Hi Mike - If you don't have a wireless setup in your home, then you don't have a lot to worry about. Can someone tap into your internet connection? Yes, but it's not going to be an easy task. Your computer is physically hardwired to the cable modem, so someone would have to tap your phone line either inside or outside your home. Unless you are being investigated by the FBI, Homeland Security, or the Mob, I wouldn't worry about it too much.
If you had a wireless connection, security would be much more serious an issue. Wireless has several levels of security. 1. Closed network - Assign a name to your AP. By doing this, someone would have to know the name of your network to log in. This isn't difficult if they are sniffing for wireless networks. As soon as someone logs in, they have the name. It's OK for starters, but I wouldn't rely on it. 2. Set a WEP password - In order to log into the base station, you will need to know both the name of the network and the password. Better security, but not perfect. WEP has been cracked, so with enough packets collected a hacker can get your WEP password and access your network. If you have an Airport Extreme or Express, you can use WAP instead, much more robust and secure. 3. MAC address filtering - Each network device has a 12 digit hex code that serves as a unique identifier for that device. If you restrict access to your router to the network devices you own, that will discourage passersby from logging into your network. If their MAC address isn't registered in your router, they can't connect. Again, not a perfect solution, in that a smart user can see who is currently connected to a wireless network and then spoof a MAC address from someone already authenticated. 4. Turn on your Firewall software in OS X. This won't keep someone from accessing your network, but it will help to keep them out of your computer if they do access your network. Obviously, none of the solutions above are perfect, but by providing a multi-layered security plan, you should be much safer than your neighbors. And for the most part, war drivers are going to find the path of least resistance. HTH -- Bryan C. Forrest Macintosh Specialist & Asst. Network Administrator LifeNet http://www.lifenet.org On Jul 21, 2004, at 8:29 PM, Mike Watkins wrote: > All, > > Is there anything I need to do to protect my computer's DSL service > from being used by someone outside my home? I do not have a wireless/ > airport type set-up... just a regular BellSouth high speed DSL > conection. > > There's a kid in our neighborhood who is lurking outside some of my > neighbor's houses to use their internet on his laptop... I've seen him > by two of my neighbor's houses, and that's what he says he's doing. He > told me he didn't think they'd mind. (Of course, they're not home at > the time.) He sat out in front of my next-door neighbor's for several > hours on Monday. She doesn't have a wireless set-up, either... perhaps > he was really tapping into the folks across the street's system? > > If he or someone else can access my internet, what are the dangers to > my system? I don't know how skilled he is. If he did anything illegal > using my connection, or if his computer had a virus, or whatever... > what could happen? Would you report him to anyone... and, if so, who? > > Anyone know about this stuff? > > Mike > > > > | The next meeting of the Louisville Computer Society will > | be July 27. The LCS Web page is <http://www.kymac.org>. > | List posting address: <mailto:macgroup at erdos.math.louisville.edu> > | List Web page: <http://erdos.math.louisville.edu/macgroup> > | The next meeting of the Louisville Computer Society will | be July 27. The LCS Web page is <http://www.kymac.org>. | List posting address: <mailto:macgroup at erdos.math.louisville.edu> | List Web page: <http://erdos.math.louisville.edu/macgroup>
