How do i hide my laptop from everyone when i use public network services like at starbux or at an airport???

Question

i take my laptop to starbux and places with public networks and internet services. i dont keep my hard drives 'shared' when i go places like this, but i know that ppl can still see my computer. is there a way to be invisible to other anonymous people at places like starbux or an airport??

Answer 1

Configure your laptop to use a new 'locally administered mac address' every time you connect. If you don't know what one of them is, consult the 802.1-2001 specification, which explains how they work and what range they are. This will prevent your laptop being tracked from session to session.

Setup a server somewhere and configure it to act as a VPN termination point. E.G. by running OpenVPN.

Configure your PC to connect through that VPN.

Configure your firewall to block all incoming requests.

You should be in pretty good shape then.

Answer 2

If you have Vista, simply tell it that it's a public network, and Vista will automatically turn off sharing.

If you have XP SP2 or later, there is a multi-step procedure described here:

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using...