Are Hamachi Networks Safe?

[Nadir]

I read the wiki article and I don't like how it gives other machines a LAN connection to my own. Is my distrust well founded?

[Nessy]

I've used them for years. I suppose there is some level of risk, but I only create networks with people I know, not random folks.  I don't think its just a wide open access though either.

[Autumn Sativus]

It looks like it would only allow you access to other computers sharing your connection. Which I assume would be only the computers in your home? It would depend on the way you have it set up.

[Nessy]

It looks like it would only allow you access to other computers sharing your connection. Which I assume would be only the computers in your home? It would depend on the way you have it set up.

Hamachi allows you to simulate something like a LAN connection to computers outside of your home network. You can certainly access computers not on your network. I've used it to connect with people on the other side of the world. As I mentioned, these are people I know. I do not believe that hamachi should give them open access to everything. If i remember right, there ar ea number of tutorials on the program out there.

[Nadir]

Yeah, but I'm leery in case someone could trick my machine into thinking they were the admin of the network and buggering up all my work.

[Andy]

Well, you can combat that risk by just shutting down the program when its not in use for what you want it used for. And a firewall should block out any attempt to do that.

[Oniya]

It might be worth looking into what functions you want to have this connection for?  LogMeIn, which is the Hamachi-type software that I have at least a 'reader's familiarity' with, is used to be able to connect to another computer for such things as running remote diagnostics and file-sharing.   (I saw it recommended on Callie's 'Need a cheap PC' thread and looked through the web page). 

[Andy]

Gonna throw in a small tidbit of explanation. I run my minecraft server over Hamachi, and thats basically what we are setting up for.

[Oniya]

I would think that making sure that the software is disconnected when not playing would be a reasonable precaution.  I don't know much about Minecraft, but I'm guessing it's not one of those games that does things whether you're looking at the window or not?  (For example, when Mr. Oniya plays PvZ, he will leave the Zen garden open, feed the snail, and let it collect coins for an hour while he surfs the web.  Minecraft doesn't have that sort of 'farming', does it?)

[Nessy]

It might be worth looking into what functions you want to have this connection for?  LogMeIn, which is the Hamachi-type software that I have at least a 'reader's familiarity' with, is used to be able to connect to another computer for such things as running remote diagnostics and file-sharing.   (I saw it recommended on Callie's 'Need a cheap PC' thread and looked through the web page).

I believe LogMeIn is Hamachi, or I believe the full name is LogMeIn Hamachi.. they just shifted marketing and things a few years ago, Hamachi references are still on the LogMeIn resources, and when you updated Hamachi it shifted to LogMeIn title software.

It's just a VPN, so for Minecraft I would think you could possibly narrow the scope of what can be done on that. I didn't mess with that part of the program much at all since the people I use it with are very well known to me.

[Oniya]

Ah, okay.  I wasn't sure if I was dealing with something that had been turned into the generic term (like aspirin, bandaid, or xerox).

[Nessy]

Ah, okay.  I wasn't sure if I was dealing with something that had been turned into the generic term (like aspirin, bandaid, or xerox).

Heh like googling things. Who knows, it could get that way one some day. I am guessing they thought Hamachi was too weird of a name for a "western" crowd.