Playing over insecure wireless network

[DrPublo]

When I'm at my girlfriends apartment I get wireless service from the coffee shop downstairs. Should I have any reservations playing poker over an insecure network?

The Doc

[decnartne]

I would be pretty surprised if the communication between you and the poker site wasn't already encrypted. Assuming this is the case, your risk is not much greater than if you were playing at home. In this case the additional risk is someone who happens to:

1.) be in your general vicinity
2.) has the know-how to "sniff" wireless
3.) has broken the communication protocol (most likely protected by SSL - the "S" in HTTPS) of the specific poker site you're using.

This is a pretty rare and fantastic individual...

my .02

decnartne

[Eder]

If you are playing poker at your gf's apartment security is the last of your problems

[PollyEmory]

[ QUOTE ]
If you are playing poker at your gf's apartment security is the last of your problems

[/ QUOTE ]

Hehe.

If the WiFi network's not secure, they'll be able to see the packets you send out and the poker site sends back however, since they are encrypted, it'll all be gobledygook to the listener.

I think this would work the same as if anyone had a packet sniffer on your wired network. They'd know that you're sending and to whom, but won't be able to read what unless they can break HTTPS.

Basically, just concuring with the other response.

--Polly

[MicroBob]

I play at a wireless-internet coffee-place all the time. No problems so far (fingers-crossed).


nice to get out of the house every once in awhile and sit on their outdoor, shaded deck/patio on a nice day while drinking an iced-latte or something and think, "Geez...this is actually my JOB!!" (sure doesn't feel very much like a job).


I don't know diddly-dick about computers but I was under the general impression that the encryption makes the whole 'playing on an unsecure network' thing relatively safe (as others have stated in this thread).

[adanthar]

One caveat: one thing that takes a lot less skill than cracking the encryption on your packets is to notice that you are communicating with Party Poker, find your IP on the network (this will take roughly 2 seconds), and then find a way to plant a Trojan on your computer with a keylogger built in.

If you don't know *anything* about what you're doing, don't click on any links or accept pictures sent via IM programs or visit any weird websites whatsoever on a public connection (especially if someone asks) and you'll be fine. As a general rule, you should be careful about all of these to start with.

[Alobar]

im dissapointed, no one has made a crack yet about the thread title.

[PITTM]

finally, i looked through all the responses hoping for a good joke! maybe a "your wireless network looks fat in that case"?

rj

[TruePoker CEO]

I thought the response about playing poker at his gorlfriend's apartment was a set up someone would hit woth a rim shot ... Where is Granny on this one ???