broad band + wi fi

I am staying in a rented house that advertises broadband and wi fi. Do I have to bring my router with the appropriate cables or just my wireless card ? I think you get a password and are on the wi fi but want to be sure what to bring before I take the desktop cables apart.

Better ask the Landlord. They may have made the offer because the house comes with a subscription to Cable TV with broadband/wifi. There may not even be a modem. Or it could be setup as a wireless hotspot ready for your use. If it is set up as a hotspot, be sure that the Landlord has it encrypted and password protected with WPA2. Otherwise, you would have no more privacy nor safety than using your machine at an airport or coffee shop. If you are the one who gets to set up the modem and Router, then your security will be fine. If it is already set up, then someone else has administrative access to it, and you should not use it for banking, business, and the like. Further, any important documents and files and personally identifying information presently on any machine that you use at that location would be at risk.

I am also staying at a motel along the way. I guess the same rules apply. Glad you wrote as I am about to leave. I ''ll read any mail on my daughter's pc as I believe email is safe to use.

Consider MS Steady State or Sandboxie, but don't neglect the ordinary security software.
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details…95-9d770ccdb431
http://www.sandboxie.com/

Keep in mind that whoever "owns and configures" the internet gateway (modem/Router/network) that you are currently using, has infinite ability to monitor, log, trace, change, and even "view in real time" anything your machine does while connected. That includes watching what you are browsing and reading emails that you are reading.

Don't do any "business" with your computer while connected to gateways that you don't trust.

I am on my daughter's which goes through Verizon and her company whose admin she knows. They have an IT set security so I hope I am ok. I can't thank you enough for your referrals which I am leaving in my inbox to install when I get home. I left my pc home.