Is Your Wifi Open to the World?
Written by Kevin L Mabry | Newsletter Topics
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Wireless networks have made browsing the internet much more simple and efficient than used to be the case. Although broadband connections were a major upgrade over the slow and pestering dial-up connections that made using the internet more of a punishment than getting the job done, they still had the problem of providing multiple-connectivity. The problem with wired networks is that only one user can use it at a time.
Although one might say that that one device could be used to create a hotspot and other devices could connect to a single wired network in principle, the fact still remains that hotspots are a form of wireless networks too. Anyhow, it is known to all that Wi-Fi networks allow the capability to have multiple connections and enable people to browse the internet and get a lot done. However, it is important that you have a Wi-Fi network that is not open to all people. Before going into why it is so, we first take a look at how to tell if your Wi-Fi is open.
How to tell if your Wi-Fi is open
There are different methods for different operating systems.
Windows 8:
[contentblock id=73 img=gcb.png]- Click the Wi-Fi icon on the right corner of the taskbar
- Click ‘View Connection Settings’ from the resulting sidebar
- Click on your network in the PC menu
- If it says WEP or WPA then your network is secured. If it says unsecured or no authentication then your Wi-Fi is open
- Click on Start -> Control Panel -> Network and Internet -> Network and Sharing Center
- Click on Manage Wireless Connections
- Check the security status next to your connection
- Click on the Wi-Fi icon on the top left of your screen
- If a lock is present next to your network then it is secured, otherwise not
- You can be victimized in malicious practises
- It is an open invitation to Identity Thieves
- Your monthly internet bill could shoot up
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