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Thread: Broadband help please!

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    Registered User Lynn's Avatar
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    Broadband help please!

    OK - finally got broadband but have two questions.

    I have downloaded the free (90 day) security with the broadband - fine in terms of viruses etc.

    But how do I secure my wireless connection - its not encrypted and I would like to know how to do that please?

    How do I get Outlook to check my emails? It still wants to dial up - how do I tell it to get emails via the broadband connection.

    I think that's all I need to figure out, but if there is anything obvious I've overlooked, please advise.

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    Re: Broadband help please!

    Hi Lynn here's a few things I can think of

    securing your wireless
    this depends on the make of modem but if you login to the router and look for the wireless/security options
    setup a password on your wireless, use WPA or WPA2 security (don't use WEP it's mince). When enabling this it might ask for a "pre-share key" which just means a password. If you make the password a mix of number and letters it's better and more difficult to guess, it can be handy to take a normal one like Frostie and substitute a couple of letters for numbers i.e. Fr0st1e. Password are usually case sensitive too, so mixing those in can make the password even trickier to work out.

    Another thing, a bit more tricky to find on some routers, is to setup an access list so that only your computer is allowed to access the router, regardless if the right password is given. To do this you need to find the MAC address of the wireless card in your computer. To do this in windows I think (i'm a bit rusty) pick Run from the start menu, type CMD and hit return, this should bring up a very old fashioned looking black window with a command prompt. type ipconfig /all and hit return. This should bring up the list of network connections on your computer, one of which should be your wireless card. If your wireless card is connected it should have a complete list of stuff like IP address, gateway etc. Your MAC address, or physical adapter address I think it calls it, should be listed as a mix of 12 numbers and letters in groups of two i.e. 00-5f-3e-98-a3-e1. Make a note of it and look in the router for an option to set up an access list. Make sure it's allow only, and add the MAC address you just got.

    The last thing I could suggest is to hide your wireless connection. The option to look for is show/hide SSID. This will stop your router shouting HELLO I"M HERE, to all and sundry.

    As for Outlook I thnk you need to change the connection it'll use to network rather than dial-up. I can't remember off the top of my head but I'll check in work tomorrow when I'm near a copy of Outlook

    HTH
    Paul

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    Registered User Lynn's Avatar
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    Re: Broadband help please!

    Thanks!

    Don't think the wireless is set up properly after all. It says its on wireless connection but when I unplugged the cable it stopped working...

    Will have another look at it all tomorrow when I get home from work. At least I have broadband up and running!

    I did have a look in Outlook but couldn't see a way of changing how it connects.

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    Registered User Lynn's Avatar
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    Re: Broadband help please!

    Quote Originally Posted by Lynn View Post
    I did have a look in Outlook but couldn't see a way of changing how it connects.
    Found it and added my new email address as well!

    Now just have to work out why the wireless connection didn't set up properly, but I think I'll leave that one til tomorrow night.

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    Registered User knightengale's Avatar
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    Re: Broadband help please!

    Hey from the forum noobie ,.

    One possible thing to check is your not trying to connect to a neighbors wireless. As XP / Vista will try to auto connect to any thats nearby.

    If this is the case try disabling all wifi security and then selecting your connecting. making sure your getting internet (any page) .
    then start enabling the security options said above.

    (Any problems let me know)

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    Registered User Lynn's Avatar
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    Re: Broadband help please!

    Quote Originally Posted by knightengale View Post
    Hey from the forum noobie .
    Thank you and welcome.

    Quote Originally Posted by knightengale View Post
    One possible thing to check is your not trying to connect to a neighbors wireless. As XP / Vista will try to auto connect to any thats nearby.
    No, my neighbours don't seem to have wireless. There was one you could access from one part of the house upstairs (as discovered by a visiting forumite with a laptop). No, its definitely my connection - its the name of my broadband provider - I just need to follow the steps as suggested and sort it out tonight. Haven't visited any sensitive sites just in case. (Though presumably, to pick up on anything, someone with a wireless connection would need to be in range? Can they then see everything I am doing?)

    My wireless connection seems to be fine now.

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    Registered User knightengale's Avatar
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    Smile Re: Broadband help please!

    Quote Originally Posted by Lynn View Post
    Can see everything I am doing?).
    Thanks

    I wouldn't worry about that to much. As they would need to be within range. i.e sitting outside your house , on your driveway / street etc. With this they would only get internet access.

    To be able to see any files on your laptop, they would need to connect AND you would have to have enabled "file sharing" (default of XP is off). AND share out any folders you 'want' them to see.

    Anything more sophisticated would require a higher level of I.T knowledge or a virus to be running on your machine (to allow them to take it over)
    To be safe from a virus like that, a virus program (i.e avast, which is free) would be fine.

    If you enable the MAC security and the WPA / WPE (said above) you will be very secure and will be to hard for anyone to be able to even try.
    A possible further option is to hide the wireless name once you have set all this security options. This would stop anyone from being able to even see that the wireless is even there.

    Your router will also act as a hardware firewall which will increase the security.

    Anything else let me know

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    Registered User Lynn's Avatar
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    Re: Broadband help please!

    Quote Originally Posted by knightengale View Post
    I wouldn't worry about that to much. As they would need to be within range. i.e sitting outside your house , on your driveway / street etc. With this they would only get internet access.

    To be able to see any files on your laptop, they would need to connect AND you would have to have enabled "file sharing" (default of XP is off). AND share out any folders you 'want' them to see.
    Nope, nothing like that.

    I maybe just got worried when it say 'unsecured wireless'. I have firewall and AV software installed and up to date.

    The only people within range would be my neighbours I guess (and I trust them!) or someone lurking outside - unlikely! (I know it has happened to people though.) Anyone sitting in a car with a laptop would be soon spotted - folk round my way notice anything unusual pretty quickly!

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    Registered User martingold's Avatar
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    Re: Broadband help please!

    Quote Originally Posted by knightengale View Post
    Thanks

    I wouldn't worry about that to much. As they would need to be within range. i.e sitting outside your house , on your driveway / street etc. With this they would only get internet access.

    To be able to see any files on your laptop, they would need to connect AND you would have to have enabled "file sharing" (default of XP is off). AND share out any folders you 'want' them to see.

    Anything more sophisticated would require a higher level of I.T knowledge or a virus to be running on your machine (to allow them to take it over)
    To be safe from a virus like that, a virus program (i.e avast, which is free) would be fine.


    Your router will also act as a hardware firewall which will increase the security.
    By securing your wireless it will stop someone ie a neighbour using your internet connection without your permision and doing something ilegal, using up your bandwidth or using up your download quota

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    Registered User Lynn's Avatar
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    Re: Broadband help please!

    Quote Originally Posted by martingold View Post
    By securing your wireless it will stop someone ie a neighbour using your internet connection without your permision and doing something ilegal, using up your bandwidth or using up your download quota
    I have lovely neighbours, they wouldn't do that. But I will secure it anyway.

    Thanks for advice and help.

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    Re: Broadband help please!

    I think it's safe to assume that it is impossible to secure your wireless against anyone who really wants to hack into it. All you can do is discourage people, and make sure that everything connected to the wireless is also secure.

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    Re: Broadband help please!

    Quote Originally Posted by martingold View Post
    By securing your wireless it will stop someone ie a neighbour using your internet connection without your permision and doing something ilegal, using up your bandwidth or using up your download quota
    54% of British PC users say they use a neighbour's wi-fi network to connect to the internet - which is illegal in the UK (New Scientist 24th November).

    Perhaps I should cancel my ISP contract?

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    Registered User martingold's Avatar
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    Re: Broadband help please!

    Quote Originally Posted by RedFox View Post
    54% of British PC users say they use a neighbour's wi-fi network to connect to the internet - which is illegal in the UK (New Scientist 24th November).

    Perhaps I should cancel my ISP contract?
    i would but all the local ones are secured

    I am the one who went round to all the houses and set up the security for them

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    Lovely Moderator ducasi's Avatar
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    Re: Broadband help please!

    Quote Originally Posted by pmjd View Post
    securing your wireless
    this depends on the make of modem but if you login to the router and look for the wireless/security options
    setup a password on your wireless, use WPA or WPA2 security (don't use WEP it's mince). When enabling this it might ask for a "pre-share key" which just means a password. If you make the password a mix of number and letters it's better and more difficult to guess, it can be handy to take a normal one like Frostie and substitute a couple of letters for numbers i.e. Fr0st1e. Password are usually case sensitive too, so mixing those in can make the password even trickier to work out.
    Best practice with WPA/WPA2 is to use a pass-phrase that is at least 20 characters long. A good way to make one up to to take the first line of a favourite book. If you go this route, it's easier to remember the password is you don't obscure it in the manner pmjd suggests - though that is a good idea for shorter passwords.

    Quote Originally Posted by Lynn View Post
    Though presumably, to pick up on anything, someone with a wireless connection would need to be in range? Can they then see everything I am doing?
    With no security it is trivially easy for nefarious people in the vicinity to "snoop" all your network traffic and see what web pages you are visiting. WEP-based security doesn't make it much harder than trivial. WPA-based security makes it pretty near impossible.
    Let your mind go and your body will follow. – Steve Martin, LA Story

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    Registered User Lynn's Avatar
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    Re: Broadband help please!

    Quote Originally Posted by ducasi View Post
    Best practice with WPA/WPA2 is to use a pass-phrase that is at least 20 characters long. A good way to make one up to to take the first line of a favourite book. If you go this route, it's easier to remember the password is you don't obscure it in the manner pmjd suggests - though that is a good idea for shorter passwords.
    I tried that, but not sure I was doing it in the right place. I set it to WPA and something else, put in a password - apply etc. But when I look at it again it has defaulted back to 'open'.

    Where might I go to set this security up? (I was looking at 'Properties' for the connection I think.)

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    Registered User David Franklin's Avatar
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    Re: Broadband help please!

    Quote Originally Posted by Lynn View Post
    I tried that, but not sure I was doing it in the right place. I set it to WPA and something else, put in a password - apply etc. But when I look at it again it has defaulted back to 'open'.

    Where might I go to set this security up? (I was looking at 'Properties' for the connection I think.)
    Have you logged into the router? I always set the router up to use WPA-PSK first and sort out the PC side of things afterwards.

    [Of course, I don't actually know what I'm doing with this kind of thing, so YMMV]

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    Registered User Lynn's Avatar
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    Re: Broadband help please!

    Quote Originally Posted by David Franklin View Post
    Have you logged into the router? I always set the router up to use WPA-PSK first and sort out the PC side of things afterwards.
    How do I log into the router?

    I just put the CD in that I was sent and went through a page by page set up with that - so not sure how it was all set up.

  18. #18
    Registered User martingold's Avatar
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    Re: Broadband help please!

    Quote Originally Posted by Lynn View Post
    How do I log into the router?

    I just put the CD in that I was sent and went through a page by page set up with that - so not sure how it was all set up.
    To answer that we need to know the make and model of the router and the broadband provider that you are using
    If is orange or sky with a free router you cant get into it and the security is already set up

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    Registered User knightengale's Avatar
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    Re: Broadband help please!

    Quote Originally Posted by Lynn View Post
    I tried that, but not sure I was doing it in the right place. I set it to WPA and something else, put in a password - apply etc. But when I look at it again it has defaulted back to 'open'.

    Where might I go to set this security up? (I was looking at 'Properties' for the connection I think.)
    Not completely sure what you mean but guessing your on the wireless network settings on Windows.

    Before going there you will need to add the WPA code to the router itself, this is done through internet explorer (web address 192.168.0.1 or 192.168.1.1 etc). Onces done restart the router (sometimes they need a restart to enable WPA.
    Disconnect from the wireless then do a search for new wireless connections. When it finds your connected click connect you should be asked for the WPA key.


    Another thing you might want to do is set up the "allowed" list on the wireless options though the router. Its a minor thing compared to the WPA though so don't worry if you can't find it.


    Also if anything goes wrong and you can't connect wirelessly with the WPA key just use the hardwire to try again

    if your not sure let me know.

  20. #20
    Registered User Lynn's Avatar
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    Re: Broadband help please!

    Quote Originally Posted by knightengale View Post
    Not completely sure what you mean but guessing your on the wireless network settings on Windows.
    Yep, seemed like the logical place to look.

    Quote Originally Posted by knightengale View Post
    Before going there you will need to add the WPA code to the router itself, this is done through internet explorer (web address 192.168.0.1 or 192.168.1.1 etc).
    Not sure how to do this but will give it a try tonight. Thanks!

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