I just had a network installed in my apartment complex, and I'm wondering... how I protect my privacy when using this network? Will all of my web history, emails, IM's be stored on some server at the front office? If so, how can I encrypt everything? Thanks.
The first thing to do is to inquire directly as to whether they use a proxy, their log retention policies, their privacy policy, etc. You need to understand the threat before planning your defenses. You may find that this service is actually provided by an isp who has been contracted by the building. In that case it might not be much different than if you were using that isp as your provider.