High-Speed Survival Guide
Fast Internet connections have allure--be they digital subscriber lines or cable modems. But the circuit board jungle throbs with horror stories of botched installations and service personnel MIA. Our fearless Net scout will lead you through the heart of DSL darkness and past cable quagmires.
Guarding Against Hackers
Warning: Once you have high-speed access, you're open to significant security risks. With simple Windows tools, anyone with malicious intent could easily--and invisibly--access and alter your computer's files. Planting a nasty Trojan horse, such as Backdoor or BackOrifice, can be a piece of cake.
John M. Goodman, a computer book author, has had lots of strangers knock at his virtual door. "My BlackIce Defender software reports that in the past three months I've had 628 suspicious attacks and 32 critical attacks. And fewer than half a dozen of those were triggered by me (checking my security)." A suspicious attack may be simply a hacker scanning a wide range of PCs. If your PC is pounded with numerous scans from the same person, though, the threat becomes critical.
Disable File and Print Sharing
If you have your network's File and Printer Sharing option enabled (the Windows default), you have an enormous security gap on your hands. To disable File and Printer Sharing, click Start, Settings, Control Panel and select the Network icon, then File and Printer Sharing. Uncheck "I want to be able to give others access to my files and I want to be able to allow others to print to my printer(s)." Click OK twice.
Find out if you're vulnerable to attack by logging on to Steve Gibson's DSLreports. site. You'll get the straight scoop on Internet security, a valuable probe of your system's defenses, and a comprehensive how-to tutorial.
Another security issue: With a continuous connection, both static and dynamic IP addresses can be seen by hackers, making it even easier for them to break into your PC. Three useful firewall programs are Zone Labs' free ZoneAlarm ($20 for business use); Symantec's $60 Norton Internet Security 2000, which includes both a firewall and Norton AntiVirus 2000; and Network ICE's $40 BlackIce Defender, which guards your system from all means of intrusion. All three are fail-safe, locking your network down tight. Don't browse on broadband without one.
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Linksys Instant Broadband EtherFast Cable/DSL Router
$199
Linksys
800/546-5797
www.linksys.com
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Sprint Broadband Direct
$40 per month, plus one-time equipment charge ($99 to $299)
Sprint
888/996-0001
www.sprintbroadband.com
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