I'm Givin' It Away
by Gary Woods

A lot of people these days are wandering around with Notebook Computers, Handheld PDAs, SmartPhones and all manner of electronic devices capable of getting on the Internet. This is a good thing, and companies have made it as easy as possible for us to connect to the Internet. The problem is they've not only made it easy to connect to the Internet but also to other computers creating what is called an Ad Hoc network.

Once your computer has connected to a network it remembers that networks SSID (Service Set Identifier) so that the next time you come across that name you'll hook right up. Unfortunately there are a lot of Wireless Routers out there that are using the Default SSID. You'll find a lot of "Linksys" or "DLink" networks. The problem comes in that not all "Linksys" networks are the same. Warm fuzzy ones at your home aren't the same one that could be lurking in some airport.

If you've continued updating your copy or Windows XP to Service Pack 2 it will notify you before it connects to an Ad Hoc network. But, previous versions of Windows like 2000 just quietly hook up in the background and open the door to anybody looking over your shoulder.

The most important thing you should do is disable Ad Hoc networks by clicking the advanced button of the Wireless Network Connection Settings control to change it from "Any available network" to "Access Point (infrastructure) networks only."

If you have any suggestions or questions for me please drop me a note at garyandlaury@santabarbaraproperties.com or see my column on the Internet at http://www.santabarbaraproperties.com or call me at (805) 729-0910