TMG-L Archives

Archiver > TMG > 2004-12 > 1102203488


From: Dennis Lee Bieber <>
Subject: Re: [TMG] OT: wireless network
Date: Sat, 04 Dec 2004 15:38:08 -0800
References: <001601c4d962$1ebece20$6401a8c0@D3134W31><6.0.0.22.2.20041203132809.03ca7eb0@pop3.norton.antivirus><6.2.0.14.0.20041203180424.0491a908@pop.compuserve.com>
In-Reply-To: <6.2.0.14.0.20041203180424.0491a908@pop.compuserve.com>


On or about 12/03/04 15:12 a carrier pigeon from Karla Huebner delivered:

>Apparently one of my neighbors has set up a wireless, presumably infrared,
>network in her apartment, because suddenly my laptop has taken to
>displaying an infrared icon that assures me "Kristen is in range." Haven't
>got the faintest idea who Kristen is.

Infrared normally doesn't even pass through walls, and sometimes
won't make it through a glass window... Try using the remote from you TV
from another room (granted, I did have ONE remote that was extremely
powerful -- I could bounce the signal off the white wall behind me and have
it picked up by the TV; but even that did not go through the wall).

>The only thing I could find to do under Properties was to uncheck the
>option that others could send files to me via infrared, and to set the
>controller to "disabled". I still keep seeing the icon that this person is
>in range.

Are you sure it's infrared? You don't have a built-in bluetooth or
WiFi unit? Bluetooth and WiFi are both radio signals, and can pass through
walls, though not very well. The icon may remain until you actually try
something with it -- what options do you see on a right-click?



>Does anyone know whether there is anything else I need to do to protect my
>system? My neighbor is probably a harmless grad student, but you never know.

Firewall, network properties < disable any protocols that are
attached to the particular hardware you are reporting. Maybe turn off
anything using NetBUIE protocols. For example, my W98 machine has TCP/IP
connected to the dial-up adapter, and to the 3COM NIC. IPX/SPX protocol is
also connected to the NIC. NetBUIE has been removed. NetBUIE was M$'s
original local area networking protocol, and is considered to be very
insecure if you don't have direct control of every physical node it is
attached to.


--
> ============================================================ <
> | Wulfraed Dennis Lee Bieber KD6MOG <
> | Bestiaria Support Staff <
> ============================================================ <
> Home Page: <http://bieberd.home.netcom.com/>; <


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