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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Psionicist" data-source="post: 1585022" data-attributes="member: 1874">It's not that I don't think you can configure your wireless LAN yourself, but I just want to inform you with the "dangers" of a WLAN. Typically you share files and Internet with your WLAN so you can browse ENWorld outside (it's summer after all!). The problem here is that to do this the wireless computer needs direct access to your local network. Unless Zone Alarm is configured to block access from your other computers (which is really inconvenient), there is a potential problem comparable with an unauthorized user plugging in his computer in your router/switch/hub/"LAN device". With the windows filesharing protocol, he can probably use your printer, internet connection and download your shared files directly.Now, because security is such an obvious problems with WLAN, there are several methods used in wireless routers and such to secure the system as much as possible, such as encryption. And here's the real problem: Cracking this encryption is fairly easy (see the wardriving link above). Here's another disturbing problem: Most popular wireless routers from Linksys, Netgear etc has security problems themselves: <a href="http://slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=04/06/05/1250244&mode=thread&tid=126&tid=137&tid=172&tid=193" target="_blank">http://slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=04/06/05/1250244&mode=thread&tid=126&tid=137&tid=172&tid=193</a>What you can do is put the wireless equipment in a DMZ, demilitarized zone: <a href="http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/D/DMZ.html" target="_blank">http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/D/DMZ.html</a> but this require quite a bit of configuration in itself.My point is, call your nerdiest friend, the one who runs Linux (or whatever) and ask for suggestions. They are usually quite informed with safety.</blockquote>

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