Wireless Network

[hypronix]

Chances for some hacker to decide to break through WEP, sniff and analyze traffic to find out a valid MAC address, and also make sure they can connect to the AP when that MAC isn't used and brute-force the ssid are slim to none considering that you are a home user. Sure somebody might leave Airsnort on over a couple of nights and try it like that, and thus considering your traffic you should change the encryption key every so often... most people wouldn't bother that much, except for those with a lot of free time and tempted by challenges... also make sure you have the router firmware up-to-date in the event of exploits being found.

Sometimes the thickest wall can be rendered useless if a small crack can be found in it.

[nihil]

Hi Jelly,

I think the other guys have said most of it, but you might like to consider your usage?...........I guess that you have a broadband connection to the net? otherwise I doubt if you would be of much interest to a wardriver.

My suggestion, if it is an option, is to disconnect from the net when you are not using it. That would tend to make you even less attractive a target. I always disconnect mine, on the grounds that it saves electricity (beer money ) and reduces potential fire hazards.

I think that your biggest risk is someone trying to backdoor your system, rather than piggy back on your net connection.

Just a thought.

Where I am, if you want a free connection to wireless broadband you just go to the railway station car park..................it is a free service to the community.

Brum is a different kettle of fish, but I would have thought that there would be far more interesting and faster commercial systems available to wardrivers...........parking up would be the problem?

I would guess that you are pretty safe.

[mrg81]

Hi Jelly,

I think everything has been suggested, just on seciond thoughts:

which is the Ap/wireless router do you have

if it is linksys then you will have to be enable logging manually, else all Ap's have it enabled automatically.

Second go to wigle.net and enter your are code to find out whether it is picking up your access-point or your wireless router.

It shouldnot ..............

Change the channel and also linit the range of braodcast. Some times even this might help.

[Wyatt]

Here is a thought ( anyone here can tell me different).

I went ahead and set up an OpenBSD box for my router ( my internet comes in to my house and to the modem then to my OpenBSD box then to my switch. The BSD box I have configured with PF (packet Filter) DHCP, and set the log for email. I did this so i can watch what comes in on a regualr basis. This way I can monitor what types of packets are incoming. This is a recent addiditon more or less for learning.

I always thought the first line of defense is some flavor of linux/Unix instead of M$??

jus my .25 worth.

[The Grunt]

Do you know how to set up a wireless router in BSD? That's what I thought. That would be quite a challenge. Buying a wireless router is much much easier. Also, windows is not more secure than BSD or linux. They are all equally unsecured under a crappy admin who doesn't know how to configure, or equally secured by an admin who knows what the heck he's doing.

[Wyatt]

ahh 'Grunt ' you are right I forgot the most important thing in this post...the word WIRELESS...sorry for my silliness...well spoken though ;-)

[XTC46]

everyone is saying to use mac filtering, but that is not enough, programs like link ferret pick up random traffic and pull the mac address of the sender then you can spoof that address, mac filter=bypassed. I agree you should have it but its not the end to it, you should also limit the number of IP address given out by DHCP if you are using it. Also, rotate the weps so that a person cant break into the network one day and then have access forever. Set uyp a monitor program so you can monitor suspicious traffic. and the distance barrier is nice also. change your passwords occassionaly becasue if someone is trying to break into the network they will crack your PW. dont use passwords that are only numeric change it up some. set up a sole admin account and make that password rock solid, then you can make your password easy to remeeber. Be sure to include leters (both upper and lower case) numbers and symbols in the password, throw in spaces if the program supports it. if someone is will to wait that long to brute froce the password then you must have someing damn good on your network. this way they have to first get a MAC off of one of your machienes, spoof that, crak the rotating wep, be within bounds of the signal barrier, then crack the admin password if they want to do anything. by stage 2 most people with the ability to get this far will give up becasue it is just a home network and chances are the school has a free one that can break into. lol.

[hypronix]

Originally posted here by XTC46
everyone is saying to use mac filtering

That's because, if you look at the original post, this wasn't there. It is by no means a secure thing, but security is built in layers, there is no ONE thing somebody can do and make sure they have a secure computer/network [don't tell me the "power off" thing, I know it ]. So enabling this wouldn't hurt