Lock up your WiFi router!

I have been telling people for the past few years to lock up their WiFi networks and here is a perfect example of why: http://www.smh.com.au/technology/technology-news/innocent-man-busted-for-child-porn-after-neighbour-leached-wifi-20110426-1dugz.html

Every time I warned people about securing their WiFi network, they would respond saying that there was nothing important on their network or their computers.  Well, I guess they were wrong.

There are a multitude of reasons for using someone else's network (hacking, illegal downloading, anonymous posting, sending spam, etc.)  Don't let these people get away with it.  Especially not on your network.  You may be personally liable for the activity that originates on your network.

So, how DO you secure your router and what security is appropriate?  Each router is different in how you setup security so I would advise you to download the manual for your particular router and follow the instructions.

As you go throughout the process of securing your WiFi network, you will be prompted to choose from several different types of security.  Always choose WPA2!  WEP is really a child's game to crack, and WPA has been shown to be reasonably crackable as well.  WPA2 encryption is the toughest encryption that you can get on a consumer-type device.  Remember to use a password that is at least 16 characters long and has upper and lower case letters and numbers.

If you have any devices that do not support WPA2, you have two viable options.  First, see if you can find a firmware upgrade for such device that enables WPA2 capability.  Second, stop using the WiFi capability of that device.

I hope that these tips will help you hacker-proof your WiFi network.

Funny Name of the Week - Wattamolla

This week's funny city/town name of the week is:

Wattamolla

Funny Name of the Week - Koonawarra

This week's funny city/town name of the week is:

Koonawarra

Kindle goodness

Let me first start by explaining what a Kindle is.  Kindle is an ebook reader.  It allows you to purchase digital books through Amazon.com and read them anywhere your Kindle goes.  As a physical device, a Kindle is the size of hard cover book, but is 8.5 mm thick and weighs only 250 grams (1/2 pound).  It is very light and easy to handle.

The screen is powered by e-ink, which means that the screen does not use energy to keep text on the page.  It only uses energy to change the text on the screen.  Due to this fact, battery life of a Kindle is rated at 30 days.  You can read a lot of books before you have to recharge your Kindle.  (I wish my phone would last this long!)

About a month ago, I ordered a Kindle from Amazon.  The whole shopping experience was very easy.  Pick a Kindle, select delivery country as Australia, provide your credit card and that's it.  I received my Kindle in three business days.  Even the shipping charge was reasonable.  Ordering electronic items from the US is not always easy from Australia.  Luckily, Amazon makes the whole process easy.

After a month of use, I can tell you that I love my Kindle.  It is easy to read, the device lasts a long time and it is really easy to move your old ebooks onto it.  I have a lot of old pdfs which I was able to put on the Kindle.  Kindle supports pdf, txt, .mobi, .html and a few other formats.  There is a plethora of free content of classical books which you can download and read for free.  "War and Peace" here I come!  :-)

I am amazed how easy it is to buy ebooks on Amazon.  One click, and the book is downloaded to your Kindle.  Too easy!  You can even buy a subscription to various newspapers and magazines.  The train ride to work has just become more fun!