We have a new wireless router and connection. How do I know it is protected/safe?

[VanillaPumpkin]

We have just transferred to the Post Office broadband. When setting up I had to put in the SSID code and a WPA code. Does this mean I have stopped other people from being able to use my broadband??? Confused.

they cant use your internet without the SSID code, so its safe

Oh cool. That easy? Great thank you.

It says security enabled??? Is this OK. I have found three . They all say they are security enabled. Are they my neighbours networks? I can see one is called Owlhouse .

i can pick up about 6 signals and one is not protected.. silly fools

Blimey. There were none there while I was trying to set up and then these other two. The name of ours is the SSID code though. Do I need to try and change that as presumably that is what they see .....

Can you actually connect to the unprotected one SGK? - because our school network says it's unprotected, but in fact it only lets computers that have been specified on -it works on a thing called a MAC address, not a password.

wow RB that's still a daft way of doing it.. ..should be encrypted AND use MAC filtering for proper safety...

OP - you may also be able to tell your router not to broadcast its SSID - that way if you call it 'GreatBigPumkin' you'll have to type that as the SSID in Windows but anyone having a poke around with their wireless laptop/desktop/etc wouldn't see it appear - they'd have to know the name.

Thank you. I will have a look.

Hmm, I can't seem to be able to change my 'network' name. Does it really matter? No-one can do anything with that without the WPA can they?

Probably won't be able to on a supplied router - always worth a look though. Hacking is still possible even with WPA but much trickier than if someone hasn't bothered to secure it.

You'll be fine. Chill and surf the great big mintynet...

Great. I have the added security of being on a RAF camp behind big fences and men with guns on the gate and patrolling . So if someone does hack me I will be able to track them down as we are too far from the road for it to be a civvie ....

to be doubly sure you can only allow access to specific mac addresses (the hardware code that belongs to your wirless card in your pc or laptop).

Yes,Geekboy, it really should be both, but there are various issues why we don't, mainly to do with the fact that I'm not the one in charge....