# [SOLVED] Does my own Wifi Router help protect my privacy in a public LAN?



## jett1 (Dec 21, 2011)

Hello,

I've tried to Google the answer but I can't seem to use the right wording to get the answer.

In short:

I live in a building where there is free (Wired) internet offered in every apartment. Of course, I understand that by connecting the wire to my laptop, whoever administers the interenet (LAN ??) in the building, could see my internet history.

Question:

If I were to add my own Wifi router and secured it by password using WPA2-PSK, I understand that I will somewhat secure my WIFI broadcast. 

But will this option offer any added protection against my building internet (LAN ?? ) administrator from searching my internet history: such as (internet banking / websites to download large files / ...etc)

Thanks for any advice


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## Old Rich (May 31, 2007)

*Re: Does my own Wifi Router help protect my privacy in a public LAN?*








and welcome to the Forum

It will secure the traffic between your laptop and your router . . but beyond your router will be wide open . . You can turn off printer and file sharing to prevent someone from peeking at your data


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## jett1 (Dec 21, 2011)

*Re: Does my own Wifi Router help protect my privacy in a public LAN?*

Thanks for the answer, but I'm still little confused. Can someone please clarify:

1. So if I don't turn off file sharing, someone can peek at my data? Even though I'm connected through password protected router?

2. But more importantly for me, could they see my exact website visit history?


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## Wand3r3r (Sep 17, 2010)

*Re: Does my own Wifi Router help protect my privacy in a public LAN?*

You have wireless internet right? You could not add your own router in this situation. It would require a wireless extender that also did NAT since the router would have to connect wirelessly to the apt router.

You don't mention if you have to use wireless encryption presently. Do you?
Do you know what brand/model router is being used in your building?

If the apt network manager enabled logging for all domain sites visited he would be able to see where you have gone on the internet. I can tell you from experience no network admin would bother since its a huge amount of work to track and separate your site access from everyone elses.

If you are really that concerned over your internet history you need a vpn from your computer to a host site. This encrypts your traffic from your pc to the vpn host site. No one can view it period.

Might start by going to OpenVPN and check them out.


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## jett1 (Dec 21, 2011)

*Re: Does my own Wifi Router help protect my privacy in a public LAN?*

Thanks for the info - much appreciated !! After reading your reply and doing a bit of research - VPN seems like a bulletproof way.

But before I take that route, let me just clarify something that you asked me and maybe things will be different for me...

I actually have an *wired *connection in my apartment - meaning I have a Ethernet cable sticking out of a wall. What I did, I connected it to *my own router* (TP-Link TL-WR 841) and set up my own WPA2-PSK password protected WLAN access - which only I connect to using my laptop. 

Does this scenario change anything that you said in your post?

PS: 

By doing some IP test, I'm 80% sure that the ISP of the building is O2 Telefonica. My guess is, that the owner of the apartment building subscribes to O2 Telefonica ISP and then he splits it and runs it through network cables into each apartment. Hence, my access to internet is free but painfully slow since I believe all the tenants share one access ISP connection. I have no problem being monitored (if there is a need) by the ISP company. What I'm worried, is that whoever manages the network in the building, having the power to "creep" and monitor internet activity of particular tenant in the building. 

So having my own wifi modem connected to "his" network, would that change his ability to see my internet activity?





Wand3r3r said:


> You have wireless internet right? You could not add your own router in this situation. It would require a wireless extender that also did NAT since the router would have to connect wirelessly to the apt router.
> 
> You don't mention if you have to use wireless encryption presently. Do you?
> Do you know what brand/model router is being used in your building?
> ...


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## sobeit (Nov 11, 2007)

*Re: Does my own Wifi Router help protect my privacy in a public LAN?*



jett1 said:


> Thanks for the info - much appreciated !! After reading your reply and doing a bit of research - VPN seems like a bulletproof way.
> 
> But before I take that route, let me just clarify something that you asked me and maybe things will be different for me...
> 
> ...


the question has been answered several times in several different way. he can see anything connected to his network. Your security stops at your router. ONce it gets past that, if he keep logs, he will be able to see. As far as passwords and such, they are encrypted so he will not see those as long as you are signed into a secure location. . IMO, if you are so concerned subscribe to dsl if it is available in your location.


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## Wand3r3r (Sep 17, 2010)

*Re: Does my own Wifi Router help protect my privacy in a public LAN?*

"So having my own wifi modem connected to "his" network, would that change his ability to see my internet activity?"

It would even be more difficult for the network manager to see specifically your traffic since his routers is the second in a series.


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## jett1 (Dec 21, 2011)

Thank You all for great help. All the best in 2012.


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