Get Off My LAN: A Wi-Fi / Wireless Internet Discussion

[HELEN]

This isn't a rant, more like a thought/question.

 

My sister works at a dental office and they're thinking of going wireless. They have eight operatories. So, basically computers will be replaced with iPads and smart TVs. Personally, I don't think it's a good idea because once the bad weather hits (we get that often in our area) like thunder or lightning, a snowstorm, etc., it will affect the technology. 

 

What are your thoughts?

[Kemaru]

^Tough question, but I think bad weather would affect both wired and wireless tech.

[Daniels]

I think that integrating iPads or Smart TV's into the existing system would perhaps be beneficial. However, I don't think doing away with the wired system completely is a good idea.

[HELEN]

@Daniels: I agree with you. Maybe bits and pieces would be good, but not the whole system.

[Ego Eram Reputo]

I'm a fan of wireless.  The storm would have to be extreme and electrical in nature to disrupt an in-house wireless system (you would be hiding under tables & not browsing the internet or updating patient records ).

[pyrochild]

I agree with EER about electrical storms. If the lightning is close enough to significantly affect wi-fi, it's close enough for it to be a good idea to unplug things anyway.

 

Snowstorms would only disrupt wi-fi performance if the access point and receiver are in different buildings. Otherwise, a snowstorm may actually improve wi-fi performance by cutting down interference from neighboring wireless networks!

[david.atwell]

Unless by "wireless" you mean 4G/LTE.

[pyrochild]

Good point! That makes more sense...

[david.atwell]

The issue I'd see is actually that, in my experience, most computer software in the medical field is ridiculously platform-specific (or so old as to only work on obsolete platforms).  I've seen computers running Windows 95 just because it's the only OS on which their billing program or whatever will work.  Has anyone considered that potential issue?

[Ego Eram Reputo]

Tell me about it  Not to mention IT policies that Noah himself wrote.

 

Slightly less darkly, but on the same subject as previously, who would have thought one of these would actually work?  http://www.freeantennas.com/projects/template2/  

 

I can report a significant gain across the length of my home.  

[david.atwell]

Not ranty enough!  I moved the thread.  Plus, it gives me the opportunity to put in some more Wi-Fi SSID puns:

 

"We will rule over all this LAN, and we shall call it...this LAN"

"Pretty Fly For A Wi-Fi"

"Abraham Linksys"

"Hide Yer Kids, Hide Yer Wi-Fi"

"Router, I hardly know er"

"It Hz WAN IP" (Hz = hertz)

"Bill Wi the Science Fi"

"Belkin MY day..."

"LANdo Calrissian"

"LANdalf"

 

Post your faves.  Or talk about the actual topic at hand, I guess.

[HELEN]

Thanks, David for moving this thread.

 

Hmm...I can see all your points. By the way, their software is pretty up-to-date and they've been thinking going wireless for a while now. I just thought I'd ask here and get some opinions. 

[Ego Eram Reputo]

Topic title should have been...  "Hey! You! Get off of my LAN...."

 

On the sub-theme of music:  

 

Love Hz, love scarts...,  (almost Nazareth).

[skullbonz]

Wireless invites the neighbors to use yours instead of paying for their own,,,codes can be broken. In my case the internet we get is only 3mb up and 1 mb down and I can't get a better one thanks to our phone company. My neighbors were using my wireless which greatly affected my connection slowing my speed down so bad I could not even watch a video at youtube so I shut it off and go strictly wired. 

 

Wireless has it's downfalls as well as it's advantages but in my case wired is much better.

[david.atwell]

If your code was broken your neighbors are either master hackers or you didn't use a good enough network key.  Or maybe not a good enough encryption protocol; WPA2 can only be cracked by brute force, and then only if you're using a network key that's short or right out of the dictionary (hint: don't use the word "dog" or "taco").

 

And if you're really having trouble, device whitelisting may be the ticket.  Give that a shot.

[david.atwell]

Please note (as with the smartphone thread), I'm not saying it's impossible to crack, just that it's unlikely (difficult and takes a very long time).  The average neighbor would give up and get their own before undertaking to crack your network, just steal the other neighbor's, or bribe you with cookies or something to give them your code.  WPA2 (like SHA-3) is good enough for the general public, unless you're sending state secrets or something.

[Visual]

This isn't a rant, more like a thought/question.

 

My sister works at a dental office and they're thinking of going wireless. They have eight operatories. So, basically computers will be replaced with iPads and smart TVs. Personally, I don't think it's a good idea because once the bad weather hits (we get that often in our area) like thunder or lightning, a snowstorm, etc., it will affect the technology. 

 

What are your thoughts?

Depends if it's for financial and personal records. People tend to go with what is easy and forget that they may be putting private data at risk. You may be putting accounts, social security numbers and private medical records at risk (actually, unless you are really good, you are). Using a so-called smart tv is just giving the big internet companies easy access to everything. Everything you do on it can be seen and recorded by them easily. A wired ethernet can't be password cracked like any wireless system can. They would need to find the cable inside the junction at some point outside your office. Not likely with easier wireless targets. I would keep tv and internet separate. Have the internet one unit that can't pass through information from the others. Setting up homegroups are risky. One machine can infect the whole lot. The other side is setting up a better than standard firewall with correct settings to stop in and out transmitting of information. Most never heard of this, and it's so important.

Edited October 4, 2013 by Visual

[HELEN]

@Visual: That's a very good point you have there. I just don't feel that it will be safe for the office to go fully wireless. I like the idea of having only part of it wireless and the rest wired. The office is planning to go fully wireless , which WILL put all personal information like SS#s, medical histories, etc at risk.

 

I feel that this dentist is deciding to go wireless because other dental offices are--kind of going with the flow, he's not thinking about data safety. 

[Visual]

@Visual: That's a very good point you have there. I just don't feel that it will be safe for the office to go fully wireless. I like the idea of having only part of it wireless and the rest wired. The office is planning to go fully wireless , which WILL put all personal information like SS#s, medical histories, etc at risk.

 

I feel that this dentist is deciding to go wireless because other dental offices are--kind of going with the flow, he's not thinking about data safety. 

Tell them to put any computers with private data, to include in-house financial and hiring records, on one or two standalone units. If they want wifi or 4g tablets so they look hip it should not store any of that data. Buy the onnes with usb ports so the data can be moved to the standalones at the end of day, or week. Erase that data from the tablets after it is confirmed moved and backed up. They can have another risky computer or tablet for the office to use with the interenet for playing around and useless boredom days. Never have that data on a computer that can visit video, social or all the other boredom sites. That's where they all get into trouble. Do not ever mix the systems. The government buildings are full of computers always connected to the net so employees can play on their narcissism sites. That is trouble waiting to explode. Remind the owners of the possibility of major lawsuits if the systems are breached. It will ruin them.

 

Someone in the office needs to learn how to secure the disc drives and usb ports in the control panel. This way any oddball can't quickly remove data. It can be done very fast by an outsider if everyone is distracted. Thumbdrives are now banned in the pentagon for what a reckless person put at risk.

 

Good luck, and send me a consulting fee when they listen to you.

Edited October 4, 2013 by Visual

[DrewDale]

Some interesting points made here Visual.

In this country office computers are locked out of Video / Social / Other boredom sites - The only way people can visit the afore mentioned sites is on their own Android / IOS phone or tablet - No office of any kind should permit anyone access to social networks on company computers. The use of thumb drives is not permitted to move data around. In this country we have the - Data Protection Act - It is a law, but like any law, people will (and do) break it. The sad thing is you will never stop data getting hacked into (unless you have top class encryption) Even then someone will crack an office code.
There is always someone out there willing to take the chance and take sensitive data that is not theirs.

I know this from experience - I had my I.D stolen over the internet a couple of years back and it is still an ongoing battle to find out exactly what the individual(s) have taken from me. I no longer do on-line banking, I no longer have paypal, I do not feel safe going shopping on-line. This was down to me wanting to go wireless. Gladly I went back to the (fairly) secure wired route. 

[Visual]

You learned from a bad experience, unfortunately. The problem still resides with the industry not wanting to, or covering up, the real affects on people who connect without barriers. They want everyone to just dive in and do app tv's and everything else. They never guarantee your safety. They just want the data mining (big data) part of it. Almost every new product with apps deals in data mining. I like some parts of cloud, but will they give you free identity insurance for your monthly payment to store your documents? Of course not. They want to sell you another product to do what they should be doing now. The industry knowns that it is impossible. Doing something in a simple way, may make you a simpleton.

They have been shutting down encrypted email sites and more. That is the only source of privacy that acually used to exist, and now it is mostly gone. I would advise people to try to stick with V.P.N.s for doing anything while online that is personal and private.
The random things you waste time on do not matter. You can use free wifi from a store to do that.

 

I'm not paranoid. As i tried to connect with my other system, it was heavily being attacked. I had to move to this one to reply to your message. Paranoid? or protect yourself from them?

Edited October 4, 2013 by Visual

[HELEN]

@Visual, so they only have e-mail working, plus their dentistry programs ONLY on their computers, maybe Microsoft Office and that's it. They can't even go online to shop or check their social sites or anything. 

[Visual]

@Visual, so they only have e-mail working, plus their dentistry programs ONLY on their computers, maybe Microsoft Office and that's it. They can't even go online to shop or check their social sites or anything. 

That is good. If they want to do anything on the internet, make sure it is on a device without any private  information.

They should even consider accessing email on another device, because that is in no way secure.

[Visual]

Some interesting points made here Visual.

In this country office computers are locked out of Video / Social / Other boredom sites - The only way people can visit the afore mentioned sites is on their own Android / IOS phone or tablet - No office of any kind should permit anyone access to social networks on company computers. The use of thumb drives is not permitted to move data around. In this country we have the - Data Protection Act - It is a law, but like any law, people will (and do) break it. The sad thing is you will never stop data getting hacked into (unless you have top class encryption) Even then someone will crack an office code.

There is always someone out there willing to take the chance and take sensitive data that is not theirs.

I know this from experience - I had my I.D stolen over the internet a couple of years back and it is still an ongoing battle to find out exactly what the individual(s) have taken from me. I no longer do on-line banking, I no longer have paypal, I do not feel safe going shopping on-line. This was down to me wanting to go wireless. Gladly I went back to the (fairly) secure wired route. 

I still can't access this website with my first way. I can access everything else but here since posting this. I'm using a second way.

When you type certain phrases or words, governments respond and flood the network to find out why. They cause a lot of DNS attacks.

[minners71]

Tell me about it  Not to mention IT policies that Noah himself wrote.

 

Slightly less darkly, but on the same subject as previously, who would have thought one of these would actually work?  http://www.freeantennas.com/projects/template2/  

 

I can report a significant gain across the length of my home.  

That reminds me of the old trick of putting the remote control for the central locking in cars to your head to double the working distance and it works.