[thelist] Wireless Networking Advice

[Joel Canfield]

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> : This *is* only an internet connection, right? Nobody uses
> wireless on their
> : private network, do they? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>
> Why not? Most people use Wireless for their private network.
> The internet connection is provided via landline (DSL over
> copper for example, or ATM over fibre or whatever). Few
> people have a "wireless" internet connection as such.

I'm talking about a business network ('private' as in, private to the
company, not a private individual.) Wireless connections to access points
located on a business network. Very bad idea.

> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> : I mean, with virtually no security on a WiFi connection, it's
> : almost the same as printing your private documents in the
> : newspaper.
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>
> That's what WEP is for...it encrypts transmission of
> documents between card and access point.

WEP is meaningless. Less than an hour to crack it with a PC and freely
available software. Even WPA using TKIP, available Q1 of 2003, is a
workaround/temporary fix. The only wireless security will be when someone
builds it into the hardware.

> I'd be more worried about someone connecting to your base
> station and pinching your bandwidth...

I'm more concerned about someone connecting to our network and being one
step closer to proprietary information. Some user, usually higher up in the
company, will always dump some secure document in an unsecure place.

Having wireless access to your network is about the same as running without
a firewall. We provide wireless access, but it's only an internet
connection; never touches our network.

joel