Does the average person's comprehension of WiFi freak you out sometimes?

[Pliablemoose]

I grabbed a handful of netbooks off Dell's outlet, and have resold a handful to friends at work, making a whopping $20 or so...

Anyway, I'll ask them if they have WiFi, nearly everyone says "Yes, I have WiFi @ home." and when I dig a little deeper, they typically say they have a notebook with a WiFi card, but they don't have a wireless router, and they have their notebook plugged directly into their modem.

 

[sdifox]

average person + wifi comprehension does not compute

 

[AccruedExpenditure]

No
-AE

 

[xSauronx]

Originally posted by: sdifox
average person + computer comprehension does not compute

ftfy

 

[DisgruntledVirus]

Originally posted by: xSauronx

Originally posted by: sdifox
average person + electronics comprehension does not compute

ftfy

ftfy

 

[irishScott]

Not really. Go to any residential area and connect to all of the open networks named "linksys". Then access 192.168.1.1, enter "admin" for both username and password. 9/10 times, you're in. Could wreck some serious havoc from there, especially if their computer is as unsecured as their router; and people wonder how their identity just got stolen. :roll:

 

[loup garou]

no, just about everyone I know has wifi and uses it.
but they never figured out how to change their wep/wpa passwords and use 26 digit hex passwords.

 

[Pliablemoose]

Notebooks + WiFi = the coolest part of the internets, I've been wireless since before WiFi standards...

 

[loup garou]

Originally posted by: Pliablemoose
Notebooks + WiFi = the coolest part of the internets, I've been wireless since before WiFi standards...

haha...same here. I had some old IBM wireless setup in college I bought off somebody in FS/T here. Then some other nonstandard one I can't remember the manufacturer of...Zyxel, maybe?

 

[mrSHEiK124]

If it's more complicated than a refrigerator, I am in no way surprised by the average person's comprehension of how to use it.

 

[JulesMaximus]

Originally posted by: irishScott
Not really. Go to any residential area and connect to all of the open networks named "linksys". Then access 192.168.1.1, enter "admin" for both username and password. 9/10 times, you're in. Could wreck some serious havoc from there, especially if their computer is as unsecured as their router; and people wonder how their identity just got stolen. :roll:

Yeah, someone just setup a new unsecured wireless network near my home. My laptop sometimes latches onto his network over my own every now and then.

There are about 5 wireless networks I can see from my kitchen including mine. All of them are using security protocol except this new one.

 

[Genx87]

Originally posted by: Pliablemoose
I grabbed a handful of netbooks off Dell's outlet, and have resold a handful to friends at work, making a whopping $20 or so...

Anyway, I'll ask them if they have WiFi, nearly everyone says "Yes, I have WiFi @ home." and when I dig a little deeper, they typically say they have a notebook with a WiFi card, but they don't have a wireless router, and they have their notebook plugged directly into their modem.

You cant believe how many executives get a wireless card in their laptop and think they can get internet anywhere at anytime.

 

[dullard]

Originally posted by: irishScott
Not really. Go to any residential area and connect to all of the open networks named "linksys". Then access 192.168.1.1, enter "admin" for both username and password. 9/10 times, you're in. Could wreck some serious havoc from there, especially if their computer is as unsecured as their router; and people wonder how their identity just got stolen. :roll:

The real question is why do the people who DO know what they are doing (ie the people who manufacture and sell the WiFi products) leave the thing unsecured by default. Why is it left to the average Joe to try and figure out which security method to use and how to use it properly?

At ATOT we love to make fun of people with less knowledge than us. But we then turn around and make products that rely on the average person to do the critical portion of the legwork instead of building our products secure from the start.

 

[loup garou]

Originally posted by: Genx87

Originally posted by: Pliablemoose
I grabbed a handful of netbooks off Dell's outlet, and have resold a handful to friends at work, making a whopping $20 or so...

Anyway, I'll ask them if they have WiFi, nearly everyone says "Yes, I have WiFi @ home." and when I dig a little deeper, they typically say they have a notebook with a WiFi card, but they don't have a wireless router, and they have their notebook plugged directly into their modem.

You cant believe how many executives get a wireless card in their laptop and think they can get internet anywhere at anytime.

They should have WWAN cards then.

 

[ViviTheMage]

Originally posted by: Genx87

Originally posted by: Pliablemoose
I grabbed a handful of netbooks off Dell's outlet, and have resold a handful to friends at work, making a whopping $20 or so...

Anyway, I'll ask them if they have WiFi, nearly everyone says "Yes, I have WiFi @ home." and when I dig a little deeper, they typically say they have a notebook with a WiFi card, but they don't have a wireless router, and they have their notebook plugged directly into their modem.

You cant believe how many executives get a wireless card in their laptop and think they can get internet anywhere at anytime.

I can believe this ...

 

[DisgruntledVirus]

Originally posted by: dullard

Originally posted by: irishScott
Not really. Go to any residential area and connect to all of the open networks named "linksys". Then access 192.168.1.1, enter "admin" for both username and password. 9/10 times, you're in. Could wreck some serious havoc from there, especially if their computer is as unsecured as their router; and people wonder how their identity just got stolen. :roll:

The real question is why do the people who DO know what they are doing (ie the people who manufacture and sell the WiFi products) leave the thing unsecured by default. Why is it left to the average Joe to try and figure out which security method to use and how to use it properly?

At ATOT we love to make fun of people with less knowledge than us. But we then turn around and make products that rely on the average person to do the critical portion of the legwork instead of building our products secure from the start.

How exactly do you build a repeatable, secure system en masse, that works with other brands/products on the market, and is configurable still?

Show me ANY security system for wifi routers, and they all are flawed BECAUSE they have to make it easy to use and default settings.

 

[dullard]

Originally posted by: DisgruntledVirus
How exactly do you build a repeatable, secure system en masse, that works with other brands/products on the market, and is configurable still?

Show me ANY security system for wifi routers, and they all are flawed BECAUSE they have to make it easy to use and default settings.

That is the type of task we should be discussing. Instead of using our brain power to make fun of those who don't understand technology, we should think of ways to make the technology usable AND secure for everyone.

 

[FP]

How much did you pick the netbooks up for?

 

[Deeko]

hahaha based on the title, I thought you were worried that the average person knew TOO much.

You can't honestly be surprised that most people don't know anything about setting up a router. That's WAY more advanced than I'd expect out of the average person, actually.

 

[Pliablemoose]

Originally posted by: FP
How much did you pick the netbooks up for?

~$200 (damn CA taxes & disposal fees), selling them for $250... Still cheaper than new (adding in taxes & CA fees) and they have the same warranty.

 

[loup garou]

Originally posted by: loup garou

Originally posted by: Pliablemoose
Notebooks + WiFi = the coolest part of the internets, I've been wireless since before WiFi standards...

haha...same here. I had some old IBM wireless setup in college I bought off somebody in FS/T here. Then some other nonstandard one I can't remember the manufacturer of...Zyxel, maybe?

AHH...found the second one, they were Acer. I wish I could find out what that IBM one was, I was just thinking about it the other day...

YESSS...found it!!!

 

[Pliablemoose]

Originally posted by: loup garou

Originally posted by: loup garou

Originally posted by: Pliablemoose
Notebooks + WiFi = the coolest part of the internets, I've been wireless since before WiFi standards...

haha...same here. I had some old IBM wireless setup in college I bought off somebody in FS/T here. Then some other nonstandard one I can't remember the manufacturer of...Zyxel, maybe?

AHH...found the second one, they were Acer. I wish I could find out what that IBM one was, I was just thinking about it the other day...

IIRC, IBM licensed/resold a Panasonic unit, the receiver was about the size of an old school wireless home phone, and the notebook treated it like a modem? 900mhz IIRC?

 

[spidey07]

I'd hazard a guess most all of ATOT doesn't know much about wireless networking. Even people that work with technology seem to not even understand the basics. (how many times have you seen technology people "point" omni-directional antennas at each other?)

As far as security - plenty of ways to build very large, very secure wireless networks.

 

[loup garou]

Originally posted by: Pliablemoose

Originally posted by: loup garou

Originally posted by: loup garou

Originally posted by: Pliablemoose
Notebooks + WiFi = the coolest part of the internets, I've been wireless since before WiFi standards...

haha...same here. I had some old IBM wireless setup in college I bought off somebody in FS/T here. Then some other nonstandard one I can't remember the manufacturer of...Zyxel, maybe?

AHH...found the second one, they were Acer. I wish I could find out what that IBM one was, I was just thinking about it the other day...

IIRC, IBM licensed/resold a Panasonic unit, the receiver was about the size of an old school wireless home phone, and the notebook treated it like a modem? 900mhz IIRC?

See my edit above, IBM 8227. Not sure if it was a Panasonic rebadge...

 

[dquan97]

Originally posted by: Pliablemoose

Originally posted by: FP
How much did you pick the netbooks up for?

~$200 (damn CA taxes & disposal fees), selling them for $250... Still cheaper than new (adding in taxes & CA fees) and they have the same warranty.

ubuntu + 8gb ssd?