Sharing home wifi...security risks?

[acme]

We began sharing our WIFI with upstairs neighbors who can pull the signal in great...full bars or whatever.

I am not sure how robust a password the neighbor uses on his machine, a Mac Book Pro. I assume a log-in password, but also doubt that he has a separate Admin, and everyday user Standard, as recommended by so many.

Our router has a decent key, and our computers robust passwords.

Have we significantly weakened our network by inviting this neighbor to use our wifi?

He's a very nice person and mostly just reads news and email.

thanks!

a

[agentx]

If you have a router that supports it you can create a second SSID (wifi network) and have a network that is fully separate from yours that they join.

Allowing someone else onto your network always has some risks. They have access to your network and therefore all services/devices on it.

But overall if they are a friend i would not worry too much. And as far as their security ie. running as Admin etc....i have 100s of users that we run as Admin accounts and 100s as Standard accounts and we generally do not have issues as the machines are behind Firewalls and are not directly accessible form internet.

[acme]

Quote: Originally Posted by agentx If you have a router that supports it you can create a second SSID (wifi network) and have a network that is fully separate from yours that they join.

I see "SSID" in there but when I open that pane, nothing leaps out as being the thing that creates a separate network for others to join. Can you nutshell how this is accomplished, setting up a second SSID?

Thank you!

a

[agentx]

You router has to support creating multiple wifi networks....it is an advanced feature. Some routers now support guest networks which is rot f th same thing.
What make/model ?

[mxpvn]

Hi, i am newbie with this forum and i also sharing my wifi with 2 neighbors, I am wondering if the network connection will be slowly or not. Please advise

[trevor]

mxpvn, the speed difference depends entirely on how much bandwidth your two neighbors use, so that's not something we can answer. If they're using Tor, or peer to peer networks, then yes, they will be hogging bandwidth, and you will have very little available to yourself, which effectively means that your network connection will seem slower. If they occasionally look at a single web page here and there, check their email, and don't do much else over the network connection, then it's doubtful that you'll detect any difference at all.

The more important question, in my opinion, than whether or not your connection will seem slower is what are the possible problems from sharing your internet connection? And the possible problems can be quite big. Never share your network with someone that you don't trust implicitly. Your router is an enormous protection for you from outside crackers. If you let crackers inside your router, then your computers and everything else on your network are exposed and vulnerable.

Trevor

[acme]

Quote: Originally Posted by agentx You router has to support creating multiple wifi networks....it is an advanced feature. Some routers now support guest networks which is rot f th same thing. What make/model ?

It's a belkin N750 DB Wireless Router. I have the router page open right now and of course can get in there....is setting up a multiple wifi network easy and self-explanatory to do?

And, speaking to Trevor's point, should I insert new passwords all around just in *case* there's been any comprimising of security?

Thank you!

a

[trevor]

Quote: Originally Posted by acme It's a belkin N750 DB Wireless Router. I have the router page open right now and of course can get in there....is setting up a multiple wifi network easy and self-explanatory to do?

On page 15 of the user's guide for that router, it says:

Quote: Originally Posted by Belkin Additional Capabilities Guest access You can allow guests to use your Internet connection without joining your personal network. The network name and password for the guest network is located on the network information card found under the foot of your Router. A person using your guest network will be able to join without a password, but will be shown a login page when they attempt to surf the Web. They will need to enter the guest password into this page to continue.

No word regarding support of a full-blown second SSID.

Trevor

[acme]

OK..I'm in that part of my router page right now. I have been here before; simply didn't connect with what you'd said earlier.

I see: enabled/disabled

Type: I assume I'd want to use WPA/WPA2 PSK

Then there's a field called:

Finally a place for a password.

Looks self-explanatory to set up. I simply tell my guest what the password is and it's up to them to enter when asked for.

Does the field named, "Network Name (SSID)" answer any questions about SSID you had and couldn't find in that belkin manual?

Thank you!

a

[trevor]

Sorry, I'm not sure if you're looking at a field for the primary SSID or for a secondary SSID.

Trevor

[acme]

I guess this would be the secondary one where access is granted via password, and is separate from our, primary wireless network.

thank you!

a