motel

I have a laptop with no air card and a note book with it. I also have router.
When I am at a motel or similar place, how do I "get inernet access" for each of these different scenarios if I want to involve my router?
I do not feel safe without it.
Thank you

 

For your laptop you will need a wireless PCI card or a USB receiver.

For the notebook, you should be set.

I'm not sure how you want to involve your router. :confused

 

Hello
So once I open the wireless software, choose the hotspot or conection I want, I enter the information the hotel has given me.
What about cafes where they do not provide information - do you just see them in your wireless software and click conect. Then depend upon the security in your pc to protect you ?

 

Yes, in unsecured WIFI areas, you want to be careful. I wouldn't do any banking for instance.

 

I appreciate the help.

 

Well WIFI is inherently insecure due to the fact that anyone in range can pick up everything that is being "said" on that router/access point. Encryption on WIFI these days is no barrier as I believe WPA2 can now be hacked in under 2 minutes. Also, it is incredibly easy for the WIFI owners or a hacker, to have set up a monitoring system to see where you have been, what you have typed (usernames, passwords etc). Therefore the security of WIFI will not be affected at all by what you have on your computer. Your computer could be like Fort Knox, but as soon as the traffic leaves your computer, it is visible to anyone with a security hacking program, if there is any security in the first place.

 

Do you think Noton's Security Suite or McAfee's Security Center is effective against such problems?
Or are you saying that wired pc use is the more secure way to go?

 

Wired is really more secure, but for normal browsing wireless is fine. Just don't do any secure browsing like bank/paypal stuff, as brandypeppy and plodr have said.

Norton/mcafee cannot prevent snooping of the wireless channel, as I said before, you computer can be like fort Knox, but as soon as the traffic leaves the computer, it is basically standing in the middle of the street with a big sign saying look at me!

 

I wonder if unchecking, 'enable wirelss router radio', on the desktop, which transmits to the laptop, would make the desktop secure enough to do banking?

 

No, because as I keep saying, as soon as the information is passed onto the motel wireless, whether from the laptop or the desktop, or any other source, it is rendered insecure.

 

I am at my house and using my desktop. I have a card in my laptop so my wife can use it upstairs. The router allows the laptop to go online via the card.
I figure if I uncheck "enable wireless router radio" the router will act only as a firewall.
Now if I disable the feature "enable wireless router radio" I wrote to you about on my router, will my HOME pc be more secure to do banking than if I did not disable this broadcating feature, or does it make no difference?

 

The traffic from the desktop, when connected via a network cable to the router, will only pass onto the wireless if it is destined for the laptop. Therefore it is a cable-only route to the internet so it will not be passed onto the wireless.

 

This is totally true as if SSID broadcast is enabled the wireless client (WC) attempting to connect to the wireless access point (WAP) will receive the SSID. If SSID broadcast is disabled, the WC will poll any WAP it tries to connect to, thereby revealing the network to everyone anywhere you attempt to connect to.

Basic conversation between the WC and the non-broadcasting WAP:

WC: Are you <SSID1>?
WAP: Yes, I am <SSID1>.

Basic conversation between WC with a stored non-broadcasting network and any other WAP anywhere else:

WC: Are you <SSID1>?
WAP: No, I am <SSID2>.

A set time later:
WC: Is <SSID1> around here anywhere?

This reveals the SSID of the non-broadcasting network to anyone anywhere the WC with it stored is trying to connect.

Basic conversation between WC with no stored non-broadcasting SSID and any WAP, including home WAP that was previously non-broadcasting but now broadcasts:

WAP: I am <SSID3>
WC: Can I connect with this info: <connection parameters>?
WAP: Connection accepted.

In this case the WC never has to ask "Are you <SSID1>?" as the WAP has already told it.

Oh, and one source of this is Microsoft TechNet: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb726942.aspx#EDAA

 

Hello again
You have spent a lot of time and ink with this non tech and both are appreciated.
As I understand it, I should enable the SSID. I could not see my ssid when trying to change my passphrase but saw 100% listed in the choices so luckily concluded it was me.
Also, I think I understand I am only 'wireless' between my pc and laptop as the cable connects the pc to the router and the router broadcasts to the laptop. I therefore, do not uncheck 'enable wireless router radio'.
These notes are invaluable for a non tech so they go in appropriate folders for future refence. It ws difficult resetting my password, passphrase etc but I think they necessarily should be changed periodically.
Thank you for your help.