s Computer is reachable under the “Shared” heading in my HD. Nothing of mine is under the “shared” heading.
If they can see you, you can see them. If you’re using a PC, go to my computer, and right click on all the lettered drives you can see. If you have only one, it’ll be C. From the menu, select ‘sharing and security’, and make sure you haven’t got sharing enabled. You probably don’t, but make sure.
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Without returning to passwording your wireless router, you can make it slightly more secure by logging in to your router (if you turned off passwords, you did this). Give your network a new name, which shouldn’t be yours. You should see an option like “turn off SSID”. SSID is the name you just gave your router. If you have SSID enabled, it broadcasts this name to the universe, just like station ID on radio. That’s not neccessary. If you’ve already connected, your computers will know which signal to log in to, so you can shut off SSID.
Your neighbour will see the signal when he scans for networks, but without the proper name he can’t just connect and leech. If he’s savvy, he can packetsurf until he works it out, but from the ease with which you browsed his files, he’s probably not that savvy.
I did log into my router settings just a few minutes ago, and re-added a password. I’m hoping that it will work for now. When we first set up this particular Linksys router, with password, we were having problems getting everyone logged on, when the girls and their laptops (we’re all macs) were home. At the moment it’s only me, and the kid (whose PC is directly ethernet corded to the router.)
I was able to log on, via password, without problem, so I hope that will suffice for now, and my network (under available networks,) is now showing a locked lock icon.)
I’m sort of wondering whether I should tell the people over there that their stuff was all exposed to me and that they might want to be more careful.
Running unsecured wireless is dangerous. Not because of Doug-across-the-street, so much, but because of who and what else may be making use of your system without your knowledge. Of course, Doug is bad enough–anything illegal Doug does with your connection is something you could ultimately be held responsible for.
Adding a password really isn’t enough, either, though it’s certainly better than not having one. You really need to be running encryption…here’s a good online guide to securing your network.
There is a Mac thing called “filevault” which is currently not enabled by which I could encrypt/decrypt things in my home folder by password.
Would this be adequate?
(and I appear to have “sharing” off for everything.)
Also, there was some discussion online about WEP versus WPA, and while I have no real idea what these mean, it said WPA is better, which is what I selected when I just redid my password settings.
(Oh, and thanks James…I will read that page.)
Conversely, having a net connection that the Dougs of the universe can access gives you a very sound defense to any RIAA lawsuit.
Someone can try to hold you responsible for what happens with you connection, but I am aware of no precedent for a successful negligence suit. You are under no legal obligation to secure your connection. Any lawsuit or prosecution will have to prove it was you, not simply that it was your IP address.
Oooooh! Does Doug need a new job? You could help him! I’m sure that resume would benefit from some fixing-up. And I bet he’ll appreciate suggestions for employers, too, and would probably really like it if you just sent the resumes on for him.
I’m afraid the temptation to photoshop some charming additions onto those pix and deliver some printed copies to Doug might be more than I could withstand.
You could send a tasteful view of Christy to the paper with a press release to the effect that the family is happy to announce her impending departure for a convent.
Well, maybe not. Perhaps just deleting everything would be enough, especially if Doug rode a Harley or something. But, you have to admit, this has some possibilities.
I know Lamby, it so does.
And I’m kicking myself, ever so slightly, that I did not slip a “hi there!” note into the shared file before I cut them off. Because now, of course, they’re not online and I can’t see their stuff anymore.
But the possibilities abound, if only in my imagination.
I agree, an unsecured wireless system is very dangerous. Spammers and pornographers could use your connection from vehicle outside to send out their trash and the IP address of the Wireless unit would send the authorities right to your house.
It was pretty easy, actually.
Now the router admin panel is accessible via changed password, and wired only, and
LAN wireless use is locked. But, dang…I wish I’d pulled a gotcha on those folks.
Not being familiar with Macs I cannot say for certain that it works the same as for Windows, but if your router can handle it, change the encryption system to WPA2 - personal. If the Macs operate similarly to the Windows machines vis a vis wireless networking, your laptop will still access the network as is, and your network will be more secure.
You could always slip a note through the door…which might freak them more, as it’d show you knew exactly who it was.
Somebody named Jonathan lives in our area and has had an unsecured wireless signal transmitting for at least three and a half years now. We’ve used it occasionally in an emergency (such as when we need to access our broadband provider’s help pages on their website, which is difficult to do if your broadband isn’t working…)
He didn’t leave them there. I could only see them when (I presume) we were both online at the same time, so all “shared” files were visible.
Once I cut him off, they were gone.
Oh. That’s too bad. You could have become friends. Maybe next time?
Well, it might not have been intentional. Doug may be unaware that he is mooching.
Strange as it may seem, there seems to be a sizeable group of people who are not completely cognizant of how stuff flies through the air. This group includes . . . yes . . . men. (It seems that possession of power tools does not a geek make.)
I, myself, was not aware of this until recently, when we acquired a bona fide break room at work. Whilst waiting for the Keurig to produce delicious beverages, I often find myself listening to such fascinating and incredible conversations about home computers that I stay to clean the machine just so I can keep listening. It turns out that the same folks who are unable to answer even a simple business email . . . they are the ones who phone you with their reply . . . . are all getting home computers to run their Mary Kay and Amway businesses.
The discussion begins with “I got a laptop,” following which someone asks what internet provider they will be using. A ponderous silence follows. The new computer owner (NCO)asks what an internet provider is and why they might need one. Someone will explain that you can’t get onto the internet without one. At which point the NCO will assert that they have been on the internet every night since they got the thing. A couple of them have had computers for years and never had an ISP.
Of course, everyone is just sure the person has an ISP, but isn’t recognizing it. But, no, after careful questioning it turns out that the person is mooching off a neighbor. When this is explained, they are incredulous. They refuse to believe it. They are CERTAIN that the internet is everywhere, in the air, and that it is free. It is, they think, exactly like TV and radio . . . just something anyone can use.
Apparently, the people who are selling them the laptops are using this miracle free service as a purchase point. They’re telling them that it’s not available everywhere yet, but if they get home and find out they have it, well . . . so much the better for them!
One person even claims she went back to the store and asked about it, and was told not to worry. Just keep using it.
I know at least five people who mooch internet from their neighbors. They’re never going to see their stuff on any drives because they never look there. The most they can manage is surfing and free email. They have NO IDEA where their stuff goes. If it doesn’t show up in the recently used files list, it’s gone. And they’re not concerned by this . . . they think stuff just evaporates after a while. Which is why they print everything.
Seriously. I know one person who had to buy another computer because the first one was full. She didn’t know how to delete anything. She mooches off the neighbors, too.
IIRC Windows Vista does this as well, some kind of global sharing thing. Noticed it way back when I used to be a Winder$ user and had a Vista laptop way back when Vista first came out. What surprised me was that this was turned on by default when I bought the computer. I didn’t stick around Windozeville long enough to know whether or not they fixed that or not.
There’s an option somewhere in the control panel where you can switch sharing on and off.
Not sure whether or not W7 does this. The one or two computers we have at work in out QA dept. testing W7 don’t appear to do that (at least not by default).
