Wireless network security

[phenious]

I have WPA-PSK and WPA on my Dlink-524, anyone wanna tell me the difference? is the PSK the WPA 2? Will look it up later on and post back if no one repsonds soon

[jkrohn]

No they are not the same. WPA-PSK uses a preshared key but is allowed to use any encryption algorithm available. (Including TKIP).

WPA2 is only allowed to use AES.

Jkrohn

[phenious]

.... well WPA2 was not availiable to me. So which would be the most secure solution for me? WPA or WPA-PSK?

[jkrohn]

There are two versions of WPA. One meant for enterprise, one meant for home.
The one meant for home is WPA-PSK. This means you go to each machine and type in the preshared key.
For the enterprise version (WPA-802.1X) you use a Radius server to authenticate users.

Since I doubt you have a radius server setup use WPA-PSK Neither is "more secure" unless you are in a corporate environment and want to controll access on the user level instead of having one "master key" so to speak.

Jkrohn

[phenious]

Thank you very much, the Radius server sounds like fun though!!!

Reading up @ wikipedia!!!

Wifi Security Info

Wifi Info

Free Radius Server

So how long you figure before someone breaks this encryption?

[SiliconJon]

802.11b is also unacceptably insecure by design, but it's not truely defenseless.

Originally Posted by Security Focus

The flaw is only present in devices using a Direct Sequence Spread Spectrum (DSSS) physical layer, including IEEE 802.11, 802.11b and 802.11g wireless devices operating at low speed. 802.11a and 802.11g wireless devices configured to operate at speeds above 20Mbps are not affected by the glitch,

Not new news, but still important since there is no direct fix for the problem.

[Sixpac_XP]

Originally Posted by phenious

Thank you very much, the Radius server sounds like fun though!!!

Reading up @ wikipedia!!!

Free Radius Server

So how long you figure before someone breaks this encryption?

so I gather that Free Radius only runs on Linux? Is there a free version of a radius server that runs in a Windows environment?

[johnnyis42]

here's a great new vulnerability.... if you have a laptop and wireless that is always on and the wireless zero service is set to start automatically, when you're booted up and not connected to an access point someone within range can come right up and connect to you because windows will AUTOMATICALLY enable an ad-hoc network with the last ssid you were connected to, allowing anyone to come in on the 169.254.x.x addresses. best part is... this is BY DESIGN. thanks microsoft!

-edit-

forgot to mention that any firewall that blocks the 169.254.x.x network by default, or dissallows your machine sharing out to the network pretty much buttons up the big stealing your files problem. if it just blocks the network, you're totally safe, though you may wonder why your firewall keeps complaining to you that someone is trying to access your machine when you're not connected to anything.

[sr71000]

really. I've never noticed an ad-hoc network around my house but i'll give it a swing (and with my laptop, I constantly switch networks from work, to school, to home, to customer.... I'll have to check that out though!

[Rolo Tomasi]

I have built a jetway 939 sli g rig - works great
Only thing is the internet connection is weak - so weak that when it dies i need my old pc to suck the signal back from the modem before it will even work again - then it stays for a few days and dies again - (and i don't mean a wireless connection)
It will under no circumstances receive the signal when i try to use a router between the modem for a network
I know in my ignorance that i have failed to set up the motherboard properly while building or some other setting but i just don't know where to begin

Please help Rolo