Hello
I use a router with my desktop and laptop.
When I am away, what is the safest yet easiest way to use my laptop?
We are with a friend with Comcast who will let us use their cable[+ Pc] but I do not trust the security of their pc. I think I lose some security without my router/firewall but it would seem impractical to install my router softeware in their pc.
I dont want to waste your time with the ideas I have come up with but one is to run their ethernet cable from their modem to my laptop instead of their pc and when done just replace it to their pc.
If this is the way, can it be done on the fly? Are there any connection adjustments in the control panel I have to make like enable or disable local area etc.?
Thank you

I'm not sure I totally follow what you want to achieve here, is it simply connecting your laptop to someone else's net connection ?
Or are you wanting to access your system at home from somewhere else ?
I suspect it is my 1st thought, so will cover that generally, if I miss anything we can try and catch that in a bit.

As your probably aware a router (hardware) firewall is far superior to software firewalls, some people feel having a software firewall as well as a hardware one is unnecessary, but I refuse to send a system back to someone unless it has a software firewall as well, and not windows own rubbish either, because anything that wants to go online can go straight out, by disabling windows firewall, and using a 3rd party firewall that asks permission for things to go online before they can get out gives you peace of mind.

My reason for this is way back there was a worldwide infection that was so new and bad the protection makers took some weeks before they could bring out solutions against it, now my golden rule is make your email client ask permission EVERY time it wants to go online, do NOT allow the firewall to grant permanent access for it, because an infections 1st job is to send itself to everyone in your address book, by making it ask permission each time it wants to go online, it means that if it suddenly starts asking to go out when your have not asked it to, then it's time to deny and run scans, because you have an infection, and it was exactly this that made me aware I was infected back then, hence why I suggest this to everyone I know.

Now thats the protection side covered, back to the main point of your query, not knowing exactly what is available (eg Wi-Fi etc), the simple unplugging\replugging of the modem lead works fine, it will take the system a minute or so to connect, but as long as they don't have to use a user name and password to connect it will work fine ion your system, worst case it may take rebooting a system before the connection is picked up, thats if it decides to mess you about, but generally speaking swapping the cable too and fro should work fine, hope this helps a bit anyway.

You are correct that I just wanted to use her cable for my laptop to connect to the internet. I thought I had to do something in the control panel but if it is as easy as just changing cables and rebooting that is fine. If a password is involved she would help me.
I know I lose some security not having my router with me but I have a good Security Center with a substantial firewall. You were stressing the need for a good software firewall at least if I did not have my hardware one is that correct?
Sounds like I am good to go or is there something I am missing?
Thank you

No you should be fine, but yes a good software firewall is highly recommended (as opposed to windows own) when not using a hardware firewall, but as I said above I promote use of BOTH, because if an infection is that new, firewall permissions coming up without reason may be the only warning of an infection initially, it certainly saved my bacon years back as I make my email ask EVERY time it wants to go online.

As to the cable there are 2 types, normal phone connection for use with dial up are still big in some areas, but for the most part people seem to have broadband in some shape or form, if where you want to use it is on dial up using a phone line modem, then you will need to create a dial up connection on your system using their user name and password.

But if they connect via an Ethernet cable they probably have a router themselves (which could have a hardware firewall built in like yours) and use broadband, if this is the case then simply plug the Ethernet into yours and once it initialises the connection your good to go, only point to note is sometimes systems seem to hang doing this, if that happens a reboot should correct that,.so basically ask them what they do to go online, and you should have your answer, because it can only be one or other of these connections I covered here, hope that helps.

Hi
I have made notes of your advice and sounds good. I will basically copy her and use my software firewall for protection.
Come to think of it she has Comcast's free Security suite too!
I don't think I need to bring my ethernet cable b/c I will be copying her setup.
I am glad I did not have to get into the control panel> connections going from a wireless lap to being wired.
Thank you

NP, unplugging her cable and plugging it into yours is as easy as it gets where Ethernet is concerned, a dial up modem is far more involved because you have to create the account to connect with, Ethernet doesn't require this, the only issue I have come across is sometimes it doesn't like being swapped over, so switching the cable from one system to the other may be best done with the systems powered down, apart from that it should be fine.

As to taking your cable over, if they have a router with more than 1 connection, you could connect without removing her cable, then both systems can use the net at the same time so you know, but another thought, if they are using a router, it "may" have wireless capability, if so you could connect via wireless and do away with touching anything, if they do have this simply search for wireless connections, find they're one, input the code for the router and off you go, hope this helps.

Hi again
If there ever was a non secure pc they have it. No, no router
I want to do some work that is why I am bringing mine.
They have Comcast like I do so, powered down, I will plug their cable, which goes from their modem into their pc, into mine. I hope McAfee will still appear in my pc as it is free to all Comcast users.
I'll bet they have an old fashion version which is not updated. I will have to wait and see.
As long as I now know I do not have to configure in the control panel I can handle the rest.
I may even unistall the old McAfee and instll the new.
Thank you

I am a little worried they may have a dial up account, I don't know what they use, could you ask them to check they're modem for any kind of make\model info on it ?
Also ask them if they hear like a phone dialling over a speaker type noise, if they do it's dial up, if thats the case you will need to create a dial up connection on your system using their details before you can get online, so if you are able to find out more about they're modem\service then we can try and see what you will face when you get there.

Two years ago i put a couple of sticks of memory in her pc and use it when we are there.
The only difference is this time I need a secure machine. She has high speed internet via Comcast and has a 75 ohm cable entering her house that splits to the tv and pc.
Hope this helps.

If thats the case I'm surprised there is no router, and it definitely sounds like there is no dial up involved, so you should be fine.
As your worried about security (and rightly so), here is something that may put you at ease, using they're line to connect makes no difference to YOUR system, your system has the security you use, and that will not change, the only thing that will change is the fact your router\firewall will not be used, so apart from the router firewall nothing else will be changed using another connection, that other line will simply bring that service into your PC, your PC will use it the same way as when your home, albeit minus the router.

There is only 1 thing I can to to check before you go, and thats to make sure the wired connection works on your system, it certainly should, but there may be some freak reason that the driver either may not be installed, or else it could be disabled, so if you have a cable to have a quick check for peace of mind, alternately click on Start - Control Panel - System - Hardware (tab at top) - Device Manager, look for exclamation marks, they would signify something needs attention, if there are none you should be fine.

There are no problems in device manager and I have bypassed my router as if I were there and I think we are all set to go.
Thanx for the help.

Hello again
I have had second thoughts about bringing my router. I have a Netgear hardwired router I don't use and a Netgear wirelss router I currently use for my laptop as the previous posts describe..
I am trying to envison the easiesr way to involve a router with my friends pc as I will be there for a while.
We talkd about the ease of just usig her cable to mine but with a router I have other considerations.
I have copied notes in case I have to redo my current scenario at home, but am not skilled enough to know how to involve a router for better security away.
If I do not put a disc in her pc, can I just use the cables I have (yellow - internet, blue - lan 1, and black - power) and use them with her modem as I have set up here, and still have internet with security?
I wonder if most modems have an extra port for me to plug into?
I guess you can tell I am not sure which router to use or especially how to configure it.
Could you help?

Hi, TBH this is outside of my experience, well from a guiding point of view anyway, so there may be factors I'm not aware of, but I am not sure if it will work, more so not knowing the service being used, so for the most part it will be pure hit and miss with this if you go for it, and that raises the question is it really worth it to you ?
Don't get me wrong, being security conscious is a very good thing to be, BUT, there comes a point that without spending more in time and money that it's worth that you can do no better, and I believe this is where your at now.

As I mentioned previously, they're connection does not affect your PC's security, the worst thing the other connection will do is remove a hardware firewall, apart from that there is no difference to your system at all, it is a secure as it is now, the time this factor may vary is if it has Wi-Fi that is insecure, apart from that nothing else changes, what infections\problems your friends system "may" have is irrelevant to your system, the only time you become at risk is when you connect your system to the infected one directly, and as your not doing that you will be fine.

Now back to the router, if you want to try this, then here are the possibles, in theory anyway, 1st you can totally remove they're modem and replace with your router, fantastic if it works, BUT, in my experience modems that come from the sp are often hard coded to the connection, eg they have the user name and password built in, if thats the case this wont work.
2nd if they're modem has an Ethernet connection port plug into that, with this I'm totally out of my depth and guessing\hoping to get lucky, I have no idea what may come from doing this, and 3rd forget the router and rely on your software security, it should be fine, as I explained already the only thing missing going this route is you lose the hardware firewall, thats all, this is your simplest way to go.

I doubt you've heard of OpenDNS, but as an added layer of security you could add this to your system, you simply add 2 DNS addresses to your configuration, these connect you via a safe path, it is safe because they have a massive data base of known bad sites, and if you try and go to one it will block you, WOT (Web of Trust), is the same in a way, it's software you install, then it knows bad sites, and again if it knows a site to be bad it will warn you and stop you, then offers you the chance to continue or not depending on what you think, because sometimes it's not the actual site it blocks as such, they block it because of what can be got from the links on the site or similar, hope this helps you decide what to do.

It is o.k. to raise the point about time and money as being worth it.
I am overdoing most inquiries because it gives me a chance to learn outside of a classroom.
I was thinking I might see if there is an ethernet splitter, then I could use one for my pc and one for hers.
I could then run cable from it to my router(internet) and cable from lan 1 to pc.
Do not know about ethernet splitters for modems with only one port?
I will Google and inquire on my end and I will let you know.
Doing banking etc for 2-3 weeks, might be a good idea to have the hardware firewall.

NP thats what we are all here for, to learn, so it's all good.
Now again to the router, a splitter will make no difference, as best I can figure anyway, my main fear is they're modem is hard coded to the connection, if so you can not by pass this, ALL connections will have to pass through it, if this is the case then the modem they have sets the limitations, connecting your router to they're modem is the only hope I can see of using this, BUT, that said if all the router requires is the persons connection details then it can replace the modem, but you would need to log into the routers control panel and set that up.

Should that work then they can plug into your router as well and share the connection, but if the modem is hard coded as I fear then it may not be possible to use your router, can't hurt to try though, worst case you will just have to use the connection they have, you will still be quite safe if your software security is fully updated etc, using the modem will not change your computers installed security or how it works, hope you find what you need to get through this, but I do feel you will be fine no matter what you go with.