Wireless security breech

I've tried to research on google, but I haven't found much on wireless penetration testing. I'm not really looking for a tutorial on how to do it, more of just the theory behind it. I don't understand really how a laptop can connect to a secured network without the network key. Would the cracker sniff packets for the key or try by other means (breaking in from the internet and setting up a zombie for use as a backdoor for example)? Knowing this could help me secure a wireless network if asked to. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.

Usually a break in would occur by an attacker sniffing traffic or, and in some cases, injecting traffic on the wireless network. This topic has been done to death in ao.

http://www.antionline.com/forumdispl...s=&forumid=684

I thought as much, so I searched for it. Maybe I didn't put in the right keywords. Thanks for the thread referral.

One thing to keep in mind is how the network is secured. Theres several ways of attempting to secure a wireless network some are good, some are worthless. The real problem comes in with the fact the point of access extends the reach of the radio signal the router is putting out. You can take precautions and measures to make your network less of a target, but if its a "security priority" enviorment, the wireless will not do. WPA2 is about as new as your going to get on encrypting the wireless connections if your hardware supports it.

Normally though just having some measures in place will deflect most wardrivers that will go somewhere else seeking an open signal. This won't do much if someone has decided to target your network specifically. I fireup kismet or airodump from time to time just to see whats going on in the airwaves. Usually only if I notice some one suspicous parked near my house though. :P

I don't understand really how a laptop can connect to a secured network without the network key.

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They are connected on layer two via mac addy but not layer 3 which is IP

http://www.securityfocus.com/infocus/1783

Some people appear to like this tutorial about getting around the minor irritation of WEP:
http://www.tazforum.**********.com/viewtopic.php?t=2069