How to setup security ?

Archived from groups: alt.internet.wireless (More info?)

flahmeshess <dingdongdingding@yahoo.com> wrote:
> I just bought a wireless router. Don't know how to set up the
> security. WEP, WPA, etc.

You don't want WEP, unless you can't avoid it.
Have you cracked open the router manual, and attempted to read it?

Archived from groups: alt.internet.wireless (More info?)

I've read WEP is good, and WEP is not good. What are the knocks against
WEP?

I just got a wireless router. My options are Pre-Shared Key, PSK Radius,
Radius, and WEP.
What do you recommend?

Archived from groups: alt.internet.wireless (More info?)

Yes. It does not explain the terms.

Ian Stirling <root@mauve.demon.co.uk> wrote in message news:<4130cf37$0$59023$ed2619ec@ptn-nntp-reader01.plus.net>...
> flahmeshess <dingdongdingding@yahoo.com> wrote:
> > I just bought a wireless router. Don't know how to set up the
> > security. WEP, WPA, etc.
>
> You don't want WEP, unless you can't avoid it.
> Have you cracked open the router manual, and attempted to read it?

Archived from groups: alt.internet.wireless (More info?)

On Sat, 28 Aug 2004 23:12:57 -0700, WJ spoketh

>I've read WEP is good, and WEP is not good. What are the knocks against
>WEP?
>
>I just got a wireless router. My options are Pre-Shared Key, PSK Radius,
>Radius, and WEP.
>What do you recommend?
>
>

Well, unless it does say WPA somewhere, those are all WEP options. It's
a little odd to have PSK and WEP listed separately unless one if WPA and
one is WEP. Is there a help screen available on your wireless access
point/router??

WEP is bad because it's relatively easy to crack the encryption to get
the encryption key. Since there's no dynamic key negotiation (like with
WPA), it uses the same key you entered into the equipment for all
encryption until you manually change the key. It has been said that all
that is needed is about 1 hour (assuming enough network traffic) to
crack the WEP keys.

WPA-TKIP uses a dynamic key exchange to negotiate new keys with all the
clients. It is still the same encryption method (WEP), but the keys are
renegotiated by the access point and the clients, making it more
difficult to sniff out the keys. Renewal time should be somewhere
between 300 and 1800 seconds (5 minutes and 30 minutes), default is
usually 600 (10 minutes). Some vendors also provides support for a
different encryption called AES. If this is available to you, this is
the best option currently available. It's a much more robust encryption,
takes a little more power to do, but it's worth it.

Any option with Radius is for using a Radius server to authenticate the
connection. This is a very effective method of keeping people out, but
it's not really an option of the vast majority of home users..

Lars M. Hansen
http://www.hansenonline.net
(replace 'badnews' with 'news' in e-mail address)

Archived from groups: alt.internet.wireless (More info?)

Disable DHCP, set a subnet that will accomadate the number of computers you have
(I use 255.255.255.240) Give the router the first available IP (( the lowest
address in your range defines your network, the highest is the broadcast
address, and a third address (usually the second lowest) is reserved for the
router)) Use non default IPs (192.168.1.176-191, etc...) Enable WPA-PSK, AES.
Enter a good passphrase for the key. Disable SSID broadcast. Enable MAC
filtering to "Allow" and enter your cards MAC. Set your channel. Change the
default router password and SSID. Assign each computer a proper IP in the range
you chose. Configure your wireless card the same as the router (SSID, WPA-PSK,
AES and passphrase). Done.

I have Linksys, RTM for yours.

J


"WJ" <wj@nospam.com> wrote in message news:GteYc.57833$yh.13435@fed1read05...
> I've read WEP is good, and WEP is not good. What are the knocks against
> WEP?
>
> I just got a wireless router. My options are Pre-Shared Key, PSK Radius,
> Radius, and WEP.
> What do you recommend?
>
>
>

Archived from groups: alt.internet.wireless (More info?)

Thanks Jake, Lars, and mhicaoidh. All very helpful. I've done LANs and
some WANs. But the wireless security is relatively new to me (I have one
day's experience. :-) )

Reading the manuals now. Any links that provide not only "HOW", but also
"WHY"
are greatly appreciated. I'm always willing to take the time to read and
like to know
why things work the way they do. :-)

Archived from groups: alt.internet.wireless (More info?)

Taking a moment's reflection, WJ mused:
|
| I just got a wireless router. My options are Pre-Shared Key, PSK Radius,
| Radius, and WEP.
| What do you recommend?

If your Pre-Shared Key option is WPA (probably), use that. Leave your
SSID Broadcasting since people that can try to crack your key will detect it
whether you broadcast or not. WPA will protect you, though, as long as your
key is good. Disabling SSID can cause other problems as well. I wish all
those "Band-Aid wireless security sites" would remove that as a
recommendation.