Originally Posted by
SchmutzigMSP
I would suggest, if you're at all paranoid about things, to leave at least one computer hard-wired to the router and use that computer for all the credit card transactions you do, as well as any other transactions that involve sensitive and/or personal data.
If the sites you connect to use strong encryption, it doesn't matter if your packets travel by wired or wireless methods.
Sure, the wireless packets can be cracked, but what they will see are strongly encrypted data packets after cracking the WEP or WPA layer. Strong encryption can be cracked as well, but it takes more time to do it than it's worth.
If you're truly paranoid, you won't send any sensitive data on the internet at all.
Nonetheless, you should setup and use WPA (preferred) or 128-bit WEP on your wireless network.
-David