other users able to browse my files??

[murmur]

Hello,

I am quite a novice at networking, but could use some advice. I have
managed to network two computers at home using and SMC wireless router,
network: WORKGROUP. One is Win2000, the other Win98. We share an
internet connection, and our hard drives are set to share (share name:
C$). We also share this internet connection with a neighbor, who picks
it up wirelessly.

When I go into My Network Places>Entire Network>Microsoft Windows
Network, I see Workgroup with our computers listed under it. Under
Microsoft Windows Network, I also see what appears to be my neighbor's
own network, at an equal tier as my 'Workgroup' (DMAT is the name).
Under that tier, his computer is viewable, and I can browse a "share
docs" folder with his My Faxes, My Pictures, My Music, etc. (though they
are empty).

Does this mean he can browse our entire hard drives, and if so, how can
I prevent this, but still allow our home computers to share files?

Many thanks!!

murmur

 

[Chuck]

Hello,

I am quite a novice at networking, but could use some advice. I have
managed to network two computers at home using and SMC wireless router,
network: WORKGROUP. One is Win2000, the other Win98. We share an
internet connection, and our hard drives are set to share (share name:
C$). We also share this internet connection with a neighbor, who picks
it up wirelessly.

When I go into My Network Places>Entire Network>Microsoft Windows
Network, I see Workgroup with our computers listed under it. Under
Microsoft Windows Network, I also see what appears to be my neighbor's
own network, at an equal tier as my 'Workgroup' (DMAT is the name).
Under that tier, his computer is viewable, and I can browse a "share
docs" folder with his My Faxes, My Pictures, My Music, etc. (though they
are empty).

Does this mean he can browse our entire hard drives, and if so, how can
I prevent this, but still allow our home computers to share files?

Many thanks!!

murmur

Murmur,

That's one of the many problems with wireless. The NAT portion of the
router protects what's inside the NAT firewall, but everything inside
the firewall is open and unprotected from each other. You can set
security on your Win2K computer, but Win98 is a lost cause.

If you want to share your internet wirelessly, but are nervous about
what's on your computers being exposed to your neighbor (and anybody
else with a wireless setup driving nearby) (and you should be), you'd
be better off using a second router connected to the first, protecting
your own computers. Or at least put a good software firewall on each
computer, and change all your network shares, userids, and passwords
to something non-trivial and non-obvious.

Cheers,

Chuck
I hate spam - PLEASE get rid of the spam before emailing me!
Paranoia comes from experience - and is not necessarily a bad thing.

 

[Ole]

Murmur,

That's one of the many problems with wireless. The NAT portion of the
router protects what's inside the NAT firewall, but everything inside
the firewall is open and unprotected from each other. You can set
security on your Win2K computer, but Win98 is a lost cause.

If you want to share your internet wirelessly, but are nervous about
what's on your computers being exposed to your neighbor (and anybody
else with a wireless setup driving nearby) (and you should be), you'd
be better off using a second router connected to the first, protecting
your own computers. Or at least put a good software firewall on each
computer, and change all your network shares, userids, and passwords
to something non-trivial and non-obvious.

Cheers,

Chuck
I hate spam - PLEASE get rid of the spam before emailing me!
Paranoia comes from experience - and is not necessarily a bad thing.

perhaps before you do that unshare everything except one unimportant folder
on your 98 PC and on your 2000 make sure you have a good administrator and
normal password.

Ole