Travel Router and Free Internet at DVC

[macman752]

I've never worried about someone using my internet access without paying for it on vacation. Disney provides more than enough bandwidth - cal me naive, but I doubt the guy next door is going to be running a pirate radio station out of their DVC room. If someone can get free internet access, I'm happy for them.

As for a script kiddie to drop a worm or virus on the wireless LAN - that's a different issue. With my laptop at least, it would be impossible, with no shared useful directories. To me security is about how I use the computer and not about trusting the line to be secure.

NOTE - this is just what I do; not a recommendation for others.

And what happens when that neighbor who you allowed to piggy back commits an illegal act that gets traced back the the IP address that was assigned to your room?

To my way of thinking it's far better to secure the connection than to leave it wide open.

 

[BWV Dreamin]

This is the proceedure I use for my Lynksys travel router. To enable MAC address filtering, do the following for each laptop:

1) Log into router

a) Address = http://192.168.16.1
b) Login = your username
b) PW = Your secret password​

2) Wireless tab
3) Mac address filter tab
4) Add Mac address from new laptop to be added

a) To get MAC address from new laptop to be added:
b) Start - run – command – ipconfig/all (use wireless MAC)​

Only laptops specifically listed in the MAC address filter table will be able to connect to your network.

/Jim

I recieved my router yesterday and spent over an hour with Linksys setting this up. Since we don't know what laptops we will have on vacation, I didn't want to block out other pc's. But the tech said I HAVE TO put in a mac address filtering address or I won't connect to the internet. He said I could use a laptop's address that I know won't be wired connected, to say comcast. As long as that laptop connects wirelessly to the router, there won't be a conflict. With my son's laptop mac address cloned, my husband was able to get on wirelessly. I couldn't check my son's out wirelessly since he had to run out the door!(kids!) So, now my hubby is gonna test this out in 2 wks. at a hotel in Charleston. He should be able to get on, jut plug the ethernet cable from the wall to the router and plug in the router. I did set a WEP, but I didn't hide the SSID. So we shall see!

 

[kapeman]

With my laptop at least, it would be impossible, with no shared useful directories. To me security is about how I use the computer and not about trusting the line to be secure.

NOTE - this is just what I do; not a recommendation for others.

Not to belabor the point (is it too late for that?) but there are a LOT more ways to compromise a machine other than gaining access to a share.

The OS (I am assuming Windows), by default, listens on several ports and there are vulnerabilities that can be accessed by connecting to those ports.
Just for fun go to a command prompt and type in "netstat -a" and look at all the ports that are listening. Each one of those could theoretically be used to gain access to your PC.

Having said that, you are correct in that the chances of your PC being compromised are slim, not none, but slim.

 

[FLYNZ4]

I recieved my router yesterday and spent over an hour with Linksys setting this up. Since we don't know what laptops we will have on vacation, I didn't want to block out other pc's. But the tech said I HAVE TO put in a mac address filtering address or I won't connect to the internet. He said I could use a laptop's address that I know won't be wired connected, to say comcast. As long as that laptop connects wirelessly to the router, there won't be a conflict. With my son's laptop mac address cloned, my husband was able to get on wirelessly. I couldn't check my son's out wirelessly since he had to run out the door!(kids!) So, now my hubby is gonna test this out in 2 wks. at a hotel in Charleston. He should be able to get on, jut plug the ethernet cable from the wall to the router and plug in the router. I did set a WEP, but I didn't hide the SSID. So we shall see!

It seems like there is a huge confusion factor going on here... and it seems that Linksys was not a help... and probably created confusion.

I have to run to a meeting now... but if you want to PM me... maybe I can help you out offline. I can also give you a number to call if you want to talk this through.

/Jim

 

[ZekeKelso]

And what happens when that neighbor who you allowed to piggy back commits an illegal act that gets traced back the the IP address that was assigned to your room?

There are literally millions of unsecured sites out there. Permanent sites where folks could drive by and seek them out. And folks just aren't getting nailed for illegal acts traced back to their stolen IP bandwidth.

Yes, it's possible that it could happen. And it's possible that it will happen to me, in DVC, where the perpetrator just happens to be staying in a unit near me and happens to pick up my signal.

Sure, it could happen. I'm just not that worried about such scenarios.

 

[BWV Dreamin]

It seems like there is a huge confusion factor going on here... and it seems that Linksys was not a help... and probably created confusion.

I have to run to a meeting now... but if you want to PM me... maybe I can help you out offline. I can also give you a number to call if you want to talk this through.

/Jim

Sent you a pm....a rather long one at that!

 

[DisFlan]

We only bring one laptop, so the 25 ft. cable sounds fine to me!

DisFlan