Your chances of keeping your equipment and your data safe from intruders that may be lurking around on your hotels wireless network would be significantly better if you were to engage in what is commonly called safe wireless networking practices.

The least you should consider doing before logging on to your hotels WLAN includes the following ten golden rules of WLAN safety:

1. Disable file sharing,
   
2. Use a VPN Client to access any remote services,
   
3. Enable strongest form of encryption (WEP/WAP) available,
   
4. Install strong passwords on your PC, delete any dormant user accounts,
   
5. Keep your Firewall, Anti-Virus software, and your OS patched using the latest updates,
   
6. Configure your system to talk to only trusted (as identified by their MAC/SSIDs) Access Points,
   
7. Use only Secure versions/modes of various applications (such as SSH, SFTP, SSL, etc.) while using a public WLAN, or a public wi-fi hotspot,
   
8. Delete cookies, and close/terminate your browser sessions as soon as your work is finished,
   
9. Connect to you Hotel's WLAN (or a public wifi hotspot) only when you must,
   
10. Power up your wireless-enabled devices only when you need to be online. If you need to use your system offline, completely disconnect/remove your wireless adapter from your system.

Even though the above ten steps are a good start toward securing your system, you should not assume that your system is fully protected for as long as it is on-air.

It is important to note, therefore, that all Wi-Fi enabled systems are vulnerable to sophisticated break-in attempts (such as the classic man-in-the-middle attack) as long as they remain on-air. Considering that almost all wireless devices transmit the initial data packets (needed for the handshake/authorization) in clear text, it is not really too difficult for someone to collect enough data-packets to eventually get hold of all your data -including your userIDs and Passwords.

It is also important to remember that the person that may be trying to break into your system does not even have to be in the same room, same lobby, or on the same floor. Depending upon the signal strength (of various APs/Bridges/Radios/Repeaters on your Hotel's WLAN) levels, most Wi Fi packets can be safely collected from thin air from any place up to 800 feet away. If someone really needs to keep a safe distance, she would probably use a high-gain antenna and be several thousand feet away from your location, safely piling away all your data packets for reverse engineering on a later date.

The above safety precautions should be used every time you are on a wireless network -whether at your hotel, at an airport, at your favorite neighborhood Cafe, or while you are on a Cruise Ship. The only system that is truly secured is the one that is off-air, and powered down.