Wireless routers

**one_iota** · 25th August 2006, 04:58 PM

Windows XP

802.11 security

Security options for 802.11 include authentication and encryption services based on the Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP) security services used to protect 802.11 networks from unauthorized access, such as eavesdropping. With automatic wireless network configuration, you can specify that a network key be used to verify access to the network. You can also specify that a network key be used to encrypt your data as it is transmitted over the network.
The wireless network adapter in your computer might support the Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA) security protocol. WPA provides stronger encryption than WEP. With WPA, the network keys on networked computers and devices are automatically changed and then authenticated regularly, which provides greater security than WEP.
To use WPA, your wireless network adapter must support it. To find out if you can use WPA on your wireless network, check the manufacturer's Web site for information about your device. The manufacturer might have software or a driver that you can download and install.

I am WPA enabled

**Bytemrk** · 25th August 2006, 05:07 PM

Originally Posted by Utemad

Scrambler

Have you ever used Airsnort on a Windows XP system before? I have gone through everything but can't install it

Utemad,

It might be the type of wireless card you have, airsnort is pretty limited to the cards it supports under windows...

Mark

**Bytemrk** · 25th August 2006, 05:18 PM

As far as worrying about how easy a wireless network is to hack, I think it depends what is on the network ....and how vital it is to you.

At work I have refused to install wireless... because there is no valid commercial reason in our situation..yet it does introduce a risk...

At home I use wireless for both access for my laptop and for the kids PC...

I have Linksys router ( you can play with hacked firmware on these if you like to tinker

). I run a MAC filter so there are only 2 mac's it will connect to wirelessly, I have basic WEP encrytpion and do not broadcast the SSID...

Never had a problem...

Another piece of advise..... change your router admin password and default IP range too..

A few weeks ago.. I detected a wireless network I could see at work....just called netgear....took less than 2 minutes for me to work out what sort of router... connect to it via a browser ( default netgear passwords) and potentially do as I pleased!!

Like a nice guy I changed the SSID from "NETGEAR" to "Youbettersecurethis" and left..

next day it was gone and I've never seen it again..lol

Mark

**incisor** · 25th August 2006, 06:04 PM

Originally Posted by one_iota

My wireless phone works in the 2.4 GHz band as does the wireless Router so drop outs are virtually assured when I am working at the puter whilst on the phone.

I am going to change the phone to 5.8 GHz jobbie

just change the channels they use, put the phone on 5 or 6 and the router on 10 or 11

:P

**incisor** · 25th August 2006, 06:08 PM

Originally Posted by Utemad

I really mean Airsnort (not Airport). It is a programme that seems to be written originally for Linux but has been ported to Windows. Although it takes some nouse to get it going and I seem to be all out

It is a programme to hack into wireless networks that use MAC and WEP protection.

http://airsnort.shmoo.com/

As for MAC address protection it would appear that it is the easiest method to crack.

very easy to get a mac address and spoof it, less than a minute, wep 128 takes 3-10 minutes, wpa about 10-15mins

but you will be hacked by a trojan long before you are sniffed and hacked as a general rule.

**one_iota** · 25th August 2006, 06:09 PM

Originally Posted by incisor

just change the channels they use, put the phone on 5 or 6 and the router on 10 or 11

:P

That is good advice but how do I do that

**incisor** · 25th August 2006, 06:13 PM

most phones allow you to pick from several channels using a combination of key presses or they have some little toggle switches to do it, and you can pick any channel in the wireless router configuration, usually in the advanced section...

RTFM(s)

hehehehehe

**George130** · 25th August 2006, 06:14 PM

At work we have Dlink units. They have a range of 100 metres within the building. They are only used for our training lan due to security restrictions. The only reason someone is likely to hack your home system is for the extra download usage or help mask their hacking efforts (Dedicated hacker). Interferance will be your biggest problem, My father has found this in his new home and we have encountered it when training at various locations. One site we had to resort to cabled laptops to train but this was due to the equipment running in the area.
For ease wireless is fairly easy and there arn't the cables running round the place. If you are prepared to run cables through the walls then you can also run phone to every room and have a central patch panel where you can control which room gets what, this is my prefered option but requires the most work.

**one_iota** · 25th August 2006, 06:20 PM

Originally Posted by incisor

most phones allow you to pick from several channels using a combination of key presses or they have some little toggle switches to do it, and you can pick any channel in the wireless router configuration, usually in the advanced section...

RTFM(s)

hehehehehe

That translates as:

"When all else fails (including calling the Help Desk) read the instructions"

**scrambler** · 25th August 2006, 07:19 PM

Originally Posted by incisor

very easy to get a mac address and spoof it, less than a minute, wep 128 takes 3-10 minutes, wpa about 10-15mins

but you will be hacked by a trojan long before you are sniffed and hacked as a general rule.

Remind me not to invite you around for a visit with your laptop, Inc.

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