----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Mike Hord" <mike.hord@gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [OT] Firewalls and other PC protection


> simple solution is to put my router toward the front of the house (as it
is)
> and just go buy a largish sheet of metal, ground it, and put it between
> the router and the street as close to the router as possible.

Step 1: Adequate security on your internal LAN
Step 2: WEP
Step 3: MAC filtering
Step 4: Control the distance

I have my WAP in the rafters in the basement.  It covers just to the edges
of my yard, and not much more.  I can surf out back on the swing, but
somebody driving by would need to get on the lawn.  You can do a lot in the
way of control by adjusting the height of the antenna (which is usually
attached to the WAP).  Also, on many WAPs, you can control the pattern and
sometimes the power, from the setup screen.

If you have a laptop you can go roaming around with Net Stumbler.  The
neighbors may look at you funny, but it's good to know just how far you can
be heard.  My neighbors are used to weird things from this house, so it
wasn't much of a problem for me :-)

But don't overlook adequate controls on the computers on your LAN.  If
somebody does manage to get on your WiFi, chances are they want to borrow
you Internet connection.  Really, is that such a big deal?  But don't wave
your financial data in their face while they are there, and of course, don't
invite them in in the first place.  So make sure it's hard for them to
connect, but if they do, make sure they can't find anything interesting.
Crank down the controls on each of your boxes as if they WERE able to get
in.

--McD


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