| Isn't life grand? Most everyone is somehow able | | | | sign on - it's often called a WEP. |
| to move into this new century with technology | | | | This is not a busy-task to waste your time. If a |
| sitting in their laps... It's a new found crush for | | | | casual user with an infected computer shares |
| misunderstanding simple things. What I mean by | | | | your router, your computer too will share in the |
| that is when you were little, one touch told you | | | | joy of infection with zero hacking required on the |
| not to paw at the stove. As a teenager, one car | | | | part of the casual user. They were just looking |
| accident may have put seat belts on your mind. | | | | for a free ride that you offered by NOT creating |
| Now you have a wireless network at home! What | | | | that WEP. You don't need a hard word but |
| will it take to consider networking safely? | | | | definitely don't use an easy word that creates the |
| Think of all the strange and forgotten information | | | | 'key'... |
| in your computer - some of it, not surprisingly, | | | | The computers in the router and in your lap will |
| you've forgotten about. Sure you delete your | | | | most likely do the rest. This is a one-time |
| cookies and wipe the Internet History clean from | | | | procedure UNLESS your router is reset. To reset |
| time to time. You ask your computer not to | | | | the router is to force it to forget everything it |
| remember passwords too, but you're still a target | | | | knew. All your Internet Settings and magic high |
| in two possible ways that are as easy to fix as | | | | speed Internet access numbers will have to be |
| not touching hot things and putting on a seat belt. | | | | re-entered. A router is reset internally or |
| Briefly, wireless networks consist of three things: | | | | externally by pushing a button generally on the |
| The signals, the broadcaster and the receiver. | | | | back. It's labeled too. |
| Your Internet connection is the signal. Your | | | | Internal settings can be accessed by entering the |
| modem feeds into the router which acts as the | | | | IP of the gateway which will soon be common |
| broadcaster. The network adapter in your | | | | knowledge. If you've not placed a password |
| computer is then the receiver. With those items, | | | | there, anyone can change anything - especially |
| you can surf the Internet without inhibitions; and | | | | that computer-savvy kid coming home from |
| with no passwords or hurdles for novice hackers | | | | school who always messes your stuff up as a |
| to stumble on, they can surf your computer | | | | thank you for room and board. Change the |
| without inhibition. | | | | default password to avoid the thanks. And in |
| The open door, even for modest hackers, is that | | | | extreme cases, you can physically HIDE the |
| broadcaster. It says, "here I am!" Your receiver is | | | | router to keep that reset button from being |
| tuned in to it. Other receivers can be tuned in to | | | | pushed thereby defeating all your modest counter |
| it from beyond your walls. Once on the same | | | | measures! |
| router, they can query for other computers | | | | The strongest reason to employ any simple |
| (that's YOU) on that router. Your defense is | | | | safety here is to eliminate neighborly free-rides |
| simple but certainly not fool-proof for real | | | | from machines that may be infected. Like buckling |
| professional cyber evil-doers. When you set up | | | | up, ten seconds setting a router with passwords |
| your wireless network, 9 times out of 10, you're | | | | can save you a lot of grief. |
| asked to create a password so that users may | | | | |