[Skypat]

Hi

I will soon be travelling to the USA and I would like to bring my Powerbook with me (from Belgium). I'd like to connect to different hotspots in CA and I have 2 questions :

1- Is it true I need to turn on my firewall as a security measure ? Could it cause a compatibility problem with the local networks or slowdown my connection ?

2- How can I set a password when I turn on my computer ... Do I need to use Filevault ?

Any special tips about connection to hotspots in the US ? ;-)

Thank you :-)

[macintologist]

Whenever I visit the States the grandparents dont have an internet connection so I take the 12" PB to Starbucks. It's 40 bucks for a month of unlimited use. They have a T1 connection at every Starbucks I know of in California. I think it's worth it because I'm always the only person using it so I have my very own dedicated and unfiltered T1 connection!! They don't block any ports so you can do what you want.

http://www.t-mobile.com/hotspot/

Go there and buy a month of access. You can also go by the day or by the minute but the month is the best value. Sure you can shop around for a free hotspot somewhere but Starbucks have great T1 reliable connections and they are also in the airports and other shops too so you're not limited to Starbucks.

For security, just disable automatic login and set the screensaver to require a password. All this can be found in the Security prefpane. Unless you have sensitive military documents, don't bother with FileVault.

And don't bother with the firewall either. It's really not needed on a Mac unless you're in a dorm where tons of people have a 100Mbit connection to your comp. The only point of a firewall is to prevent apps from "phoning home" really.

[Simon]

Originally posted by macintologist:
The only point of a firewall is to prevent apps from "phoning home" really.

Sorry, but that's pure and 100% grade a bull.

The built-in firewall only blocks ports for incoming traffic. If you want to prevent apps from phoning home you need to either learn how to use the CLI firewall ipfw or you need something like LittleSnitch.

There is actually no good reason not to use the built-in firewall. It will still let you do most things and it's good for general safety reasons. There is also no noticeable speed penalty.

[Skypat]

Thanks ! And what about password protection ? If I want to set a password to open a session ? It was easy to have that kind of security under OS 9. (It is only useful when you loose your powerbook, no one can use it then).

[Simon]

Originally posted by Skypat:
Thanks ! And what about password protection ? If I want to set a password to open a session ? It was easy to have that kind of security under OS 9. (It is only useful when you loose your powerbook, no one can use it then).

Just do what macintologist said.

Turn off auto-login and set the screen saver to require password entry. That should prevent somebody from fiddling with your data on your PowerBook.

If you want to be sure that nobody can access your data whatsoever (take out the disk and hook it up to another machine, transfer data after booting in single-user mode, etc...) you would need FileVault.

[pdovinh]

Hi,

There are times that I came back from work after hours, I pulled my car right in front of Starbuck and opened up my PB and voila, the signal came up and I logged in!

It's always nice being in the comfort of my own car to surf the net when I want to.

What a country!

pd

[PeterKG]

Originally posted by pdovinh:
Hi,

There are times that I came back from work after hours, I pulled my car right in front of Starbuck and opened up my PB and voila, the signal came up and I logged in!

It's always nice being in the comfort of my own car to surf the net when I want to.

What a country!

pd

How can you have you logged in without a Hotspot password?

[Skypat]

Originally posted by Simon:

Turn off auto-login and set the screen saver to require password entry. That should prevent somebody from fiddling with your data on your PowerBook.

Thank you for your advice but I don't understand. What is the auto-login and where is the screen saver ? What des the screensaver has to do with security ? Sorry my OS is in French and I'm not sure to understand what you mean

Thank you!

[Simon]

Originally posted by Skypat:
Thank you for your advice but I don't understand. What is the auto-login and where is the screen saver ? What des the screensaver has to do with security ? Sorry my OS is in French and I'm not sure to understand what you mean

French OS? Hell man. That must be about as bad as a German OS. Ah, what pain.

OK, I have no idea what screen saver is in French, but here's where to go on an English OS X.

System Preferences > Accounts > Login Options: de-select "Automatically log in as"

System Preferences > Security: select "Require password to wake this computer from sleep or screen saver"

The screen saver doesn't have much to do with security, but the OS has an option to require entering a password when you wake from sleep or stop the screen saver. Now, when you close your PowerBook it's asleep or when you just quickly walk away from it (like in an office environment when you go get a print out) it will display the screen saver. If anybody were to come and try to look at your personal data, he would be required to type the password. There's the security.

[Skypat]

Originally posted by Simon:
French OS? Hell man. That must be about as bad as a German OS. Ah, what pain.

Hi Simon
No that's ok. French Panther (should I say "Panth�re" ) is cool. No translation problem so far.

Anyway thank you ! Your explanations were cristal clear and I found everything.

Everything is located in the "security" section.

Thanks