I do have problems with my modem and wireless...
I'm really rather ignorant about all this... all I do is read and write stuff... but at times, I wonder if other computers in the area are tapping in on my wireless set-up, thus slowing me down and (worse still) messing up my stuff...
Is there something I can do to stop them messing me up, apart from Firewall? ...and I admit my ignorance on the matter is immense.... It's not so much the fact that they're bumming of my modem, but wether they really have to mess me up while they're at it....

I'm not exactly sure how you are messed up by your neighbors but I probably won't be able to suggest anything to help you on that. Anyway, you can set a passport for your wireless network. My neighbor and I both have restricted access to our internet connections. Even if our computers can detect the other's network neither of us can steal from each other.

I meant *password, haha. alanocu has a much more detailed answer anyway. Hope our comments both help you, suzikoh.

Cool cartoon, alan!

Run a simple test...your wireless modem should have activation lights, if when you turn it off the modem still appears to be working as if your computer where on (wait about a minute to be sure), then there is a good chance that somebody is riding piggyback on your signal.

Gosh, I didn't expect you all to come so quickly to may aid...
I only woke up about three hours ago... You in the US should be in the middle of the night.... It's 10.30am here in Italy....
Thanks ever so much... Grazie mille....
That's what I call solidarity... Now I know what it means to be part of a clipping comunity....

That's what I call solidarity... Now I know what it means to be part of a clipping comunity....

Our community is by far friendlier than most. Clippers are smart, too.

Alanocu, great clip! I also have on occasion borrowed someone's signal as well.

In Turkey we deliberately left our wireless open to all, in case there was someone in our less-than-affluent neighbourhood who needed to use it. Here in Canada we've got a password on our wireless router because there were just too many people freeloading and slowing us down. We found one young man sitting in the hallway outside our door using his laptop!

I'd love to know why our system disconnects and reconnects repeatedly. Sometimes it's not there and then comes back. Wireless is a total mystery to me.

Ok EG we have another spammer

I'd love to know why our system disconnects and reconnects repeatedly.

Maybe your router needs to restart every so often.

Some kind of buffer
Take a bare ass burn and call someone in the morning