wifi hotel security?

[dalee18]

Hi there,

I'll be staying in a hotel offering wireless internet access next week. I'm concerned about my security. Obviously I have file sharing disabled, but I am worried that my passwords could be compromised. Does anyone know if hotels standardly use encryption, or if I'll be sending my data in clear text across this network? I've never used wireless in a hotel before, and I'd really like to, but I am worried.

[Irongeek]

If your work place has a VPN just tunnel through it and you should be ok. What kind of applications will you be using that would pass a password across the network?

[moxnix]

It may have changed since I was in and out of hotels/motels a lot, but I found that most hotels that offer WIFI do not use any encryption. Most of them will provide a log on screen that allows you to access their system but that is all.

Before I would use any wireless connection (even my own) I would have a good AV and Firewall set up on my own system. I would have all unnessesary services disabled, and of course netbios disabled. I would not use online banking or order anything online using a credit card or electronic check. All of my passwords would be long and difficult and I would change them after leaving the hotel.

Basically just use common sense and be paranoid.

[Nokia]

I would have thought they would have some form of security otherwise anyone could just log on and not have to pay for it!

I stayed at one last weekend, all I had to do was buy a voucher from them (you can use a credit card though) and they give you the SSID and a WEP key to use.

[unit321]

The previous issue of 2600 (2600.com) has a article about hotel internet access. Interesting if you want to know about it.

[dalee18]

Originally posted here by Irongeek
If your work place has a VPN just tunnel through it and you should be ok. What kind of applications will you be using that would pass a password across the network?

Unfortunately, I don't have access to a VPN. The applications I'd be using would be aim/icq, email, and some online games (medievia and ragnarok)

Thanks everyone for the advice

[Nokia]

Id check with them to see if you can play online games before you get your hopes up !

The firewall of the last hotel I was in didnt allow this and when I asked about it, the reply I got was if I was willing to pay the £95!!!! call out fee for the "computer guy" to come out to reconfigure it, then they would let me play online games to my hearts content!

It proberbly cost them more to change the SSID back after I left ;-)

[ss2chef]

I'm in hotels several times a month.
I have never seen a hotel offering wireless with any encryption.

My guess is it is a value added situation where they attempt to limit the costs of supporting
guests with encryption problems.

[phishphreek]

Originally posted here by dalee18
Unfortunately, I don't have access to a VPN. The applications I'd be using would be aim/icq, email, and some online games (medievia and ragnarok)

Thanks everyone for the advice

Hopefully you'll be able to use those...

The last time I was in a hotel... I was limited to http/https, aim, msn, smtp and pop3.
A little creative workaround will usually do the trick...

And... no, the WAP was not encryped and the ssid was easily found.

They did not charge for connecting though... just limited what you could do.

I was in a Marriott....

[Cybr1d]

Unfortunately, I don't have access to a VPN. The applications I'd be using would be aim/icq, email, and some online games (medievia and ragnarok)

Thanks everyone for the advice

You should be able to use those programs without much issues. Why don't you just call them up and ask what kind of security precautions do they take?