Wireless ad-hoc security

[DDY]

I've spent the last hour trying to figure out how to connect a Vista and XP machine over wireless ad-hoc, turns out it's impossible unless I choose to connect using WEP or without encryption. Vista only supports WPA2 over ad-hoc where XP only supports WPA.

What if, I connect between the two machines ad-hoc using WEP and then create a VPN? Is this a good idea or am I heading in the wrong direction?

Thanks

[Viper81]

Does your copy of XP have the patch that gives it WPA2 support or are you saying XP doesn't do WPA2 over an ad-hoc connection regardless? (which would be a very strange decision by Microsoft!)

[3xH]

I've spent the last hour trying to figure out how to connect a Vista and XP machine over wireless ad-hoc, turns out it's impossible unless I choose to connect using WEP or without encryption. Vista only supports WPA2 over ad-hoc where XP only supports WPA.

What if, I connect between the two machines ad-hoc using WEP and then create a VPN? Is this a good idea or am I heading in the wrong direction?

Thanks

Using IPSec VPN across the wireless would secure the data but you would also want to setup the firewall on both machines in such a way that they will only accept traffic from the VPN tunnel as someone could probably still connect their laptop to your WEP AD-Hoc network if they so chose.

I assume running a X-OVer cable between the two machines is out of the question? Would be more secure and a hell of a lot faster for data transfer

[DDY]

Does your copy of XP have the patch that gives it WPA2 support or are you saying XP doesn't do WPA2 over an ad-hoc connection regardless? (which would be a very strange decision by Microsoft!)

XP may use WPA2 with access points etc but not ad-hoc, only WPA . Why oh why did MS then make Vista ad-hoc WPA2 only

Using IPSec VPN across the wireless would secure the data but you would also want to setup the firewall on both machines in such a way that they will only accept traffic from the VPN tunnel as someone could probably still connect their laptop to your WEP AD-Hoc network if they so chose.

I assume running a X-OVer cable between the two machines is out of the question? Would be more secure and a hell of a lot faster for data transfer

I'll probably do that, restrict every port but for VPN, I currently use a cross over cable when both machines are close but there are times when they're a good few meters apart.

[Viper81]

Just out of curiousity, what would you plan on using to run the VPN server?

[DDY]

Most likely using Windows own VPN server on the XP machine.