Re: What are "computer-to-computer (ad-hoc) networks"?

["Jones, John \(US\)" <John.Jones@xxxxxxxxxx>]

In this context, ad-hoc basically means there's no wireless access
point/router involved.  Peer-to-peer wireless.  One peer may serve as a
gateway to outside resources like the Internet.

The "Free Internet Access" peer sounds rather suspicious to me.  I would
avoid it as it would be possible that the peer device would be doing
more than passing along your data - it could be logging your sessions
and could also use the new path to your PC as an attack vector as there
would be no firewall in place (unless you're using a software firewall
on your PC).

Frankly, I don't see the reason for ad-hoc networking in any modern
environment.  Using it would be a risk I'm not willing to take except in
exceedingly rare circumstances like David's file exchange example below
when no other means are available.

John A. Jones, CISSP
Americas Information Security Officer
Jones Lang LaSalle, Inc.
V: +1-630-455-2787 F: +1-312-601-1782
john.jones@xxxxxxxxxx

-----Original Message-----
From: pctech-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:pctech-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx]
On Behalf Of David Gibbs
Sent: Thursday, June 15, 2006 11:56 AM
To: PC Technical Discussion for iSeries Users
Subject: Re: [PCTECH] What are "computer-to-computer (ad-hoc) networks"?

Dan wrote:
> In the "Wireless Network Connection" dialog box, What are the 
> "computer-to-computer (ad-hoc) networks"?

Ad-hoc networks are private wireless network connections between two
machines that are made on demand.  If you need to transfer files from
one machine to another, with no other networking capabilities available,
you would use this kind of connection.

Personally, I've never had great success getting it setup ... especially
if a internet connection sharing was needed in over this network.

This is one of the reasons I purchased my little D-Link DWLG730AP access
point ... it gives me the ability to have an encrypted wireless network
without going through the work of getting the ad-hoc networking figured
out.

> What should I make of one that's called "Free Internet Access"?

Is this showing up in the available wireless network list?

david


david

--
Any decision, made in haste, is invariably flawed...
regardless of the outcome.
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