I want my Macbook Pro secure on wireless router

I am in a condo on the Gulf Coast, and I was amazed that in the left-hand panel of FINDER, under the SHARED tab, there are about 12 other computers that I am seeing. I am concerned that others may be able to access my computer via my wireless connection. How can I make sure I am protected?

Thanks,

Dan

Dan, is the wireless access point provided by the condo management? Do you have access to the wireless router?

troyrecreation said:

I am in a condo on the Gulf Coast, and I was amazed that in the left-hand panel of FINDER, under the SHARED tab, there are about 12 other computers that I am seeing. I am concerned that others may be able to access my computer via my wireless connection. How can I make sure I am protected?

Thanks,

Dan

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You're sitting on the same network as your neighbors, it's just that they have file and print sharing turned on. If you want to make sure that you're invisible, first make sure that Sharing is turned off in System Preferences => Sharing:



Then, go into System Preferences => Security => Firewall tab. Make sure that 'Set access for specific applications' is set (and it's OK if there are a few already there, just make sure they're programs you're familiar with):



Finally, click the Advanced button. Check both boxes - make sure that "stealth" mode is turned on in particular - this keeps your computer from responding to requests for common services like ICMP echo (this is the protocol the "ping" command uses) and will also keep your computer from showing up on a port scanner:



Once you've done that, you are pretty much invisible on that network and you certainly won't show up in anyone else's "Shared" side bar or in Windows' Network Neighborhood.

Nice job, cwa. If it is his own wireless router, though, these people are using his connection and he may want to set a password in the router.

ron4mac said:

Nice job, cwa. If it is his own wireless router, though, these people are using his connection and he may want to set a password in the router.

Click to expand...

Absolutely.

If this isn't a connection shared amongst the entire condo, then you definitely need to be locking this thing down. Leaving your network wide open can cause all kinds of problems with your ISP, and potentially even legal issues.