Thread: Passwords

Originally Posted by ss_11000

Hey guys

I have a question for the computer smart forumites out there. If you had a wireless network in your house, how do you set it up so you have to have a password to connect to the internet? Basically, you just want to stop others from tapping into your connection and using up your download limits.

Thanx in advance

Are you using a wireless router? If so, log into it and it should have an option to set various security options. WEP, WPA, WPA-PSK, etc. make a list of which ones it supports.

Then look at the properties of all the wireless cards on the computers you want to connect and determine what options they support... As you can generally only choose one type for a given WLAN, so you want to make sure that you pick one they'll all support.

If you're running different OS's on different computers then WEP will possibly be the only common type. (Far from the best, it's pretty much the bottom of the pick. But almost everything supports it. )

If WEP is the go, then I'd recommend selecting "shared key" (DON'T select "Open System!") and choosing the highest encryption common to all devices. 128-bit is good, 152 better. Try to avoid 64 bit, but if that's the only common choice...

Then you'll need to enter the same password on every computer to have access. (Unless you want them to manually log in, but on some systems that not an option.)

This ain't exactly an all-encompassing in-depth guide, but it'll get you pointed in the right direction to set up a secure network...

If you're just connecting one 'puta to another, it's more or less the same process except it's just a peer-to-peer network and you'll need to set up ICS if using Windows on the serving 'puta.

thanx skew. i will print this off and give to dad.

If you are running a wireless router, as part of the setup, change the SSID from the manufacturers default (e.g. "DLink" or "Belkin" etc), to something site specific, and change the admin account password from the default (often 'admin"). Leaving the default SSID tells anyone snooping with ill intent what brand and sometime model of router is in use, after which they can easily identify the default admin password and attempt to gain access via the admin account. I have come accross cases where people have been gatecrashed and kicked off their own account, which was hijacked by neighbours..

If the router will support it, it is also smart to set the router to only communicate with specified network adaptor MAC addresses. (The MAC adress is the network adaptor 'serial number'). This is another level of anti gatecrash protection.

Only high strength encryption will stop determined eavesdropping ( listening in and logging information transfered to get passwords, or other data.) For this reason, I never use internet banking etc on a computer unless I know it is on a wired (RJ 45 style) router channel.

They guys have given good advice.

Make sure you turn on at least a basic encryption and change the admin password. Hint.. write these on a sticker and put them on the bottom of your wireless router.. it will save you a LOT of grief when buy a new PC.

The different levels of encryption are basically how long it would take a dedicated hacker to get into your system. Hours, days, years or decades. Any casual kid next door will get a password prompt and try someplace else. If you want to build a dedicated box to crack wireless passwords, it can be done in days on even the highest encryption by running the algorthim on multiple high power graphics accelerators.

If you want 100% security dont use wireless... in fact wireless keyboards can be tapped from 50m away.

But for home use... just make sure you turn on some form of encryption.

Ian

All very good advice.

WEP encryption and MAC address access control will at least keep the casual criminal out of you net.

WPA2 if you want to get serious.

What I covered is absolute bare-bones basic stuff. WEP only prevent passers by armed with laptops from casually logging in & using your bandwidth.

Higher security requires knowledge of your router, WLAN cards & OS before we could give you a step-by-step guide... and giving us those details publicly would compromise security in other ways.

(Armed with NMap, Ettercap & Kismet, no WLAN is safe from me! Mwahahahaha! )


Errrm... Sorry! The inner geek gets past my internal filters occasionally...

cheers guys, i will let you know how we go