I was wondering, if a computer running AOL 9.0 over a dialup connection, would switch to using a high speed LAN or WLAN upon its detection and connection. Would it begin to route internet traffic over the LAN even though the dialup was still connected?

I would think so qA, but AOL does weird things to the Windows networking, so there's a possibility it may not.

However, in that scenario, why would one leave the dialup connection intact? 'cause you can also make AOL function over an existing broadband Internet connection.

a friend who uses dialup for AOL has a wifi enabled laptop and he noticed that the wifi suddenly connected while online and is worried about his internet traffic going through an unknown/untrusted wireless AP instead of the dialup line. rather than have him disable the wifi (he uses it at work and other places) i figured i'd ask here if it was even a risk (he's not all that computer savvy, hence the dialup AOL)

edit: firewall is on and working, so i know that incoming connections will be blocked, im just worried about outgoing connections

Why not just teach him how to click on network connections and then right click on the connection and hit enable/disable?

That will keep the wifi from being used and it's easy to teach and remember how to do.

Also if it's a laptop usually they have a wifi button that you can just hit to turn it on and off.

For me if I hold Function and Press F2 it turns it on/off for me.

He should create different hardware profiles, so when he is home, there is no wifi, when he is at work, there is wifi, but maybe no lan, depending on his configuration.

I have 4 profiles....
Normal (all devices enabled)
Wireless - (disables NIC ports, unneeded devices to save battery)
LAN (Disables wireless to keep it from searching and draining battery)
NoNet (No network/bluetooth, etc, to save battery).



EDIT:

There is a much bigger problem here that you have to look at... why is this person using AOL?

duh, stupid me, there's the wifi button!


okay, now thats settled, but he's all paranoid about his data being sent over that wifi. i explained that open wifi is a bit of a security risk with personal data (he was logging into emails, online banking and such). i know there's usually SSL, but i'd like to know for myself and to give him a definite answer

well packets can indeed be intercepted yet if the data itself is encrypted its hard do decyper that, since its a constant sream of data-packets being sent

The biggest problem with AOL users is they've been duped into believing that there really is a "Deliver me from Evil Button" (come on you've seen the comercials...).

The poor bastard could have NSA level security ... and they'ed still get gutted by a Phishing scam.


Just tell them the truth (it's their job to believe or not) ... and then at least you won't have lied to them.

AOL IS TEH L33T D0NT 3V3R DISS TEH UBER LEETER THAN U AOL