wireless security

[garyb]

Hi all, I,m using a Belkin wireless router with my ibook and Demon broadband. It works really well.What are the security issues I need to consider.
I have not set the MAC address on the router.
It took me ages to get it all up and running and I,m worried if I tinker with it I could end up with problems.
Thanks
Gary

[Norky]

Enabling WEP should be enough.

[garyb]

Sorry what's WEP

[Lee H]

Wired Equivalent Privacy.

Basically its a security protocol for wireless local area networks (WLANs) defined in the 802.11b standard. WEP is designed to provide the same level of security as that of a wired LAN.

To turn this on its usually in the advanced or security section of the router and once this is active and the password set nobody can gain access to your network without having the password.

[speedy_s]

^^WEP.
Isn't that encrption as well?

[Tifosi]

Wired Equivalent Privacy.

Basically its a security protocol for wireless local area networks (WLANs) defined in the 802.11b standard. WEP is designed to provide the same level of security as that of a wired LAN.

Although that's not strictly true, WEP can be easily cracked given some time. WEP has been superceeded with a more secure system known as WPA. A wireless network will currently never be as secure as a wired LAN given that the possible intruder has no physical access.

[Matt1eD]

How do you get the same level of security as a wired LAN?

[ikkitousen]

How do you get the same level of security as a wired LAN?

WEP

[Matt1eD]

Cheers Tuding. How does it do it, anybody can just sit down and 'steal' your network with wireless.

[Kumagoro]

With WEP on people cant connect to the network and cant view the data without the password/key. The only people i have heard crack wep is when using a dictionary attack so use a random key and not a silly one.

[Matt1eD]

Cool, what's this WPA thing? What does that do?

[Tifosi]

WEP uses an encryption key typically 64 or 128 bit to protect your network only people with the key can connect to your network. However it is possible to use software that will packet sniff and workout what your key is, from what I understand it is a relatively fast process.

WPA is Wi-Fi Protected Access and differs from WEP by using Temporal Key Integrity Protocol (TKIP), which dynamically changes keys.

WPA2 is also on the horizon.

[garyb]

Thanks for the help so far.
I spoke to Belkin today and they told me how to get a WEP 128bit encryption key code.
I then spoke to Apple who said there is no way to enter this code into my ibook.HELP!!!
I knew this was not going to be simple!
Any ideas?
Thanks

[DigiGuru]

One other thing I would suggest is turning off the Name Broadcast feature on your wireless network and renaming it.

This way, you need to know the name of the network you're looking for

Stu

[Kumagoro]

If you are worried about people trying to hack your network, dont.

There is no point turning off SSID broadcast anyone who knows how you are supposed
to hack WEP will be using kismet anyway and the networks will show no problem.

WEP isnt "easy" to crack. I have tried and never been sucessful on my network even using the new prog that came out recently. This is only 48/64 bit WEP as well. If your router can use WPA etc then use it if you need to use 48/64 bit WEP then use that.

[ikkitousen]

turning the SSID off is pointless and is werid for me in the house i am in it causes problems with the clients not being able to connect auto