Connecting to disabled network

[Guest]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windows.networking.wireless (More info?)

Hello,

I set up a a home network last month and up until tonight i was
"broadcasting" the SSID. I have now decided to disable SSID broadcast,
however, if i do this, my laptop doesnt see the network and I cant figure
out how to connect to my own network that the computer can't see! Any info
would be great. thanks.

Paul
Cleveland, OH

 

[Malke]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windows.networking.wireless (More info?)

Microsoft wrote:

> Hello,
>
> I set up a a home network last month and up until tonight i was
> "broadcasting" the SSID. I have now decided to disable SSID
> broadcast, however, if i do this, my laptop doesnt see the network and
> I cant figure
> out how to connect to my own network that the computer can't see! Any
> info
> would be great. thanks.
>
> Paul
> Cleveland, OH

You need to enable SSID. Disabling SSID will not provide you any
security. Here are links to explain that and help you:

The six dumbest ways to secure a wireless LAN -
http://blogs.zdnet.com/Ou/index.php?p=43

Wireless - Basic Security - http://www.ezlan.net/Wireless_Security.html

MVP Barb Bowman on wireless security - http://tinyurl.com/56fc5

Malke
--
Elephant Boy Computers
www.elephantboycomputers.com
"Don't Panic!"
MS-MVP Windows - Shell/User

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windows.networking.wireless (More info?)

Hi Microsoft,
I disabled SSID on my Linksys WAP55Ag Wireless Access Point. I have an
IBM T21 with the Linksys Wpc54GS PCMCIA card. I also have Sharp laptop using
the onboard wireless. I added that Mac address to the allowed MAC Address on
the Filter Tab of the configuration page for the router after you log in with
the admin ID and password. I created a very secure SSID and passcode. I am
able to view it the netowrk connections after adding it in the Network
Connections. I have also tried this on two Netgear Wireless G's with an HP
Laptop with onboard wireless and these two laptops. It works great. My wife
uses it for teaching online and stays connected. My mother in law takes her
HP to two different states and is able to connect on each router. So there
really is a solution. Don't give up hope. Let me know if you have any
questions. What kind of router do you have? What kind of wireless
connection from the PC are you using? Have you tried this website link yet?
I printed it out and tried it. It worked like a charm after adding the MAC
address to the filter tab on the router.
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/networking/learnmore/bowman_05february10.mspx


Hunter

"Microsoft" wrote:

> Hello,
>
> I set up a a home network last month and up until tonight i was
> "broadcasting" the SSID. I have now decided to disable SSID broadcast,
> however, if i do this, my laptop doesnt see the network and I cant figure
> out how to connect to my own network that the computer can't see! Any info
> would be great. thanks.
>
> Paul
> Cleveland, OH
>
>
>

 

[danr]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windows.networking.wireless (More info?)

In your list of preferred networks is your network listed at the top?
And does the word "(Automatic) follow the name of your preferred network. I've
seen the "(Automatic)" change to "(manual)" for some unknown reason and the only
way I could get it back to "automatic" was to "Remove" that preferred network
and then click "Add" and put it back into the list. It then defaulted to
"(Automatic)". Also... it should not read "(On Demand)" If it does highlight it
choose properties / Connection and check "Connect when this network is in
range".

Microsoft wrote:
> Hello,
>
> I set up a a home network last month and up until tonight i was
> "broadcasting" the SSID. I have now decided to disable SSID broadcast,
> however, if i do this, my laptop doesnt see the network and I cant figure
> out how to connect to my own network that the computer can't see! Any info
> would be great. thanks.
>
> Paul
> Cleveland, OH

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windows.networking.wireless (More info?)

Hi
http://www.ezlan.net/faq#ssid
Jack (MVP-Networking).


"Hunter B" <HunterB@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:80F87AE3-046D-4F1A-A179-BBCFA6F525B0@microsoft.com...
> Hi Microsoft,
> I disabled SSID on my Linksys WAP55Ag Wireless Access Point. I have an
> IBM T21 with the Linksys Wpc54GS PCMCIA card. I also have Sharp laptop using
> the onboard wireless. I added that Mac address to the allowed MAC Address on
> the Filter Tab of the configuration page for the router after you log in with
> the admin ID and password. I created a very secure SSID and passcode. I am
> able to view it the netowrk connections after adding it in the Network
> Connections. I have also tried this on two Netgear Wireless G's with an HP
> Laptop with onboard wireless and these two laptops. It works great. My wife
> uses it for teaching online and stays connected. My mother in law takes her
> HP to two different states and is able to connect on each router. So there
> really is a solution. Don't give up hope. Let me know if you have any
> questions. What kind of router do you have? What kind of wireless
> connection from the PC are you using? Have you tried this website link yet?
> I printed it out and tried it. It worked like a charm after adding the MAC
> address to the filter tab on the router.
> http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/networking/learnmore/bowman_05february10.mspx
>
>
> Hunter
>
> "Microsoft" wrote:
>
> > Hello,
> >
> > I set up a a home network last month and up until tonight i was
> > "broadcasting" the SSID. I have now decided to disable SSID broadcast,
> > however, if i do this, my laptop doesnt see the network and I cant figure
> > out how to connect to my own network that the computer can't see! Any info
> > would be great. thanks.
> >
> > Paul
> > Cleveland, OH
> >
> >
> >

 

[danr]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windows.networking.wireless (More info?)

Jack... a quote from your link says "Any serious intruder would use the free
widely available Netstumbler and will find your Network in 5 sec. regardless of
the status of SSID." I don't think that's true. My experience with Netstumbler
is that it will NOT find disabled SSID networks.

Jack (MVP) wrote:
> Hi
> http://www.ezlan.net/faq#ssid
> Jack (MVP-Networking).
>
>
> "Hunter B" <HunterB@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
> news:80F87AE3-046D-4F1A-A179-BBCFA6F525B0@microsoft.com...
>> Hi Microsoft,
>> I disabled SSID on my Linksys WAP55Ag Wireless Access Point. I have an
>> IBM T21 with the Linksys Wpc54GS PCMCIA card. I also have Sharp laptop using
>> the onboard wireless. I added that Mac address to the allowed MAC Address on
>> the Filter Tab of the configuration page for the router after you log in with
>> the admin ID and password. I created a very secure SSID and passcode. I am
>> able to view it the netowrk connections after adding it in the Network
>> Connections. I have also tried this on two Netgear Wireless G's with an HP
>> Laptop with onboard wireless and these two laptops. It works great. My wife
>> uses it for teaching online and stays connected. My mother in law takes her
>> HP to two different states and is able to connect on each router. So there
>> really is a solution. Don't give up hope. Let me know if you have any
>> questions. What kind of router do you have? What kind of wireless
>> connection from the PC are you using? Have you tried this website link yet?
>> I printed it out and tried it. It worked like a charm after adding the MAC
>> address to the filter tab on the router.
>>
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/networking/learnmore/bowman_05february10.mspx
>>
>>
>> Hunter
>>
>> "Microsoft" wrote:
>>
>>> Hello,
>>>
>>> I set up a a home network last month and up until tonight i was
>>> "broadcasting" the SSID. I have now decided to disable SSID broadcast,
>>> however, if i do this, my laptop doesnt see the network and I cant figure
>>> out how to connect to my own network that the computer can't see! Any info
>>> would be great. thanks.
>>>
>>> Paul
>>> Cleveland, OH

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windows.networking.wireless (More info?)

Hi
If an AP responds to Beacon probes Netstumbler would detect it even if the SSID
broadcast turned off.

If your Wireless Card is configured to a specific SSID, Netstumbler would not connect to
other Wireless Network.

Your card has to be configured to Blank SSID or if Blank is not allowed to SSID name
Any.

Jack (MVP-Networking).





"DanR" <dhr22@sorrynospm.com> wrote in message
news:8ZLre.1312$Nz2.553@newssvr11.news.prodigy.com...
> Jack... a quote from your link says "Any serious intruder would use the free
> widely available Netstumbler and will find your Network in 5 sec. regardless of
> the status of SSID." I don't think that's true. My experience with Netstumbler
> is that it will NOT find disabled SSID networks.
>
> Jack (MVP) wrote:
> > Hi
> > http://www.ezlan.net/faq#ssid
> > Jack (MVP-Networking).
> >
> >
> > "Hunter B" <HunterB@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
> > news:80F87AE3-046D-4F1A-A179-BBCFA6F525B0@microsoft.com...
> >> Hi Microsoft,
> >> I disabled SSID on my Linksys WAP55Ag Wireless Access Point. I have an
> >> IBM T21 with the Linksys Wpc54GS PCMCIA card. I also have Sharp laptop using
> >> the onboard wireless. I added that Mac address to the allowed MAC Address on
> >> the Filter Tab of the configuration page for the router after you log in with
> >> the admin ID and password. I created a very secure SSID and passcode. I am
> >> able to view it the netowrk connections after adding it in the Network
> >> Connections. I have also tried this on two Netgear Wireless G's with an HP
> >> Laptop with onboard wireless and these two laptops. It works great. My wife
> >> uses it for teaching online and stays connected. My mother in law takes her
> >> HP to two different states and is able to connect on each router. So there
> >> really is a solution. Don't give up hope. Let me know if you have any
> >> questions. What kind of router do you have? What kind of wireless
> >> connection from the PC are you using? Have you tried this website link yet?
> >> I printed it out and tried it. It worked like a charm after adding the MAC
> >> address to the filter tab on the router.
> >>
> http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/networking/learnmore/bowman_05february10.mspx
> >>
> >>
> >> Hunter
> >>
> >> "Microsoft" wrote:
> >>
> >>> Hello,
> >>>
> >>> I set up a a home network last month and up until tonight i was
> >>> "broadcasting" the SSID. I have now decided to disable SSID broadcast,
> >>> however, if i do this, my laptop doesnt see the network and I cant figure
> >>> out how to connect to my own network that the computer can't see! Any info
> >>> would be great. thanks.
> >>>
> >>> Paul
> >>> Cleveland, OH
>
>

 

[danr]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windows.networking.wireless (More info?)

Jack (MVP) wrote:
> Hi
> If an AP responds to Beacon probes Netstumbler would detect it even if the
> SSID broadcast turned off.
>
> If your Wireless Card is configured to a specific SSID, Netstumbler would not
> connect to other Wireless Network.
>
> Your card has to be configured to Blank SSID or if Blank is not allowed to
> SSID name Any.
>
> Jack (MVP-Networking).
>

I don't know what you mean by Blank SSID or Any. Here is how I did my
experiment. With my SSID NOT being broadcast I boot my laptop and connect to my
wireless network. Netstumber shows my network and a neighbor's network. I then
dis-connect from my network (I'm not connected to any network) and re-load
Netstumbler. I see my neighbor's network but do NOT see my network.
I did not make sure there was any activity on my network however. So tomorrow
I'll play around again and while the laptop is NOT "connected" to any network...
I will use another wireless computer here to create traffic. Will even boot that
other computer so it has to go out and find the network. Will see what happens.
But about the word "Blank". Is there something special about that SSID name? Do
I need to enter that SSID name into my list of preferred networks on the laptop
that is doing this experiment?