Shared files - Safe on unsecure wireless network?

how would they know my workgroup name?

snipped-for-privacy@yahoo.com wrote in news:1132799085.767998.66150 @g43g2000cwa.googlegroups.com:

They would obtian a DHCP IP from or use a Static IP on your router and join your network and be all over the top of you and your shared files.

One way to protect the machine if it's using a NT based OS like XP is secure the machine from attack like removing the Everyone User Group and all other accounts off the share and only use Authenticated Group on the share, which means the user would need an account setup on your machine to access the share.

There is one for Win 2K too.

snipped-for-privacy@yahoo.com wrote in news:1132801609.489960.31480 @f14g2000cwb.googlegroups.com:

As I recall, there is an All MS Network off of Explore that will show all network Workgroup or Domain names the machine can see. I am not a hacker but rest assured that if someone was slick enough, they could find that out.

Duane :)

They would not need to know the workgroup. Only the IP address of the target machine with the unprotected shares is really needed.

Try these command from the DOS prompt. Start -> Run -> cmd

List of NETBIOS names and workgroups nbtstat -n

List of open shares. net view

List of MAC and IP pairs arp -a

To browse a server by IP address: \\\\192.168.1.123 (replace with your IP address)

The workgroup name is nothing more than a NetBIOS groupname, it has zero security purpose, it only arranges machines into browse groups.

They can connect to your machine by name \\\\computer name or by \\\\ip addresss. They can find you by doing a quick ping sweep.

You do run a personal firewall don't you?

David.