Wireless network Heads up

With wireless networks becoming even more popular and more affordable, more people are using them to make networking easier in there life. Whether its to share off internet, share off movies and music or to play games this notice is for the people who are running wireless networks. Especially in close housing areas and apartments. LOCK THEM DOWN. I was driving to work this morning with my laptop and antenna i found 28 accesspoints, 4 were only protected and this was only in a 1 mile radius of my house. And with the right tools people will be able to log right into your network (thank you winxp) and monitor everything you are doing.

Please take a minute to look over these links. Post any questions in this thread about your concern with wireless networking or solutions. We have plenty of members who know there stuff.

http://www.drizzle.com/~aboba/IEEE/

http://www.arstechnica.com/paedia/w/...ecurity-1.html

https://www.microsoft.com/WindowsXP/...n/03july28.asp

http://www.practicallynetworked.com/...s_security.htm

For Linksys

Neatgear

http://www.scd.ucar.edu/nets/projects/wireless/FAQ.html

http://www.nas.nasa.gov/Groups/Netwo...ess/index.html

it doesnt take long to set up and is really easy to do.

things you can set up.

1. WEP encryption. (Most new G products are coming out with WPA. will add more info about)

2. Mac address Filtering. Limits what wireless network cards can access the wireless accesspoint/router

3. Disable SSID (while wep is on only machines with the right WEP key will be able to see your accesspoint/router)

4. Limit the ip addresses your router/accesspoint gives out. if you have 5 machines on your network, allow only the router to give out 5 ip addresses.



For people who are using G wireless routers and some B standards will be able to use WPA:


Overview of the WPA Wireless Security Update in Windows XP


WPA Wireless Security for Home Networks

WPA wireless security offers multiple advantages over WEP

WPA

Remeber tho, WPA has its flaws just like WEP. Nothing is full proof

Please feel free to post any links you have on wireless networks or pertaining to it.



Jason

[thePh@r@oh]

i've heard about this "bandwidth stealing" i think its called something like Hard Chaulking everyone should look out theres no telling what may happen.

War Driving is where you drive around looking for wireless networking (it is legal to do this, its illegal to access a open network that you dont have premission to be on)

war chalking is signs put on the sidewalk or wall to show a open or closed ap. I honestly really dont hear much about people doing this.

http://www.warchalking.org/

[VHockey86]

Does anyone know how to setup MAC Filtering? I have a BEFW11S4 router and I was playing around with the wireless settings and found an option called "Mac Address Filtering" (imagine that..). Ne ways, I proceeded to type in the MAC address of my sisters wireless card, and the second I hit the "enable" checkmark next to it, she lost her connection and couldnt reconnect. Anyone have any idea why?

maybe I should put this in a seperate thread?

Vhockey maybe this page can help
linky

just make sure that when you add her in that you dont click the filter option

are you using the latest firmware?

[VHockey86]

Stupid me, works now! Thx for the link
(or at least i think it works, I havent heard her screaming downstairs yet)

lol what did you do different this time? Do you have wep enabled on your network also?

[Mickwish]

Anyone got any advice for me on adding wireless to my existing wired LAN?

I have a IPCop linux router/firewall which priotects my wired LAN, and allows reasonably secure connection to the internet, as well as having a DMZ zone for my servers.

I was originally just going to add a WAP to the LAN, but am now wondering if I can add another linux router with a wireless card in it instead of using a hardware WAP (got plenty of old spare boxes )

Anyone done this? Which linux router distro did you use? Which wirelss PCI card? Any other pointers?

Thanks
Mick

PS Hope this post fits here GZ3. Otherwise I'll start a new thread.

[ArcticFox]

Wireless would definetly be cool, but it's expensive compared to my wired 100mb LAN, and my freinds don't have their own cards.

atuaclly mick im interesting in this too. i talked to some friends and they mentions something about having the ap hooked into the linux box (having two nics) then having the linux box hooking to the wired lan. he explained it to me, let me find any info on what he was talking about

http://www.linuxquestions.org/questi...?threadid=6331

maybe this thread could help?

this thread is dedicated to anyone and there wireless protection questions.

(fixed it! you are no longer ignored mick )