Wireless security help for a ditz!!!

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Gumbooty

2 posts

Wannabe Geek

Topic # 14812 21-Jul-2007 19:25

Okay not too sure if this has been asked.
But how does one go about setting up security on wireless so no one can access it.

freitasm

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Reply # 79135 21-Jul-2007 19:33

Welcome to Geekzone. You have many ways of doing this. Assuming you have control of your router you could setup encryption (with WEP key, or much better WPA).

You should also stop your wireless router broadcasting its SSID, so only people who knows the correct SSID can attach to it.

And you could of course lock it so that only devices with certain MAC addresses can connect to the router.

I am sure others will post other tips.

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barf

643 posts

Ultimate Geek

Reply # 79156 21-Jul-2007 22:57

advice from a hacker's perspective, the best thing to use is WPA2 (or WPA, full name is WPA(2)-PSK), your Router / Access Point's manual would be a good reference for configuring that, basically this facilitates password-ing your wireless network. If your router only has WEP, might be time to get a new one.

Additionally (ie, if you're paranoid

), make sure your Wireless signal does not 'leak' beyond your premises by lowering the power, if your router has that feature or otherwise locating the aerial accordingly.

SSID broadcast disabling and MAC-address lockdown does very little to hinder a Mac or Linux wardriver, but it will stop most people who use Windows and Netstumbler. The (very) marginal security benefit from these two probably isn't worth the hassle it introduces to basic/home users, IMHO.

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ReaperZ

127 posts

Master Geek
Inactive user

Reply # 79157 21-Jul-2007 23:08

barf: advice from a hacker's perspective, the best thing to use is WPA2 (or WPA, full name is WPA(2)-PSK), your Router / Access Point's manual would be a good reference for configuring that, basically this facilitates password-ing your wireless network. If your router only has WEP, might be time to get a new one.

Additionally (ie, if you're paranoid ), make sure your Wireless signal does not 'leak' beyond your premises by lowering the power, if your router has that feature or otherwise locating the aerial accordingly.

SSID broadcast disabling and MAC-address lockdown does very little to hinder a Mac or Linux wardriver, but it will stop most people who use Windows and Netstumbler. The (very) marginal security benefit from these two probably isn't worth the hassle it introduces to basic/home users, IMHO.

x2 i would tend to agree

with active scripts able to break any WEP code within 7 minutes via scanning .. its somewhat useless

WPA2 without a doubt

tallPete

99 posts

Master Geek

Reply # 79158 21-Jul-2007 23:17

Hi Gumbooty,

You will need to use what is called WEP or WPA encryption. This means that anyone using your wireless will need to enter a password to use it.

Your router has a website built into it which allows you to set various things up. You will start up your web browser and type in something that looks like http://10.0.0.x or http://192.168.0.x to access it. Have a look in your routers manual. It might ask you for an admin password which will probably be admin...

when you get this page up, it should have a wireless settings option, click that. Mine is on a page called 'Basic' .It will ask you to type in an SSID, which is the name of your network that will pop on your machine. It might already be set to default - you should change that.

It will ask you for a security setting - choose WPA or some variant here. If you can, choose WPA2, but this might not work on all equipment.

It might ask for some sort of encryption and give you the options TKIP or AES. I have mine set to TKIP.

It will ask you for a password, or shared key. This is where you type in the password for your network. Make it a phrase or something quite long, and throw some numbers in. Anyone who wants to connect to your network will need this password so make it something you can tell other people. You could use for instance mydoghasfleas97 or something. If you want to get ultra unhackable then you should add some more numbers and random letters, etc, but it sounds like you just want to password protect your network rather than stop major hacking incidents!!

Hope this helps... Good luck,
Pete.

Gumbooty

2 posts

Wannabe Geek

Reply # 79167 22-Jul-2007 09:19

Thank you all very much for this info as it has helped a techno-ditz like me.
Cheers

rwales

122 posts

Master Geek

Reply # 79209 22-Jul-2007 15:17

If you can, choose WPA2, but this might not work on all equipment.

"Note that from March 13, 2006 WPA2 certification is mandatory for all new devices wishing to be Wi-Fi certified." - Wikipedia