I've Gone Wireless

With more and more wireless devices pushing their way into the house, I suppose this was inevitable (it was my youngest son's PSP that finally put it over the edge). I waited this long because I liked controlling the points of Internet access in the house - most specifically, not in the kids' bedrooms - but I've relented figuring they're old enough now.

There's still a number of wired access points in the house: two in the basement rec room (main computer and XBox), and one in the family room that I am using now. They are faster, after all.

It's always surprised me how most people's wireless networks are not encrypted making it easy for anyone within range to simply attach on. At best they are just hogging your bandwidth. At worst, they can access files on you computer maliciously. Setting up a wireless router for the first time answered why when I discovered that putting in an encryption code is not part of the set-up wizard. It doesn't even suggest how to do it yourself.

It's hardly difficult. I quick google turned this up => 4 steps to set up your home wireless network. Everyone should protect they're wireless networks. Sitting in my family room, in a neighbourhood that is hardly crowded, I can pick up two wireless networks other than my own. Neither of them are encrypted.

I could save myself some money and mooch off of them. Undoubtedly, there are people that do this.

Mike