Okay, computer people, advise me.

[Fiferguy]

so if i sniff your network and crack your wep and then spoof your mac address i can get on? Ok tell me where you live. Oh wait I can just trace your ip via the geo map to ip database.

Grins!!!!!

J-Man5

If you think that those are all my tricks, I repeat, "He don't know me very well, do he?"

[lewdtherin]

ASUS ASUS ASUS ASUS.

[michaelsuave]

don't know if anybody else mentioned it, but you need to figure out what type of power adjustment you are going to need to plug in and charge your laptop when you are in japan. I think dell might even offer an alternative power adjustment. Probably best if you buy a power cord/charger that is made specifically for your computer and that fits to the electrical grid and socket in Japan.

Just a thought from my travels abroad with a laptop.

~Michael

[Fiferguy]

You might check the power supply that comes with the computer. I know that my Mac power supply works in Europe and the USA without any adjustment. It just needs a plug adapter.

[wolfy]

I would STRONGLY suggest that you also get a external surge supressor - something quality from say Lows, Home Depot, or something from some computer super store specifically for computers.

[otrstf]

Laptop compatibility in japan is easy: 110/60hz. The only tricky part is the outlets are two prong only. and, unlike the US, one prong won't be wider than the other. I've been travelling with an old Sony Vaio, and had little problem.

PS: Any time you're ready to do Legacy, chapter 2, I'm ready to read it!

[Shadowhawk]

Cable modem feeds a dedicated firewall box. Firewall box feeds wireless router, which is encrypted with 128 Bit encryption and a 128 bit 26 digit hex WEP key. Yes, WEP keys are easily crackable, however I also have the router set up with MAC address list that has the only computers allowed on the network. I also run a firewall on my laptop, and I actually do use anti-Malware software and an anti-Virus on my computer. I also use a port monitoring program that lets me see exactly what's going on, and what ports are being used, and if a new program tries to access any port.

WEP not WPA? MAC address can be spofed and falsified.

[sOmeone]

Cable modem feeds a dedicated firewall box. Firewall box feeds wireless router

What OS on the firewall box?

As for my own security, I run a BSD firewall/router, WPA2 CCMP encrypted AP, and Linux on my desktop.

And Fel, avoid vista at all cost.

[Fiferguy]

Spec, one or the other... Can't let too many of my secrets out...

MAC addresses can be spoofed, but you'd have to find one of 3 to get on my server, and I ain't telling which one. So that's 281,474,976,710,656 different MAC addresses you need to search, and fine one of three... The odds are approximately 1:93,824,992,236,885 that you'll find it, and by the time you do I'll know about it.

The easier way would be to actually be at the physical router and plug in...more than possible, but you have to get to it first.

All that aside, I still think MAC is the best.

[sOmeone]

MAC addresses can be spoofed, but you'd have to find one of 3 to get on my server, and I ain't telling which one. So that's 281,474,976,710,656 different MAC addresses you need to search, and fine one of three... The odds are approximately 1:93,824,992,236,885 that you'll find it, and by the time you do I'll know about it.

Actualy, all he would need to do is sniff for one of the MAC addresses using your AP, then spoof that.
That is not very hard to do, unless you never use your wireless. However, if you never use it, what is the purpose of it?

[Fiferguy]

Yeah, but you have to get close enough to do that, and my wireless doesn't reach outside my apartment...

[Spec8472]

Yeah, but you have to get close enough to do that, and my wireless doesn't reach outside my apartment...

This is getting way f'ing off topic - the point about your wireless security is that it's entirely pointless.
Wifi signals don't stop at the walls - if I get a sensitive enough reciever (highly directional antennas) then I can capture all the wireless traffic out of your building from out on the street. Or if I just live in the apartment above/below/beside you.
I can do this in an entirely automated fashion - sitting here in my apartment I can pick up at least ten other wireless networks (not all at once, because most of them are fairly faint according to my laptops built in wifi). Of those, about four are using WEP, three are using WPA, and two are using WPA2.

If I wanted to, I could set up a linux box with a directional antenna, and capture the (encrypted) traffic from all the WEP Networks, for less than $150 (USD/AUS). I can almost guarantee you that, even if they had their networks set up identically to yours, I could then either capture that person's personal details as they browse the 'net (Hellooo POP3, SMTP, IMAP and HTTP!). Then, with a fairly minor amount of processing per network, crack the WEP Keys. Although I have several multicore machines sitting here, I'm not in a rush to crack these - after all, I've already captured the traffic, and I can decrypt it at my leasure.

Once it's all decrypted, a series of targeted search filters can run through the decrypted traffic gathering passwords from emails, webforms, and soforth, along with anything that looks like an email address, credit card numbers, or any of a series of known other information. I can also capture what sites they like to visit, which can also be of use to someone looking to commit fraud and/or blackmail. Collate based on source MAC address, and I've got a device-by-device picture of who uses those computers.

That's all aside from the other things I can do by simply accessing the internet from your IP.

[Fiferguy]

This is getting way f'ing off topic...

Isn't that my job?

Anyway, you're right. No computer security, or general security for that matter, is infallible. But the security that I have is enough to keep the casual hacker trying to get into my system. And truth be told, I don't have anything accessible from my system that's worth a more concentrated and specialized attempt.

So is it possible? Absolutely. Is it probable? Not really. I don't have anything worth hacking in for.

Now, back to your regularly scheduled delusions...

[Barack]

Lots of Techs here.

OS, if you are gaming you need xp stay away from Vista.

Machine platform, if you are gaming why buy a mac to run windows buy a laptop.

Brand, stay away from gateway and HP Gateway will not bench test to the spec they say you are buying. Your not even getting what you pay for. HP good desktop great server but for traveling not durable.

I'm partial to Dell lattitude and XPS. just make sure you take the drivers CD with you. In that matter make sure you get the software and drivers cd on any modle you buy.

The other information is good general information. Remember if you by external devices that have to be carried then plugged into the laptop you might as well get them built in.

Warrenty and security are good but you never want to have to use them. Dell uses a program called computrace that operates on the equipment and software lvl. If the laptop is ever stolen or parted out, The mother board will download the missing software comp and contact the computrace site and rereg. Police can then get involved.

for repair most laptops have to be shipped back to the maufacture after the store Warrenty is over. Take the advise given in this forum and go look at models. Then go the the manufactures website or call them, then order from the manufacture.

Linux is only good if your time is worthless because you have to do the OS configuring We arn't just talkng about screen resolution.
Vista is not out and the new SP that will be released will rewrite the Kernnel. (Microsoft says no big deal I disagree).

I like what I see in the Toshiba and Sony however I don't think you will get the support or complete care and you do want the complete care.

Hope this helps. Personnely I would go after the alienware machine. I go to the site to look and then clean the drool of my keyboard.

[sOmeone]

Linux is only good if your time is worthless because you have to do the OS configuring We arn't just talkng about screen resolution.

Thats not exactly true, my laptop setup took as much time as an XP setup.