Am i safe behind a router?

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Linksys BEFW11S4 802.11B WAP

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Is this the router you have?

If so, make sure that you enable your wireless security settings. MAC filtering, disable SSID broadcast, configure WEP or WAP.

Just this weekend... I know someone who moved into a new house. Well, its a wide open area with all brand new houses. I fired up netstumbler and was surprised to find that there were 10 access points right in the area. Since most of the houses are not even occupied yet... I found that very strange. Only one of them was secured... This was using an integrated antenna too... not even an external antenna. Quite a few of them even had the default passwords for the admin account and I was able to access the config to the routers.

What surprised me most was that the area doesn't even have cable or dsl... so they must be all using satellite internet. Most of them connected me right away to the internet... which also meant that I was automatically connected to their private lan. Completely bypassing their router "firewall".

I was only scanning from one room too... maybe next weekend I'll have to map out the neighborhood and see how many more are there.

Mabye I'll hang some signs in the beginning of the neighborhood with my name and phone number offering to secure wireless networks in the ares. ;) Quick cash? :) I'll hang the signs where the strongest signals of unprotected WAPs are... LoL

Another note: Make sure not to plug your computer into the DMZ (port 4 or 5 I believe) because that will bypass the protection of the firewall.

Most routers available have built-in firewalls. Are you sure your router does not? I am running both a firewall / router and a software firewall.

Mkay, how do i turn off remote access? By remote access do you mean the ability to type 192.168.1.1 into IE and change the settings. Another question, is it possible for me to configure my router so that if somebody is in my house they will be able to see there is a wi-fi connection, and be able to connect to it so long as the provide a password? Oh yes and i'm running windows xp home edition. I'm also not that worried about somebody who doesn't live in my house accessing my network either. I live in a gated neighborhood full of old people, who know jack shiat about computers, and my yard is pretty darn big with my house in the middle, i doubt the signal even reaches the street.

Usually, on linksys routers there is an option that says enable remote management. Make sure that is disabled.

as far as people in your house using your internet, you can create a SSID and you can give that to the peoople who you want to access your network.

At least I think its the SSID.

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Originally posted here by CXGJarrod
Another note: Make sure not to plug your computer into the DMZ (port 4 or 5 I believe) because that will bypass the protection of the firewall.

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Hey Hey,

On my Linksys WAP there is no DMZ port... I specify through the Web-Based interface, which IP Address I want to be the DMZ. I'm guessing since he has a linksys it'll prolly be dealt with the same way.... Just an FYI for ya.

Peace,
HT

hmm.. They must of changed that.

on my linksys, there is one port that is the DMZ. You can turn it on or off, you can't specify which IP. However I have seen some of them like the way your describing it ht.