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To: FReepaholic

Yup. Wireless is the way to go these days, for sure. Actually, I have a hybrid system in my home. My wife's work computer and my work computer are hardwired to a router. Everything else is wireless.

There is one advantage to hard-wired networks. They don't broadcast the network and they are solidly faster all the time. Still, for most purposes, wireless is just fine, as long as you have decent protection installed.

A funny note, though, on all of this. There's a guy across the street from me who has a bunch of wireless stuff on his network, including cameras. Trouble is, his network is open as a library. When I got my new Dell notebook and turned it on, the first thing I saw was this guy's unprotected network. Took me about five minutes to start looking through his cameras. One was in his bedroom.

Uffda! I had a little chat with the guy and we fixed up his password protection for his wireless network. He literally did not have any idea that anyone else could access his network.

I notified him of his risk by printing a little note out on his printer from my notebook.

Take your notebook and drive around neighborhoods in almost any town. It's amazing how many unprotected wireless networks there are out there. Funny stuff.


13 posted on 07/10/2006 11:48:56 AM PDT by MineralMan (non-evangelical atheist)
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To: MineralMan
I notified him of his risk by printing a little note out on his printer from my notebook.

That's both hilarious and right-neighborly of you. LOL

16 posted on 07/10/2006 11:52:55 AM PDT by Petronski (I just love that woman.)
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To: MineralMan
I notified him of his risk by printing a little note out on his printer from my notebook.

lolz.

Have always wanted to print out the file documents named "confidential" or "private" that people leave in their file-sharing folders and mail 'em to the addresses mentioned therein.

17 posted on 07/10/2006 11:54:28 AM PDT by martin_fierro (< |:)~)
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To: MineralMan
One was in his bedroom.

If I even mentioned having a camera in my bedroom, my wife would remove and drape my cajones over the lens - and then she would hurt me real bad.

26 posted on 07/10/2006 12:37:19 PM PDT by IamConservative (Who does not trust a man of principle? A man who has none.)
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To: MineralMan

Yep, wireless is great. ...until someone turns on a microwave.

Just about always knocks out the wireless connection to my notebook computer. I understand from a co-worker that when he takes a call on his wireless 2.4GHz telephone it kills his kids network connection. Both microwave ovens and these phones work on the same spectrum as 802.11 wireless networks.

My son just got a notebook computer last week. He's already learned to plug in the network cable before he starts playing any network games. The 802.11 stuff is fine for general surfing I guess. But, for connections that demand performance and reliability you needed wired cat5.


28 posted on 07/10/2006 12:46:53 PM PDT by RiVer19
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