wireless security
Discussion
You need to enable WEP or WPA on your router and on your pc. When you do this on your router, you will have a space to put in a passkey or passphrase, put in random letters and numbers which the router then uses as the encryption key (write this down, you'll need it for later). You can then put this in on your pc wireless software (or windows wireless network) and they should be able to talk to each other.
Of course, this is the best case scenario and it took me a good 5 or 6 attempts to connect them.
Of course, this is the best case scenario and it took me a good 5 or 6 attempts to connect them.
If you live in the middle of a field, you don't have to do anything. The encryption is there to stop people getting a free ride on your broadband, and to prevent anyone hacking into your machine.
I use a zoom x6 router. Go to the router setup and firstly enable the encryption as WEP 64 bit, then do the passphrase, and set the key to number 1. My router software shows the 10 digit key separated every two with a dash. When you put the key into your other machines, exclude the dashes.
Mine works great (I even set up a print server), and i spent all day yesterday in the sun, working from the garden.
I use a zoom x6 router. Go to the router setup and firstly enable the encryption as WEP 64 bit, then do the passphrase, and set the key to number 1. My router software shows the 10 digit key separated every two with a dash. When you put the key into your other machines, exclude the dashes.
Mine works great (I even set up a print server), and i spent all day yesterday in the sun, working from the garden.
Be careful with wireless. If you have any sensitive data on your machine for work/personal reasons its not advised.
A rather large company near where I work recently suffered a 'drive by attack' (hacker sits in car/van and hacks using wireless) in the attack the person took all personal information on employees, company secrets etc.
The worst things about these kind of attacks is the hacker passivley gathers wireless packets which you don't know about and when he has enough he gets the key and then your in big trouble and its usually too late to do anything.
Wireless security is hopeless at best.
Be very careful if you have anything personal to protect.
www.securityfocus.com/infocus/1742
A rather large company near where I work recently suffered a 'drive by attack' (hacker sits in car/van and hacks using wireless) in the attack the person took all personal information on employees, company secrets etc.
The worst things about these kind of attacks is the hacker passivley gathers wireless packets which you don't know about and when he has enough he gets the key and then your in big trouble and its usually too late to do anything.
Wireless security is hopeless at best.
Be very careful if you have anything personal to protect.
www.securityfocus.com/infocus/1742
Lets be honest. Most home users just want to stop the opportunist neighbour using your broadbean. If they really want access and copies of word docs complaining to Kelloggs for the wrong shape of corn flakes they will get them with a little effort anyway.
Businesses on the other hand should have proper file walls.
Businesses on the other hand should have proper file walls.
If you are truley worried then have both WEP Encryption turned on and also restroct acces to your Wireless access via only allowing computers you specifiy to have access, this can be done through the router and will require you to specify the MAC address of each machine.
I agree with Mcflurry however, I am sure that you are not going to me doing any MI5 work from home so as long as you set up the wep key then you have done your best.
I agree with Mcflurry however, I am sure that you are not going to me doing any MI5 work from home so as long as you set up the wep key then you have done your best.
mcflurry said:
Lets be honest. Most home users just want to stop the opportunist neighbour using your broadbean. If they really want access and copies of word docs complaining to Kelloggs for the wrong shape of corn flakes they will get them with a little effort anyway.
Businesses on the other hand should have proper file walls.
I think you need to re-read my post as you seem to have taken what was a little bit of information completley out of context. In my post if you read it, I make the point of saying if you have anything business/personal to protect.
Wireless hacking is very common and easy to do that is why I pointed out about the encryption for WEP being very week.
NST said:
should you use WPA or WPA2 instead of WEP? assuming the router supports it?
WPA is better than WEP but still crackable with the right knowledge & tools. WPA-PSK (pre shared key) is more susceptible if the key length is short or not made up of random characters, numbers and symbols. WPA via a radius server is also vulnerable but if you can set up the radius server you are likely to have tied everything else down too.
Personally I have WEP switched on, MAC address filtering and restrict the IP range the DHCP server can use. As one machine is connected 24/7 and the other for about 8 hours a day it gives limited potential for someone to connect unless the spoofed the MAC address & kicked one of the machines from the connection. I would use WPA-PSK but my internal wireless card doesn't want to play for some reason.
It's not perfect by any means but imo enough to pursuede a casual intruder to play with the 4 unsecured connections I can connect to from here
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