[sf-lug] addendum to " update from computer newbie"

[jim stockford]

    Leave the DSL on all the time--perfectly okay, right!

    Buy a little router: plug it into the DSL modem and
plug your computer into the router--generally, but not
perfectly okay and right:
* Routers have their own little learning curve:
* they go south every so often and you must reset
them (usually just press the reset button, but
occasionally completely reconfigure them)
* it's possible some hacker can download code
into your router: (gasp!) yes! rare, but possible.
    But if you power your router off when you're not
using it, you're about as safe as you can get.

    As Rick said, don't bother with firewalls, especially
if, as John said, you have a router.

    It's only moderately unwise to hook an unprotected
computer to the net and then configure it. There are
claims of a few attacks per hour on any and every
computer node on the internet. But if you've got a
little router on the DSL, I'd say you're safe.
    Most attacks are username-password blitzes. Have
long passwords (more than eight characters) and
mixed case with at least one numeral and at least
one punctuation character--go for more-than-ten-
character passwords to really increase security.
    Don't have "joe" accounts. The blitzes will throw
common names against your box (e.g. "jeff", "bob",
"jim", "chris", and so on). If I followed my advice,
my login would be jstockford or some such.
    That said, install the OS on your computer before
you connect the computer to the internet (DSL
modem or router, as you wish).

    Keep your computer off except when you're
using it.

    My god, if those are meandering thoughts, what's
going on in my head?

    Looks to me like a lot of us are wishing you
good luck.



On Jul 7, 2006, at 12:40 PM, bob sungib wrote:

> Well the pclinuxos cd did not come in the mail yesterday as expected, 
> so I 'm hoping today's the day... I'm feeling a bit rushed with this 
> as sonic.net's hook-up guide that i received yesterday said the modem 
> must "train for at least 10 days" and that I must "leave the dsl modem 
> plugged in, turned on, and connected at all times . You do not need to 
> leave your computer turned on during this period, just the dsl modem." 
> (and because my hook-up date is  Monday, they requested that I plug in 
> and turn on everything no later than that day - preferably the day 
> before).
> Not a problem except that if I don't install pclos on my hd this 
> weekend I will not be able to set up the firewall (yes, I can set it 
> up from the live cd but that doesn't save the changes and so lasts 
> only until the computer is turned off and then it reverts to the 
> default (no firewall)). And am I correct in assuming that it is VERY 
> unwise to have the computer exposed even for the few  minutes it would 
> take me to re-boot and go to the control center to reconfigure the 
> firewall? Will I be exposed anyway because dsl is "always on" even 
> when the computer is turned off? 
>  Sorry for these meandering thoughts - my best bet is to see how 
> everything works out over the weekend and call sonic.net's support 
> line if the os install is not successful. Wish me luck! Thanks.
>
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