Wireless Newbie

Hi.

I might be getting a laptop to use away from home out in the country (I live in Ontario, Canada). I have no experience with wireless. I'm thinking of buying a Telus Stick http://www.telusmobility.com/en/ON/connectplans/index.shtml to use for wireless. I'm not understanding the "secure/non-secure" idea. If I don't have a secure connection, does this just mean I'm using someone else's bandwidth or does it mean I can't do online banking?

Confuzzled.
Thanks

 

Greetings, Oooops!

If the laptop has onboard wireless capabilities, then you shouldn't need any additional attachments, although you may get better reception with a USB stick. It all depends on how the signal is transmitted to your specific area.

Negative, but someone within range could piggyback onto your connection.

Has nothing to do with it: safe online banking depends on your operating system's and banking institution's security safeguards - having a secured local wireless protocol will prevent anyone local to you from using your bandwidth, but has no bearing on anything once you bounce out to the Internet.

 

As Caliban said, it would not prevent you from doing online banking. However, an unsecure wireless signal could possibly allow unauthorized access to files on your computer by outsiders. See this for steps to take to protect yourself: http://compnetworking.about.com/od/wirelesssecurity/tp/wifisecurity.htm