Wireless or Tethered? Are You a Cylon?

[Ravensknight]

It has been brought to my attention recently [by my wife] that I might be a bit on the paranoid side when it comes to wireless devices.

I just setup our first wireless router last month so she could use her laptop without an ethernet cable. For years I had simply run cables everywhere.

My superpad tablet, I barely use the wifi on it. Maybe on the occasional Saturday on the couch to read Mobileread.

My bluray player is the non-wireless version. [not that our 'net connection speed is great enough to stream movies].

Our 505's our wireless and even when we get some T1's [they were on sale for WICKED cheap, so how could I resist, even with other needs screaming for our money?] I will NOT be using the wireless option. At least, I don't think so.

So yes, I know I'm paranoid. And yes, I know that Cylons aren't real .

But I want to know, does anyone else feel the need to obsessively keep info constrained?

[cfrizz]

I'm not paranoid, but I never use my T1 to download anything. I used it once to make sure it worked (it did) and then I turned it off. I always sideload my books from my pc onto my reader.

I plan to get a tablet, I'm wondering how I'm going to get the apps that I want on to it. I am going to want to have a copy of them on my pc as well as my tablet. I'm just not sure how to go about doing it. This is brand new territory that I'm going to have to learn.

I am going to have to figure out if it's better to have everything on the tablet, or to use cards for my music and books.

[kennyc]

I've gone wireless on everything including printers, TV, DVR, laptops, desktops, ebook readers and tablets.

It does require pw access but otherwise no worries.

[pidgeon92]

All of my stuff is run wirelessly. It's all password protected, but that's it in terms of protecting the network.

[rdfry]

Originally Posted by Ravensknight

It has been brought to my attention recently [by my wife] that I might be a bit on the paranoid side when it comes to wireless devices.

I just setup our first wireless router last month so she could use her laptop without an ethernet cable. For years I had simply run cables everywhere.

My superpad tablet, I barely use the wifi on it. Maybe on the occasional Saturday on the couch to read Mobileread.

My bluray player is the non-wireless version. [not that our 'net connection speed is great enough to stream movies].

Our 505's our wireless and even when we get some T1's [they were on sale for WICKED cheap, so how could I resist, even with other needs screaming for our money?] I will NOT be using the wireless option. At least, I don't think so.

So yes, I know I'm paranoid. And yes, I know that Cylons aren't real .

But I want to know, does anyone else feel the need to obsessively keep info constrained?

As long as you use WPA2 you should have no worries about your network. However your information that is on the web could be compromised so i guess you still have to be paranoid to some degree.

[elemenoP]

Life's too short, my friend. What's going to happen, if you allow wireless on your reader? Are you reading state secrets?

My reader doesn't have wireless, but if it did, I would certainly use it.

eP

[Ravensknight]

Originally Posted by elemenoP

Life's too short, my friend. What's going to happen, if you allow wireless on your reader? Are you reading state secrets?

My reader doesn't have wireless, but if it did, I would certainly use it.

eP

Exactly. I KNOW it is irrational, but stilll....

[when the Cylons nuke us, it won't be because they got info from my ereader ]

[tecweston]

I'm totally wireless. My desktop computer, laptop, iPad, iPod touch, PS3, Wii, and Nook STR all connect via wifi. I leave the wifi off on the Nook most of the time, just connecting on Fridays to see whatever "Free Friday" book they're giving away, and to shop if I'm looking to buy something specific or get a preview.

[Synamon]

Tediously typing in the new password into 4 computers, an iPhone, an iPod, and 3 Kindles when the wireless router was replaced last month showed me exactly how connected.

[HarryT]

Ravensknight - a serious question. What is it about WiFi that concerns you?

[Ravensknight]

Originally Posted by HarryT

Ravensknight - a serious question. What is it about WiFi that concerns you?

I don't have a concrete answer, which is why I jokingly asked, because maybe someone else could put it into words?

"Something" inside me just doesn't like the idea of info whizzing through the air. I feel like it could be snatched.

And that is the best I can do. And it does bother me. Because I know it is irrational, I can't describe it well and so many other people use it without having problems.

Sometimes I wonder if I'm turning into my dad before I am supposed to. ["supposed to" being around 50year mark]

[Kumabjorn]

We are all entitled to at least three irrational fears. Don't worry abou it.
Mine are
a) Gummi bears that will come alive
b) Amazon spoofing my computers
c) Maybeline stopping production of their waterproof mascara

[Phogg]

Originally Posted by Kumabjorn

We are all entitled to at least three irrational fears. Don't worry abou it.
Mine are
a) Gummi bears that will come alive
b) Amazon spoofing my computers
c) Maybeline stopping production of their waterproof mascara

Its too late

[tubemonkey]

Originally Posted by kennyc

I've gone wireless on everything including printers, TV, DVR, laptops, desktops, ebook readers and tablets.

Everything? Good; then maybe you can help me. How do I wirelessly transfer bananas from a tree to my belly? Some days, I just don't feel like climbing after them.

[Belfaborac]

Originally Posted by Ravensknight

"Something" inside me just doesn't like the idea of info whizzing through the air. I feel like it could be snatched.

It certainly could be snatched. If someone was out to break your WPA2-protected network, they could do so with relative ease. The question is: why would they? Nobody is going to bother simply in order to use your bandwidth, when there are almost certainly several unsecured networks within a stones throw.

That out of the way, they must be after some information on your network. Are you working for the NSA? MI5/6? Mossad? Something even more secret? And take your work home with you and store it on your home network? Do you store your credit card details on your computer/reader or are you in the habit of sending your credit card details over unsecured connections? Are you a spy/secret agent/terrorist and communicate with other spies/secret agents/terrorists via instant messaging?

If you can answer no to all of those, there's probably no reason to worry at all. Unless your network contains something particularly interesting or tempting and someone knows about it, no-one is going to bother breaching it. There are so many unsecured networks out there that there's simply no reason to bother with one that is secured.