Why my wireless capable desktop didn't get on to my wireless network and got onto my beighbor's

After I attached a USB wirless adaptor on my 2nd desktop kept in the
hall way - the modem and rotuter is in a room not far with the door
opened - and tested wirless internet connection, I was automatically
connected to my neighor's network which has no encryption even though
the signal level is a little bit lower than mine.

Q1: Is that because that network has no encryption?

Q2: Let's say, my visiting relative doesn't know about all this and
when vsiiting me with her/his got a laptop (that has wirless card) and
tried to get online, if the same were to happen, i.e the laptop gets
internet connection via my neighbor's network instead of mine, what are
the secuirty compromise on my relative's laptop sinee my beighbors
network has no proetection? As long as my the laptop doesn't have file
sharing capabilty enabled, the laptop is safe, right?

mimi wrote:
> After I attached a USB wirless adaptor on my 2nd desktop kept in the
> hall way - the modem and rotuter is in a room not far with the door
> opened - and tested wirless internet connection, I was automatically
> connected to my neighor's network which has no encryption even though
> the signal level is a little bit lower than mine.
>
> Q1: Is that because that network has no encryption?

Many home user networks are unprotected. However, some home users have
their network setup that way so it can be shared by others, not many,
but some do it. The vast majority are unprotected wireless networks and
they don't even know it.

>
> Q2: Let's say, my visiting relative doesn't know about all this and
> when vsiiting me with her/his got a laptop (that has wirless card) and
> tried to get online, if the same were to happen, i.e the laptop gets
> internet connection via my neighbor's network instead of mine, what are
> the secuirty compromise on my relative's laptop sinee my beighbors
> network has no proetection?

If your person connects to an un-secured network, along with others, and
it has no protection or security implemented with the O/S, then it's
open to being compromised. The malware with back doors Trojans and
whatnot can populate itself to your person's machine, circumvent the
personal FW, AV and anything else it can get past, including the O/S.

> As long as my the laptop doesn't have file
> sharing capabilty enabled, the laptop is safe, right?
>

No, your machine can be compromised in other ways, not including shares.

Long
http://www.windowsecurity.com/articl...vironment.html

Short
http://tinyurl.com/klw1

You should try to secure the O/S has much as possible.
http://labmice.techtarget.com/articl...ychecklist.htm

You should try to practice safe-hex, which allowing someone to not
connect to your network connecting to some other network, with the
possibility of connecting to your network is NOT practicing safe-hex.
http://www.claymania.com/safe-hex.html

Mr. Arnold wrote:
> mimi wrote:

[..]
>
> >
> > Q2: Let's say, my visiting relative doesn't know about all this and
> > when vsiiting me with her/his got a laptop (that has wirless card) and
> > tried to get online, if the same were to happen, i.e the laptop gets
> > internet connection via my neighbor's network instead of mine, what are
> > the secuirty compromise on my relative's laptop sinee my beighbors
> > network has no proetection?
>
> If your person connects to an un-secured network, along with others, and
> it has no protection or security implemented with the O/S, then it's
> open to being compromised. The malware with back doors Trojans and
> whatnot can populate itself to your person's machine, circumvent the
> personal FW, AV and anything else it can get past, including the O/S.
>
> > As long as my the laptop doesn't have file
> > sharing capabilty enabled, the laptop is safe, right?
> >
>
> No, your machine can be compromised in other ways, not including shares.
>
> Long
> http://www.windowsecurity.com/articl...vironment.html
>
> Short
> http://tinyurl.com/klw1
>
> You should try to secure the O/S has much as possible.
> http://labmice.techtarget.com/articl...ychecklist.htm

OK.


>
> You should try to practice safe-hex, which allowing someone to not
> connect to your network connecting to some other network, with the
> possibility of connecting to your network is NOT practicing safe-hex.

What???

Does "allowing someone to NOT connect to my network" means I should do
something to prevent others form connecting to my network?

If my relative were to connect to my network, I would put the key for
him/her.

How do I prevent a laptop at my place from automatically connecting to
a neighbor's network?

My concern is that my family member would not know the difference and
I don't want to be a watch dog and ven if I explain to them they would
rather ignore it. Then, sooner or later, their computer is messed up.
Not that they come here all the time but I'd rather they do instead of
me going to their place to install SWs in their laptop. Both of my
older brother and sister's laptop needs anti virus protection. If they
bring it, I will put it for them.



> http://www.claymania.com/safe-hex.html

Will read.

"mimi" <curiousnfirewall@gmail.com> hath wroth:

>After I attached a USB wirless adaptor on my 2nd desktop kept in the
>hall way - the modem and rotuter is in a room not far with the door
>opened - and tested wirless internet connection, I was automatically
>connected to my neighor's network which has no encryption even though
>the signal level is a little bit lower than mine.
>
>Q1: Is that because that network has no encryption?

No. It's because your neighbors wireless router has encryption
disabled.

>Q2: Let's say, my visiting relative doesn't know about all this and
>when vsiiting me with her/his got a laptop (that has wirless card) and
>tried to get online, if the same were to happen, i.e the laptop gets
>internet connection via my neighbor's network instead of mine, what are
>the secuirty compromise on my relative's laptop sinee my beighbors
>network has no proetection? As long as my the laptop doesn't have file
>sharing capabilty enabled, the laptop is safe, right?

As long as the Windoze Firewall, or other software firewall is
properly configured, your relatives are safe. Having print and file
sharing enabled is a potential problem. Worms look for open shares
and will drop files named "dir.com" or "setup.com" into the open share
directories. They can't be run by the remote attacker, but your
relatives can be tricked into running them by accident. I suggest
disabling write permission on open shares. If your "My Documents"
directory is shared (as it is by default in XP), then all the juicy
incriminating evidence that most people save in "My Documents" can be
downloaded by the neighbor for use as later blackmail and such.
Downloaded bank and credit card statements are also lots of fun to
read.

Turning off the file sharing exception in the Windoze Firewall is good
enough to block any incoming attempts at sharing. Turning off Windoze
file sharing is a bit extreme and un-necessary. Setting share
permissions to read-only is marginal. Setting a password on a shared
directory is good. Encrypting files will also help, but again might
be overkill.


--
Jeff Liebermann jeffl@comix.santa-cruz.ca.us
150 Felker St #D http://www.LearnByDestroying.com
Santa Cruz CA 95060 http://802.11junk.com
Skype: JeffLiebermann AE6KS 831-336-2558

mimi wrote:
> Mr. Arnold wrote:
>
>>mimi wrote:

<snipped>

>
>
>
>>You should try to practice safe-hex, which allowing someone to not
>>connect to your network connecting to some other network, with the
>>possibility of connecting to your network is NOT practicing safe-hex.
>
>
> What???
>
> Does "allowing someone to NOT connect to my network" means I should do
> something to prevent others form connecting to my network?

That means you got someone that comes to your house and wants to connect
to your wireless network, only to connect to another network, then you
allow them to connect to your network and you know this is a possibility.

If you don't try to prevent the situation upfront and something leads to
a compromise of the network, a machine or machines on the network, then
who's fault is it? You're the one who has control of the whole
situation, which is not practicing safe-hex if you allow it to happen.

>
> If my relative were to connect to my network, I would put the key for
> him/her.

Well do it and point it out to them what network is what. They are not
stupid.

>
> How do I prevent a laptop at my place from automatically connecting to
> a neighbor's network?

If it's the XP O/S, which most likely it is, then you set the *Preferred
Network to connect to* in advance via the O/S.
>
> My concern is that my family member would not know the difference and
> I don't want to be a watch dog and ven if I explain to them they would
> rather ignore it.


You're kidding here are you not? You're the one that must prevent it and
you do it by any means necessary, like explaining the situation to them.

> Then, sooner or later, their computer is messed up.
> Not that they come here all the time but I'd rather they do instead of
> me going to their place to install SWs in their laptop. Both of my
> older brother and sister's laptop needs anti virus protection. If they
> bring it, I will put it for them.

There is no way I would let any machine connect to a wired or wireless
network, knowing that the machine had not been running an AV. It's a
strong possibly that the machine has already been compromised.

>>http://www.claymania.com/safe-hex.html
>
>
> Will read.

You should read this too.

http://www.microsoft.com/technet/com...mt/sm0504.mspx

It's because you trusted in bill gates and offered him your money.


mimi wrote:

>
> After I attached a USB wirless adaptor on my 2nd desktop kept in the
> hall way - the modem and rotuter is in a room not far with the door
> opened - and tested wirless internet connection, I was automatically
> connected to my neighor's network which has no encryption even though
> the signal level is a little bit lower than mine.
>
> Q1: Is that because that network has no encryption?
>
> Q2: Let's say, my visiting relative doesn't know about all this and
> when vsiiting me with her/his got a laptop (that has wirless card) and
> tried to get online, if the same were to happen, i.e the laptop gets
> internet connection via my neighbor's network instead of mine, what are
> the secuirty compromise on my relative's laptop sinee my beighbors
> network has no proetection? As long as my the laptop doesn't have file
> sharing capabilty enabled, the laptop is safe, right?