"Unsecured network connection"

[potatopete]

I've got wireless broadband and I noticed today that if I click on the Network Connections icon in my tray, I get a list of wireless connections available, including my own and several others, presumably from other people's wireless in our block of flats.

Some of these are labelled as "Secure connection" and some as "unsecured", including my own.

My question is this - is my connection safe from being used by other people, and if not, how do I make it secure?

Cheers folks. Rep given to helpful comments, and generally nice people...!

[98silvervts]

I've got wireless broadband and I noticed today that if I click on the Network Connections icon in my tray, I get a list of wireless connections available, including my own and several others, presumably from other people's wireless in our block of flats.

Some of these are labelled as "Secure connection" and some as "unsecured", including my own.

My question is this - is my connection safe from being used by other people, and if not, how do I make it secure?

Cheers folks. Rep given to helpful comments, and generally nice people...!

what type of wireless do you have?
you need it locked or other people will use it...

[saxo_jim]

yeah mine was untill i was reading some thing about people being able to get all types of information from your wireless. all you need to do is put a password on it.

[DarylVTR]

you need to add a WEP KEY.

[Mystic]

WEP is outdated and fairly easy to crack since every packet sent through the network contains the WEP key, so afer someone has intercepted enough packets it starts to get prety clear what the key is.

Best to use WPA, most old routers support WPA too so you should be ok.

You'll need to logon to your router to set any encryption keys anyway :)

[stalkah66]

If you don't know your router ip address click start then run and type in 'CMD' this will bring up a command prompt then type in ipconfig. the default gateway is your routers address type this into a web page in the address bar to be able to access your routers config page. If you tell me your router make and model I might be able to get you some instructions on how to setup a WPA

[potatopete]

Thanks to everyine for help.
Just been onto AOL live help - they've told me how to set up WEP, so that should do the job for now......

[potatopete]

Its a Speedtouch ST585

[stalkah66]

To be honest if you've setup wep it should be alright, much better than nothing anyway. I'll have a look around see if I can find the setup instructions for it

[stalkah66]

User manual for the router http://www.thomsontelecompartner.com/getfile.php?id=3136

[Alex]

I would set up a Mac filter too if you can.

[98silvervts]

WEP is outdated and fairly easy to crack since every packet sent through the network contains the WEP key, so afer someone has intercepted enough packets it starts to get prety clear what the key is.

Best to use WPA, most old routers support WPA too so you should be ok.

You'll need to logon to your router to set any encryption keys anyway :)

you should follows Mistic's advise and use WPA...

128bit wep can be cracked in 5 mins.
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=RSAgPUOrVyM

Mac filtering can be used to keep rouge pcs from joining your network, only when scanning the router you can see the attached mac addresses, you then spoof the mac address to match yours "boot you off" and away you go!!

not wanting to scare you but, wep is not what you would call even remotly secure.. ;)

your router (Speedtouch ST585) supports wpa... so you better off using it rather than wep!!!