Playing Poker on campus

[Vince.]

I'm going to be commuting to college again soon and was wondering if it is safe to play online poker using the school's wireless network even if it is "unsecured". Am I taking any chances by doing this? Also, is it safe to log onto a poker site from a different ip from my home? I don't want to be accidentally linked to someone else who may have logged on through the same ip (is this even something to worry about?) Sorry if this is a stupid question but I just want to be safe.

[Lyrrad]

It should be fine as long as the encryption for the online site is implemented correctly.

The reason why it should be secure is that the online sites use SSL, which is the same technology that banks use through web browsers. This allows the connection to be secure even if it's going over the air.

I'd suggest only playing on your own laptop.

If you're paranoid, make sure you don't download the software over that unsecure connection, as there is a (small) risk there.

As for the IP question, you should be OK, but you can e-mail support for the site you're at to make sure.

[Josem]

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I'm going to be commuting to college again soon and was wondering if it is safe to play online poker using the school's wireless network even if it is "unsecured". Am I taking any chances by doing this?

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There is a risk that exists in attaching to any network - you can't guarantee who else is on it.

In wired networks, this risk is reduced since you can normally physically see who else has something plugged in. On a wireless network, they are not so easily detectable.

That said, it would be a remarkable coincidence, since all of these things need to be simultaneously true:
a) someone else at your school is a hacker

b) that hacker is extremely good at hacking encrypted stuff

c) they're aware of your playing

d) they're able to ID your PC on the network

e) they're online at the same time you're playing

f) they're able to successfully crack the encryption, or, more likely, they do some sort of middleman attack

g) they're able to use the information they obtain to steal your money

h) they have some way of transferring the money

i) they are motivated to steal from you

you could theoretically discount your $/hr rate by a very, very, small amount to compensate for the risk of getting hacked at this time.

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Also, is it safe to log onto a poker site from a different ip from my home?

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Yes.

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I don't want to be accidentally linked to someone else who may have logged on through the same ip (is this even something to worry about?) Sorry if this is a stupid question but I just want to be safe.

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Even if you were somehow "linked" to someone else, no pokersite is ever going to do anything to you because, out of x,000 students at a school, two of them had accounts.