Subj : Re: For Trouble re Home Network Security
To   : alt.tv.farscape
From : TNW7Z7Z7Z12345
Date : Thu Sep 08 2005 03:57:53

From Newsgroup: alt.tv.farscape

Trouble wrote:
> 
> Nick wrote:
> 
> > TNW7Z7Z7Z12345 wrote:
> 
> >> Cut/altered a little from my original post --
> 
> >> My router is the Airport Extreme Base Station.  I have the wireless
> >> network closed, encrypted (only WEP though, not WPA) plus have the
> >> OSX software firewall on in my laptop.  So I assume my laptop is
> >> relatively safe.
> 
> > As for the wireless settings, you should be fine with a wep key.
> > Anyone trying to get in would have to be within 150 feet of your
> > airport and then they would also need to know the wep key to gain
> > access.
> 
> If they are within 150 feet they can sniff enough packets to brute force
> the WEP key, and guess the SSID. They'd also be able to determine the MAC
> address of the card allowed in, and could spoof the MAC address of their
> card to be allowed in once they got the WEP and the SSID.
> 
> However that is usually a determined attacker, MAC, WEP, and non-bcast
> SSID will keep joyriders, and wardrivers off the network.
> 
> > If you want additional security you can also turn off the broadcasting
> > of your network id.
> 
> This is what I thought TNW meant by closing the wireless network.

OK, this will demonstrate how clueless I am.  I keep reading articles
about turning off SSID broadcasting, but couldn't find that setting in the
Airport software.  I didn't realize that I had done so by "closing" the
network.  

The Airport software makes it seem that one sets up a closed network
only so that people need a password to enter.  I didn't realize it meant
no one
could see the network, but now that makes sense, since even *I* can't see
the base station (i.e., the base station itself isn't listed), when I
open the airport configuration software, unless I bring up an "other"
screen and type in the base station password.  

 
- TNW

[To e-mail me, remove 12345 from my address.]

.