[thelist] Wireless security

[Robert Gormley]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: thelist-bounces at lists.evolt.org 
> [mailto:thelist-bounces at lists.evolt.org] On Behalf Of Rick Faaberg
> Sent: Wednesday, 21 September 2005 5:31 PM
> To: The List
> Subject: Re: [thelist] Wireless security
> 
> On 9/20/05 11:54 PM "Ken Schaefer" <Ken at adOpenStatic.com> 
> sent this out:
> 
> > b) Use MAC filtering on your router. Just the MAC addresses of each 
> > device that should be allowed to connect.
> > 
> 
> > d) Disabling SSID Broadcast can make your network less visible to 
> > curious outsiders, but they'd be deterred by WPA anyway. 
> Any number of 
> > tools (Netstumbler etc) will happily pull SSID out of the air that 
> > aren't being broadcast.
> 
> Are your b) and d) usually sufficient in a residential 
> environment? Seems to me that's so. I periodically check the 
> DHCP client list and I've never had a poacher on the list.

This is true. It's really a question of opportunity. I disable DHCP
mainly because I use another program which configures my system based on
the network I specify.
 
> I probably should turn on WEP (my WAP doesn't do WPA) but I 
> had problems before with WEP. Do people really do packet 
> sniffing to residential wireless networks? Do they park their 
> cars in front of folks' houses and sniff away?

You never know. I can't imagine so. I know that it /is/ a bigger problem
in apartment complexes, particularly high rises, and other high density
accommodation.

Random side note: most wireless networks found by Intel Proset/Wireless
(which finds unbroadcast networks, but doesn't give you their SSID to
connect to automatically) near my office: 38 simultaneous. Anyone able
to beat that?

Robert