Hidden wireless networks and interference

[japlytic]

Turning off the "SSID broadcast" feature of wireless access points improves security, but this creates another problem: You don't know what channels your neighbours are using, and if you use the same channel as your neighbour, your wireless network could be slower than you would expect, because your neighbour's wireless network is causing interference with your wireless network.

Do some wireless access points do a "site survey", which means scanning each channel and detecting signals from "hidden" wireless networks, just like the Wi-Spy or a spectrum analyzer? This would be a great feature.

Each wireless network I install would be given a unique name with WPA (not WEP, because this keeps out all but the most determined intruders), a channel with little or no interference from neighbouring wireless networks, and I would only turn off the SSID broadcast in a corporate environment.

[NxB]

Re: Hidden wireless networks and interference

Use WPA2 and leave the SSID broadcasting. They can find your network anyway when sniffing around. WPA2 has no real exploits just dictionary attacks. WEP is easily breakable.

[Junk Parts]

Re: Hidden wireless networks and interference

This is why I turned off the wireless side of my network. When I was wireless here "no security turned on" I had people stopping on my side street everyday to jump on my broadband with their laptops. I got me three cables and hardwired my little network. Then I went to the web page for my Wireless modem/router and turned off the wireless side of things. It was fun watching the Pirates roll up expecting a little free internet, and finding nothing....LOL With my network all being in one room it was easy for me to go "hardwire." For most networks wireless is needed so I guess you need all the security on it that you can run. My brother is a real "CrackerJack" when it comes to this sort of thing. If he wanted to use a secured wireless network he would mount his attack, and in some, maybe most cases he would get in. He doesn't do this stuff anymore. Lets just say that he got in a big jam at work hacking his employers network with his personal laptop. While he was online at work people from Langly showed up to "talk" to him...LOL Because of his hacking he defeated the security of all the US Coast Guard bases on the eastcoast for two hours... He is so lucky that he didn't go to jail or get fired! Now he can't even touch a PC there without his Boss being with him.

[NxB]

Re: Hidden wireless networks and interference

Anyone can crack wep. You inject traffic and capture the packets then decrypt it. Takes about 20 minutes.

Years ago, I was in the same situation he had at work but they fired me. I really hate boredom.

[japlytic]

Re: Hidden wireless networks and interference

Another reason why I leave the SSID broadcast on (except in a corporate environment) is to make it easy for users to avoid "dead spots", especially in brick buildings.
Leaving the SSID broadcast on makes it easy to see that the wireless network is operational (and if the SSID is not visible, the access point has either lost power or has bad capacitors).
I am a bit cautious about using WPA2, and I would only use it if I am 100% certain that all devices support it. What I use for wireless networks I install at the moment is WPA with AES.
Also, I would be inclined to turn off the SSID broadcast for wireless access points which only support WEP (after assessing any "dead spots" in the building).

[bgavin]

Re: Hidden wireless networks and interference

Anyone can crack wep. You inject traffic and capture the packets then decrypt it. Takes about 20 minutes.
(

A baseball bat applied to the cracker will often cure that problem.

[NxB]

Re: Hidden wireless networks and interference

Sure would. If you knew where they were you could also tell them to stop. Wep is kind of like using a plastic lock on your bike and leaving it 2 blocks from your house. Turning off the ssid is like putting a tarp over it.

[ratdude747]

Re: Hidden wireless networks and interference

i leave the ssids for my 2 networks at home ("bolan home" and "bolan home 2") visible and no encryption. too lazy and since our neighbors do the same and were too retarded to change the ssid (it comes up as "linksys", the name also shows how gullible they are). figure they are more likely to get phished. besides, no bank files on our pc's, all web based or paper based.

[bgavin]

Re: Hidden wireless networks and interference

Asking him to stop has the same result as asking a mugger to leave you alone.

Crackers don't learn until pain is applied.
This can be applied with a baseball bat, or $80,000 per song.
Or a public flogging, such as given to that tagger dipshit in Singapore.

One of my clients intentionally names his SSID as "2WIRE".

His line of thinking is, nobody wants to hack into a dipshit user with this crapper router in place.
My line of thinking is, this dipshit would be open to snooping.

[NxB]

Re: Hidden wireless networks and interference

80,000 per song? I don't believe in copyright abuse. I think the people doing that deserve a baseball bat to the head and then some.

You would probably find that most people using your wifi aren't quite as violent as muggers. They would probably drive off before you even got to the car.

[ratdude747]

Re: Hidden wireless networks and interference

yay! post #800!!!

i was going to encrypt my home's networks but found a snag. for some reason my dad's dlink air plus card only does wep, which requires the 8 digit codes (really bad PITA). i wanted wpa or wpa2 but if the card wont do it then i will not either.

do i have my facts straight? how should i go about fixing it?

[bgavin]

Re: Hidden wireless networks and interference

A judge just handed down the verdict on that Tannenbaum guy.. $80k per song. Socked him over $600 grand if memory serves.

[NxB]

Re: Hidden wireless networks and interference

I'd never pay. Of course they win most of the time, they are like the mob without the killing.

If your card only supports wep you can try a firmware or driver update. Otherwise you have to buy a new card. An update should get you at least WPA.

[ratdude747]

Re: Hidden wireless networks and interference

not worth the effort. no avail. firmware and it did the same thing in ubuntu under nidiswrapper. no problems reported so far so i should be ok leaving it unsecured. besides, we get unlimited acces via dsl 8meg so anybody stealing it isnt hurting us much.