Airport and security

[zoranb]

Can someone enter my system when im using Airport to connect to the internet?

[ElDiabloConCaca]

Yes and no, it all depends on your setup.

Since we have absolutely no details on your setup (hardware, software, wireless security, WEP/WPA/WPA2 settings), it's impossible to say anything other than, "maybe."

[zoranb]

Ok, i see... ok how can i check all that stuff one by one so i can cut down all holes ?

[ElDiabloConCaca]

Configure your AirPort to use a wireless password (preferably WPA2, or WPA... WEP is not really secure).

Optionally, also lock it down by restricting access to only certain MAC (not "Mac" as in "Macintosh," "MAC" as in "Media Access Control") addresses.

You can also prevent the SSID from being broadcast (effectively making the AirPort invisible), but this is more of a convenience rather than a security measure.

All of this should be outlined in the AirPort manual. If you no longer have the manual, then you can download a new one here:

http://support.apple.com/manuals/#airport

If you're unsure of what things like "MAC" and "SSID" and "WPA/WPA2" and "WEP" mean, there are great websites out there that can help you learn about those things:

http://www.google.com
http://www.wikipedia.com

[zoranb]

Configure your AirPort to use a wireless password (preferably WPA2, or WPA... WEP is not really secure).

How do i do that?

Optionally, also lock it down by restricting access to only certain MAC (not "Mac" as in "Macintosh," "MAC" as in "Media Access Control") addresses.

How do i do that?

You can also prevent the SSID from being broadcast (effectively making the AirPort invisible), but this is more of a convenience rather than a security measure.

And that!

[DeltaMac]

Are you using your own Wireless network?
If so, what brand of wireless router do you have?
If you have an Apple Airport Extreme base station, then you would use your Airport Utility to configure those security settings.
If you have a non-Apple wireless router, then those settings would normally be configured through a browser web page.

[Rhisiart]

How do i do that?

To configure your router, you type in something like: http://309.178.0.1 in your web browser (I made this series of numbers up - your instruction manual will give you the correct sequence).

After entering your username and password, you should navigate to wireless settings. Set these using instructions on the web page or in your instruction manual. Opt for WPA2 security settings. You should be able to set a password with 128 bit encryption.

Once done, open Airport Utility in Application/Utilities and follow the instructions. You will need to make sure your Airport settings match those of your router.

[ElDiabloConCaca]

How do i do that?

Read the manual.

How do i do that?

Read the manual.

And that!

Read the manual.

I posted a link to all the AirPort base station manuals -- everything you need to know is included in those manuals.

I can't (read: won't) hold your hand through the entire process. It's not difficult to do those things -- you just need to take the time to download the manual (if you don't already have it), read through it, and everything you want to do will be outlined in the manual.

I may have mistook "Airport" to mean you had an Airport base station router, but if not, then you'll need to obtain the manual for your specific model of router -- they're usually very easy to find at the company's webpage that makes the router (for example, a D-Link router manual could be found by looking around on dlink.com, etc.).

If you're asking if, say, you're at a coffee shop using a public wifi network, can anyone use YOUR computer's wireless signal to access the internet? No. As long as you have "Internet Sharing" disabled (or not configured properly) in the "Sharing" pane of the System Preferences.