[doctorcathy]

i remember posting a while back saying that i wanted a sony vaio and i thought it would be a couple of years till we got it....but cynthia bought one earlier this week(before the whole situation with rachel). anyway, we got a Sony Vaio T series. it has intel pentium centrino and wireless internet inside the computer.

i called SBC earlier today to get DSL and they're sending the package of everything next week. Well, i go to school today and my classmates were telling me that all i had to do was turn on the computer and a list of internet connections would pop up. and i was like "are you sure" and they were like "100%".

sooooo, i like 30 minutes ago i was like "ok, i'll try it again". and now i'm online

i clicked on the "unsecured" wireless internet connection. is that alright? my computer came with norton anti-virus and i totally updated it right now.


anyway, my question is this....is what i'm doing safe? can anyone hack into my computer?? should i get the yahoo dsl?

Thanks!

 

[dr.jaimie]

just get a firewall and u will be safe

 

[joe]

Originally posted by LadyMontava@Nov 24 2004, 11:45 PM
just get a firewall and u will be safe
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anything to do with "high speed" internet, get a firewall as LadyMontava said

 

[Toby's Mom]

 

[doctorcathy]

LOL, thanks nicole! i was telling cynthia that it's going to be great to go online at night...when everyone else is online!


ladymontava and joe, which firewall do you recommend?

and that i can get online at my house....am i using someone else's modem or something? how does this stuff work?


thanks everyone!!

 

[dr.jaimie]

the firewall i use at home is zone alarm...they have a free version you can download and install on the computer. using the wirless is a high speed connection...must faster than a regular modem.

you will have to plug it in at home for it to work (unless you have wireless at home)....but you can go to coffee houses that have wireless and use it there, some hotels do to.

 

[mee]

where do u get a firewall ???

 

[dr.jaimie]

zone alarm free download here is a link to the one i use...it is rated #1 by cnet.

 

[joe]

Originally posted by doctorcathy@Nov 25 2004, 12:08 AM
and that i can get online at my house....am i using someone else's modem or something?  how does this stuff work?

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if you are getting online at home and you do not have a wireless router then you are a) likely living in a business district that offers wireless in a certain raduis OR

a close neighbor has wireless and doesnt have his connection encrypted and you are "stealing" it from him

 

[doctorcathy]

thanks! i've heard of zonealarm. thats what we have at work right now.

joe---can my neighbor find out? and is what i'm doing "illegal"??

THanks
Cathy

 

[dr.jaimie]

well you could always take your laptop with you on a walk and if the connection goes dead after a couple of houses, then you are prob stealing it...we have wireless in my house and we tested to see how far it went and the houses on each side of us could steal it if we didnt have it blocked.

 

[kodie]

i have a router that acts like a firewall.

 

[mee]

Originally posted by LadyMontava@Nov 25 2004, 10:06 AM
zone alarm free download  here is a link to the one i use...it is rated #1 by cnet.
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thank you for the site!!

but im using a macintosh and the one on the site is a PC version..
do u know where i can get the mac version ?

 

[doctorcathy]

so using it is illegal? even if they didnt block it? casey thinks that i might be using the wireless connection from the school nearby. but....its up the street. but Cal Arts is pretty big and would have to be able to reach the dorms, you know?

well, im thinking that i'll cancel the order with Yahoo DSL.


thanks everyone for responding.

its awesome to be able to ask whatever questions on this site.

 

[dr.jaimie]

sorry looks like there is no Mac version...they reccomend norton firewall...i dont know the price on that one.norton

 

[mee]

Originally posted by LadyMontava@Nov 25 2004, 09:12 PM
sorry looks like there is no Mac version...they reccomend norton firewall...i dont know the price on that one.norton
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[/QUOTE]

oh, thats too bad, thank you for helping me tho !!!!!!