Useful or useless

I am going to be spending some time on an off-site project. The condo I
will be staying at has public wi-fi. I am assuming it is either open or
open for all intents and purposes since password is probably easy to
get.
I take my Airport Express with me on these trips. Would it be of
any use for security purposes to set up the AE (password protected) and
put it in between my laptop and the Wi-Fi? (in other words:
wifi->AE->laptop). If so, how do I set it up for that purpose?

--
To find that place where the rats don't race
and the phones don't ring at all.
If once, you've slept on an island.
Scott Kirby "If once you've slept on an island"

In article
<kurtullman-9D3317.08454629102009@70-3-168-216.pools.spcsdns.net>,
Kurt Ullman <kurtullman@yahoo.com> wrote:

> I am going to be spending some time on an off-site project. The condo I
> will be staying at has public wi-fi. I am assuming it is either open or
> open for all intents and purposes since password is probably easy to
> get.
> I take my Airport Express with me on these trips. Would it be of
> any use for security purposes to set up the AE (password protected) and
> put it in between my laptop and the Wi-Fi? (in other words:
> wifi->AE->laptop). If so, how do I set it up for that purpose?

It's an odd arrangement--laptops usually have Wi-Fi built in, unless
it's really old.

If it's a recent Express (802.11n), you can use it as a client of the
public network, and then connect the laptop to it over Ethernet. You
will be tethered to the wall, but I guess it beats not having access to
the net at all.

If it's an older Express (802.11b/g), you're out of luck--that one can't
be used as a client of the public network. You'd need to use WDS, which
usually isn't available on public networks.

Steve

--
steve <at> w0x0f <dot> com
"Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of
arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to
skid in sideways, chocolate in one hand, chip shot in the other, body thoroughly
used up, totally worn out and screaming "WOO HOO what a ride!"

In article <nospam-187C8D.09095629102009@news.eternal-september.org>,
Steve Fenwick <nospam@nospam.invalid> wrote:


> > I take my Airport Express with me on these trips. Would it be of
> > any use for security purposes to set up the AE (password protected) and
> > put it in between my laptop and the Wi-Fi? (in other words:
> > wifi->AE->laptop). If so, how do I set it up for that purpose?
>
> It's an odd arrangement--laptops usually have Wi-Fi built in, unless
> it's really old.

I have WiFi Built in to MBP. I usually take the AE with me on these
trips because I am away for extended periods in condos with nice
stereos. So I usually use it to get music from iTunes to the good stereo.
I was watching the Today show and they were talking about The Evils
Of Public WiFi. At home I am not as worried because I have my WiFi
set-up with a good password. But I was wondering if putting the AE (with
password) between the condo's (non-passworded) WiFi and my computer
would increase security any.

--
To find that place where the rats don't race
and the phones don't ring at all.
If once, you've slept on an island.
Scott Kirby "If once you've slept on an island"

In message
<kurtullman-B5A3B6.12242729102009@70-3-168-216.pools.spcsdns.net> Kurt
Ullman <kurtullman@yahoo.com> was claimed to have wrote:

>In article <nospam-187C8D.09095629102009@news.eternal-september.org>,
> Steve Fenwick <nospam@nospam.invalid> wrote:
>
>
>> > I take my Airport Express with me on these trips. Would it be of
>> > any use for security purposes to set up the AE (password protected) and
>> > put it in between my laptop and the Wi-Fi? (in other words:
>> > wifi->AE->laptop). If so, how do I set it up for that purpose?
>>
>> It's an odd arrangement--laptops usually have Wi-Fi built in, unless
>> it's really old.
>
> I have WiFi Built in to MBP. I usually take the AE with me on these
>trips because I am away for extended periods in condos with nice
>stereos. So I usually use it to get music from iTunes to the good stereo.
> I was watching the Today show and they were talking about The Evils
>Of Public WiFi. At home I am not as worried because I have my WiFi
>set-up with a good password. But I was wondering if putting the AE (with
>password) between the condo's (non-passworded) WiFi and my computer
>would increase security any.

In short, no. You're only as secure as the weakest link, if you still
cross an unsecured part of the network then even if you could set up the
AE to do what you want, it wouldn't help.

In article <31mje5t4355mqaoj3la3alnrg83kb7jh1a@4ax.com>,
DevilsPGD <DeathToSpam@crazyhat.net> wrote:

> In short, no. You're only as secure as the weakest link, if you still
> cross an unsecured part of the network then even if you could set up the
> AE to do what you want, it wouldn't help.

Okay thanks. Since I am going to be on a non-secure WiFi for a few
months, any suggestions about staying saf(er)? The bank site is https:
from the get go. Other than that?

--
To find that place where the rats don't race
and the phones don't ring at all.
If once, you've slept on an island.
Scott Kirby "If once you've slept on an island"

In article
<kurtullman-B5A3B6.12242729102009@70-3-168-216.pools.spcsdns.net>,
Kurt Ullman <kurtullman@yahoo.com> wrote:

> In article <nospam-187C8D.09095629102009@news.eternal-september.org>,
> Steve Fenwick <nospam@nospam.invalid> wrote:
>
>
> > > I take my Airport Express with me on these trips. Would it be of
> > > any use for security purposes to set up the AE (password protected) and
> > > put it in between my laptop and the Wi-Fi? (in other words:
> > > wifi->AE->laptop). If so, how do I set it up for that purpose?
> >
> > It's an odd arrangement--laptops usually have Wi-Fi built in, unless
> > it's really old.
>
> I have WiFi Built in to MBP. I usually take the AE with me on these
> trips because I am away for extended periods in condos with nice
> stereos. So I usually use it to get music from iTunes to the good stereo.
> I was watching the Today show and they were talking about The Evils
> Of Public WiFi. At home I am not as worried because I have my WiFi
> set-up with a good password. But I was wondering if putting the AE (with
> password) between the condo's (non-passworded) WiFi and my computer
> would increase security any.

Are you sure you need to go to all that trouble? When I use WiFi at
McDonalds I often see other 'networks' broadcasting from others who are
also using Maccas WiFi, but I am not able to connect to them - a little
padlock is shown next to their name.

David - willing to learn

In message
<kurtullman-794EDE.16081029102009@70-3-168-216.pools.spcsdns.net> Kurt
Ullman <kurtullman@yahoo.com> was claimed to have wrote:

>In article <31mje5t4355mqaoj3la3alnrg83kb7jh1a@4ax.com>,
> DevilsPGD <DeathToSpam@crazyhat.net> wrote:
>
>> In short, no. You're only as secure as the weakest link, if you still
>> cross an unsecured part of the network then even if you could set up the
>> AE to do what you want, it wouldn't help.
>
> Okay thanks. Since I am going to be on a non-secure WiFi for a few
>months, any suggestions about staying saf(er)? The bank site is https:
>from the get go. Other than that?

The same rules apply whether you're on a secured network or not, if it's
https:// (and you don't ignore any security warnings) you're as secure
as the weaker of your computer and the remote server.

Anything that isn't encrypted should be assumed to be publicly
accessible, monitored and recorded as such and treated appropriately.

Being on an unsecured wifi connection makes it more likely that someone
is snooping (or at least it makes it a heck of a lot easier to snoop),
but unless encryption is used, you should always assume someone is
snooping and act accordingly.

Kurt Ullman wrote:
> I am going to be spending some time on an off-site project. The condo I
> will be staying at has public wi-fi. I am assuming it is either open or
> open for all intents and purposes since password is probably easy to
> get.
> I take my Airport Express with me on these trips. Would it be of
> any use for security purposes to set up the AE (password protected) and
> put it in between my laptop and the Wi-Fi? (in other words:
> wifi->AE->laptop). If so, how do I set it up for that purpose?
>

VPN's are available online. I've used this one:

http://www.hotspotvpn.com/

but there are others found with Google. It's cheap enough, and most have
different plans by the day, week, month, et al. Makes wi-fi hunting safe
from prying eyes.

Kurt Ullman <kurtullman@yahoo.com> wrote:

> I am going to be spending some time on an off-site project. The condo I
> will be staying at has public wi-fi. I am assuming it is either open or
> open for all intents and purposes since password is probably easy to
> get.
> I take my Airport Express with me on these trips. Would it be of
> any use for security purposes to set up the AE (password protected) and
> put it in between my laptop and the Wi-Fi? (in other words:
> wifi->AE->laptop). If so, how do I set it up for that purpose?

Not sure about the AE, but if it works like an ASUS WL-330gE in Hotspot
Sharing mode, it amounts to being behind a NAT router.

One would normally use something like that to use on a (free) WiFi
internet connection, with just the one available ip address and then
sharing the WiFi connection on more than the one computer.

But why not manage with just your Mac OS X firewall?