On 16/04/09 05:17, shareyourknowledge@hotmail.com wrote:
> I found out my wife gave our tenant the wireless encrypted password
> and ssid so he can use his laptop via our wireless Linksys router. I
> was pissed, but it's already been done. What steps can i take, if any
> to prevent any hacking?

Depends.

Do you object to the tenant using the network? If so, just change the
password and be ready for the argument and complaints.

Are you ok with the tenant using it? If so make sure you have an
appendix to your tenancy agreement covering use of the broadband. Then
if they 'hack' or break the T&C you can kick them out.


>I playing devil's advocate and assuming this
> may happen. He's a nice college kid, but you never know.

What exactly are you worried about? That he might hack your computers
and steal your bank details? or that he might tell all his mates who
will camp outside your house and steal bandwidth ?

>Am i
> vulnerable only with my wireless laptop or is my hardwired pc
> vulnerable too?

Your lodger is "inside" your network so the entire lot is 'compromised'.
However if you have user-level security on all your PCs (ie you have to
logon with passwords, you're using OSX, Linux or XP, and your shared
and private document directories are all properly secured with
user-level passwords) and you have kept your security patches up to date
then you should be relatively safe unless the student is a real cracker.

> Would disabling ssid broadcast help?

Disabling SSID achieves as much for wifi security as painting your front
door green and pretending its a big leaf achieves for home security.