[Tesselator]

I use none at all!

System security is preformed and provided within the system - literally your Mac OS
security settings. Everyone has access to your machine if only to be denied it. Whether
the attempt is wireless or through the cable makes no difference what-so-ever AFAIK.

I think wireless should be free for all so if someone wants to use their mobil device in
front of my home while walking by or even if there is a needy neighbor that wants to
get on for awhile everyday, I don't mind a bit!!! In fact I dig it! I might not dig it if
they ate up ALL my band width but that's almost impossible or at least highly unlikely.

In my case my wireless connection is capable of about 50k/sec and my line capacity
is about 200,000k/sec. or 200mb. So affectively some 3,000 ~ 4,000 people could
be on and using the full speed of their devices before my page browsing would begin
to bog.

If you're the average American with an 8mb connection it's about 140 ~ 160 people
and that's only if they are using it at full speed. I guess actually in the average case
there might be between 1 and 5 people that use it and most likely not at the same time
that you are. I have been monitoring mine for two years now and so far one person
logged on 3 times in a 4 hour period about 4 months ago. I do have to admit that
I just got my 200mb line about 1 month ago and haven't set up the monitor for the
new line. Prior to this line I had a 100mb connection.

Anyway, I'm all for having the wireless set to open access and I'll continue that until
such time as those around me abuse it to my own detriment.

[Oisín]

WPA-2 Personal.

[Nodnarb]

WPA Personal

[peeb]

Originally Posted by Oisín 

WPA-2 Personal.

You can use the poll to tell us this...

[Shaddim]

None, I live in the middle of nowhere.

[Big Mac]

Originally Posted by Tesselator 

If you're the average American with an 8mb connection. . .

Since when do average Americans get 8Mb conncetions?

[olePigeon]

WEP 128-bit and MAC address filtering.

[Tesselator]

Originally Posted by Big Mac 

Since when do average Americans get 8Mb conncetions?

They don't? I thought... OK, what would you say was the average line-speed
in the USA? Or is that spec on-line somewhere?

[ort888]

Free wireless for all is great until your neighbor starts downloading child porn on your account.

[Big Mac]

Originally Posted by Tesselator 

They don't? I thought... OK, what would you say was the average line-speed
in the USA? Or is that spec on-line somewhere?

I'd bet the national average broadband downstream bandwidth is somewhere around 2.5Mb-3.5Mb.

[analogue SPRINKLES]

Originally Posted by Tesselator 

I think wireless should be free for all so if someone wants to use their mobil device in front of my home while walking by or even if there is a needy neighbor that wants to get on for awhile everyday, I don't mind a bit!!! In fact I dig it! I might not dig it if
they ate up ALL my band width but that's almost impossible or at least highly unlikely.

That is a great attitude until someone starts to use it for illegal purposes and it gets traced back to your IP and account. There has been several reported cases of this happening.

Not to mention I don't want anyone to get on my network and then figure a way to get access to my computers which is an even bigger concern for me.

[Shaddim]

Originally Posted by ort888 

Free wireless for all is great until your neighbor starts downloading child porn on your account.

or you get a letter from the MPAA or RIAA.

[CharlesS]

Originally Posted by ort888 

Free wireless for all is great until your neighbor starts downloading child porn on your account.

It doesn't have to be your neighbor - all it takes is some pervert driving around in a car with a laptop looking for an open network, and as soon as he finds yours, he starts downloading stuff from his car, and next thing you know, wham, you're getting visited by the police.

[peeb]

Originally Posted by CharlesS 

It doesn't have to be your neighbor - all it takes is some pervert driving around in a car with a laptop looking for an open network, and as soon as he finds yours, he starts downloading stuff from his car, and next thing you know, wham, you're getting visited by the police.

Are there any examples of this actually happening?

[ort888]

Yup. I know it's a tiny chance... but why risk it? There aren't that many pervs out there driving around looking for networks, but there has to be some...

The odds are greater that the teenager across the street would be using you to torrent 40 hollywood blockbusters. I bet that's happening all over.

[Oisín]

Originally Posted by peeb 

You can use the poll to tell us this...

I did.

[analogue SPRINKLES]

I do remember reading something though that if you leave your network open you can't be held responsible for anyone stealing it and doing something illegal as you have essentially made yourself an ISP.

Florida man charged with stealing Wi-Fi - Wireless - MSNBC.com

[mdc]

I have my networks setup with WPA2.
I agree with everyone else. In a perfect world I would have one network open for anyone to use, but nowadays I just don't trust anyone to use it just for web browsing and simple things like that.
I could start to block services so that people could only browse the internet but then I'll find myself doing too much work for the greater good but still having all of the blame if someone does do something illegal.

[subego]

Originally Posted by Big Mac 

I'd bet the national average broadband downstream bandwidth is somewhere around 2.5Mb-3.5Mb.

That sounds right.

Looking at the aggregate graph from DSL reports, I'd say that the most "popular" speed is 4mb/s, followed by 2mb/s and 1mb/s