OT: Computer Networking

[Will]

Azselendor said:
WEP encryption is a Piece of S***. The keys are easily hacked and can only withstand 10-15 minutes from your amatur hacker, only a couple of minutes or less if you're facing a dedicated attack.

Upgrade to a WPA standard, install a good firewall, and -if possible- reduce the signal power of your wireless transmitter by as much as possible. The average wireless router from big box retailers has a range of 150-200 feet and most of your neighbors are less than that.

It's ok, I also ROT-13 everything. Twice.

[Atrocities]

here is a good question for you guys to ponder. I was told that all laptops sold since 2005ish are shipped with a GPS devices. Is there any truth to this, and if so, how would I identity my laptops GPS?

[AgentZero]

I don't think this is true. As far as I know it's fairly rare for a laptop to have built in GPS. A lot of my dad's friends are fishermen, and they use a laptop plus GPS for navigation, and all of them have a seperate GPS that plugs into the laptop.

[Fyron]

But think of all the possibilities for paranoia and conspiracy theories if it is true... OMG the govt is tracking everywhere you go!

[Santiago]

I have a bridge for sale in Brooklyn, I'll give you a good deal on it.

[Atrocities]

Imperator Fyron said:
But think of all the possibilities for paranoia and conspiracy theories if it is true... OMG the govt is tracking everywhere you go!

Actually I think they were talking more along the lines of theft recovery. IE some spun out crack head college student breaks into their car and steals their laptop kind of thing. They report the theft to the Police who then call the manufacture and get the GPS information for that specific laptop and use that information to locate it when it next powered up and logs onto any network. IE it gives its location each time it logs onto a net work much like a phone publishes its own number when calling someone else.

And Fyron in all fairness, your dislike for those paranoid "the govs out to get me" types is most evident in your sarcasm. Some people do take the new world order crap way to seriously, but that does not dismiss their allegation of invasion of privacy.

Most of us know that it doesn't matter, if someone wants you found, your going to be found. America's Most Wanted has proven that. For me I would just like to be able to recover my laptop if it is ever stolen and I would love to see the face of the idiot who has it when the cop comes knocking on the door.

[Azselendor]

Personally, if my laptop ever was stolen, I'd like the battery explode on them while it's in their lap.

[Atrocities]

You have 10 seconds to enter the disarm code or be blown to bits by the defensive anti tampering nuclear explosive devices attached to this laptop. 9 - BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM

[Yimboli]

If font is a concern, a quick remedy is holding ctrl while scrolling your mousewheel - it makes all fonts on the page 1 bigger or 1 smaller per wheel click. I know this works on firefox but I'm not sure about other browsers.