File sharing and wireless roaming

I tried this question on the wireless group and got no response, so here
goes...

Windows XP SP2 home laptop, connected at home with a wired/wireless router,
I have a couple of folders shared over the network that I use to transfer
misc. files and photos (MSHome is not the workgroup name I use). The
sharing is set to full, with no password currently, as there is no need for
the PW on the home network; the wireless is WEP protected.

So, when I go to a coffee place that has free wireless and I connect for
internet purposes, will those shared folders be visible to others using that
same wireless connection? They won't be in the same workgroup, but I'm not
so sure that means they can't see the files or shared folders.

I'm guessing that the Windows firewall would block them from writing files,
even without a password set, since they're not in my workgroup. But I don't
see what would stop them from viewing or copying.

There is nothing especially private in either of them at any time, but I'd
prefer that someone sitting in the coffee shop can't just click on "network
places" and see my workgroup and folders there, or worse, access them. I
can set a password for the full sharing of the folders; but regardless of
that would like to know if they would be able to see my shared resources,
and if so what can be done short of turning sharing off when I travel.
Thanks.

Gary

N
Sat Oct 09 01:40:59 CDT 2004

In article <uNE#MpYrEHA.1160@tk2msftngp13.phx.gbl>, Gary R. says...

> I tried this question on the wireless group and got no response, so here
> goes...

> Windows XP SP2 home laptop, connected at home with a wired/wireless router,
> I have a couple of folders shared over the network that I use to transfer
> misc. files and photos (MSHome is not the workgroup name I use). The
> sharing is set to full, with no password currently, as there is no need for
> the PW on the home network; the wireless is WEP protected.

Make it a need for a password on the home network; then your laptop shares
will be password protected at the cafe. More layers are better. WEP can be
cracked in some period of time. If you are encrypting tactical secrets, the
outcome of which will be accomplished within two weeks, WEP is fine.
Otherwise...

> So, when I go to a coffee place that has free wireless and I connect for
> internet purposes, will those shared folders be visible to others using that
> same wireless connection? They won't be in the same workgroup, but I'm not
> so sure that means they can't see the files or shared folders.

I was able to connect to shares on computers exposing them to the Internet,
even when not using the same workgroup name, or being in the same network
segment. "Workgroup" identities an ad hoc group of computers being used in
common projects; it was never intended as a security measure. Your best
security is password protection on the shares.

> I'm guessing that the Windows firewall would block them from writing files,
> even without a password set, since they're not in my workgroup. But I don't
> see what would stop them from viewing or copying.

The Windows Firewall probably will only protect you from people not on your
network segment. You will have established some level of trust for the
network; that will extend to any computer sharing that network segment.

> There is nothing especially private in either of them at any time, but I'd
> prefer that someone sitting in the coffee shop can't just click on "network
> places" and see my workgroup and folders there, or worse, access them. I
> can set a password for the full sharing of the folders; but regardless of
> that would like to know if they would be able to see my shared resources,
> and if so what can be done short of turning sharing off when I travel.

Even password protected shares can be see; I have done it over the Internet.
There is nothing you can do, short of binding shares to some esoteric
network protocol not normally used by cafe customers.

--
Norman
~Win dain a lotica, En vai tu ri, Si lo ta
~Fin dein a loluca, En dragu a sei lain
~Vi fa-ru les shutai am, En riga-lint

Gary
Sat Oct 09 15:19:38 CDT 2004

Thanks for the reply, I'll at least set a password on the shared folders,
and just have the home machines remember them. I don't keep anything
critical in the shared folders anyway. Seems like an ideal way would be a
small utility that you could click to shut file sharing off for mobile use,
and click to turn it back on when you get home, if such a thing is possible.

Gary
"N. Miller" <anonymous@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:MPG.1bd127d2a8173fe198a49c@msnews.microsoft.com...
> In article <uNE#MpYrEHA.1160@tk2msftngp13.phx.gbl>, Gary R. says...
> Make it a need for a password on the home network; then your laptop shares
> will be password protected at the cafe. More layers are better. WEP can be
> cracked in some period of time. If you are encrypting tactical secrets,
> the
> outcome of which will be accomplished within two weeks, WEP is fine.
> Otherwise...
>
>
> I was able to connect to shares on computers exposing them to the
> Internet,
> even when not using the same workgroup name, or being in the same network
> segment. "Workgroup" identities an ad hoc group of computers being used in
> common projects; it was never intended as a security measure. Your best
> security is password protection on the shares.
>
> The Windows Firewall probably will only protect you from people not on
> your
> network segment. You will have established some level of trust for the
> network; that will extend to any computer sharing that network segment.
>
>> There is nothing especially private in either of them at any time, but
>> I'd
>> prefer that someone sitting in the coffee shop can't just click on
>> "network
>> places" and see my workgroup and folders there, or worse, access them. I
>> can set a password for the full sharing of the folders; but regardless of
>> that would like to know if they would be able to see my shared resources,
>> and if so what can be done short of turning sharing off when I travel.
>
> Even password protected shares can be see; I have done it over the
> Internet.
> There is nothing you can do, short of binding shares to some esoteric
> network protocol not normally used by cafe customers.
>
> --
> Norman
> ~Win dain a lotica, En vai tu ri, Si lo ta
> ~Fin dein a loluca, En dragu a sei lain
> ~Vi fa-ru les shutai am, En riga-lint