Re: OT: Zone Alarm

[flash flash@xxxxxxxx]

Jordan,

≪If someone is "ghosting" along on your
wireless broadband (even just for the free ride),
would you even be aware of their presence ? Or would
you specifically have to be running some kind of
network monitoring software ?≫

We call this piggybacking.
You might notice that your Internet link is running slowly, due to the
extra baggage. Your WLAN access point or router should have an ARP cache
listing all stations currently attached to it, similar to the arp -a
function on the DOS level of a pc. You'd have to check the WLAN AP or
router manual to find out the command to call up its ARP cache. If you
see more machines listed than you expect, then you have a piggybacker.
Otherwise, you would probably need special software to detect another
pc's presence on your WLAN.
Patricia asked ≪Anybody know how far a wireless AP's radio
broadcasts?≫ Assume up to 100 meters at least. Maybe more, maybe less.
Depends on too many factors to list them all here (including building
materials, concrete pillars, furniture, dog food (yes, dog food!)). Use
the lowest power setting possible, if available, though not all APs let
you set the wattage manually. In WLANs, less is more--meaning: less
broadcast range is more security.
≪Could an AP next door (pretty close, the buildings are only 30-odd
feet wide and almost touch) be visible here? Up one flight?≫ Yes.
I have several earlier versions of ZA; all worked well. The newer
versions offered more diagnostics, but not more security (the number of
ports you can block is, after all, finite).