Do I Have To Broadcast my SSID?

If I don't, how do I tell my computers how/where to find the internet
connection?
Thanks guys!
D

on Thu, 30 Dec 2004 at 15:21 GMT, D wrote:
> If I don't, how do I tell my computers how/where to find the internet
> connection?
> Thanks guys!
> D

People telling you should hide your SSID because of 'security' reasons
are wrong: it's no more secure than broadcasting your SSID.

If you do broadcast your SSID however, neighbours will have less problems
troubleshooting their wireless LAN.

Regards, Peter
--
The bigger the theory the better.

MSN/Mail: pboosten at hotmail dot com

Taking a moment's reflection, D mused:
|
| If I don't, how do I tell my computers how/where to find the internet
| connection?

You should do it in the setup of the clients. You would specify the
SSID there. But, it's no more secure to hide your SSID than to broadcast
it, and not broadcasting it can cause a host of connectivity issues as it is
outside the specification.

On Thu, 30 Dec 2004 08:21:55 -0700, D spoketh

>If I don't, how do I tell my computers how/where to find the internet
>connection?
>Thanks guys!
>D
>

if you don't broadcast you SSID, you need to manually create a preferred
network profile on your wireless clients so they know what SSID to use
to connect to the network. Just go to the Network Connections, select
your wireless connection and go to the Wireless properties page, then
click the "Add" button below the "Preferred networks" section.

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

Peter,

I've disabled broadcast ssid on my network for security reasons, it's one of
the many recommendations to secure a wireless network. This is one of the
many steps recommended by experts including the manufacturers of the
networking hardware themselves.

I've heard a number of people like yourself say that I am wrong in thinking
that this will make my network anymore secure. How can you say that when
broadcasting your ssid allows any novice to see your wireless network when
in range, inviting an intrusion?

This is like saying it makes no difference whether you lock your car or not.
Certainly leaving the doors and windows open all the time will clearly
increases the probability of trouble.

Rich

"Peter Boosten" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> on Thu, 30 Dec 2004 at 15:21 GMT, D wrote:
>> If I don't, how do I tell my computers how/where to find the internet
>> connection?
>> Thanks guys!
>> D
>
> People telling you should hide your SSID because of 'security' reasons
> are wrong: it's no more secure than broadcasting your SSID.
>
> If you do broadcast your SSID however, neighbours will have less problems
> troubleshooting their wireless LAN.
>
> Regards, Peter
> --
> The bigger the theory the better.
>
> MSN/Mail: pboosten at hotmail dot com

Thank you guys! I'll digest all this and give it a shot!
D


"Lars M. Hansen" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> On Thu, 30 Dec 2004 08:21:55 -0700, D spoketh
>
>>If I don't, how do I tell my computers how/where to find the internet
>>connection?
>>Thanks guys!
>>D
>>
>
> if you don't broadcast you SSID, you need to manually create a preferred
> network profile on your wireless clients so they know what SSID to use
> to connect to the network. Just go to the Network Connections, select
> your wireless connection and go to the Wireless properties page, then
> click the "Add" button below the "Preferred networks" section.
>
> Lars M. Hansen
> http://www.hansenonline.net
> (replace 'badnews' with 'news' in e-mail address)

"Richard Mesagna" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:7y0Bd.1193815$(E-Mail Removed)...
> Peter,
>
> I've disabled broadcast ssid on my network for security reasons, it's one
> of the many recommendations to secure a wireless network. This is one of
> the many steps recommended by experts including the manufacturers of the
> networking hardware themselves.

A couple of years ago, there were lots of articles on the web about
disabling SSID for security. I don't think you'll find many recent articles
pushing this point of view. Technically, it violates the standard, but not
in a way that matters greatly. It's a feature that is tolerated in wifi
certification, but definitely not required or recommended.

>
> I've heard a number of people like yourself say that I am wrong in
> thinking that this will make my network anymore secure. How can you say
> that when broadcasting your ssid allows any novice to see your wireless
> network when in range, inviting an intrusion?

At best, it prevents people from accidentally connecting to your net, since
they have to know your SSID in advance. There are several freeware packages
that allow even novices with inexpensive off-the-shelf wifi cards to monitor
and record every frame transmitted on a wifi network. The SSID is
transmitted unencrypted every time a client associates, so the SSID is still
there for all to see.

WEP or WPA are the only things that will hinder intruders from connecting to
your net. And if you do not broadcast SSID - as someone else here pointed
out - your neighbors are more likely to center their networks on the same
channel, causing unnecessary interference. If they could see your network,
they could avoid your channel.

>
> This is like saying it makes no difference whether you lock your car or
> not. Certainly leaving the doors and windows open all the time will
> clearly increases the probability of trouble.

Actually, I used to own a convertible. The top was cut open - on two
different occasions - to gain access to the glove compartment. I finally
wised up and started leaving the doors open when I parked it in public. I
found the glove compartment open a few times, but I never kept anything
valuable there.

I guess the moral is that the lock need only be as good as the door, and an
unencrypted network is a wide-open door (even if you hide it at the end of
an alley and hope that no-one notices it).

>
> Rich
>
> "Peter Boosten" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:(E-Mail Removed)...
>> on Thu, 30 Dec 2004 at 15:21 GMT, D wrote:
>>> If I don't, how do I tell my computers how/where to find the internet
>>> connection?
>>> Thanks guys!
>>> D
>>
>> People telling you should hide your SSID because of 'security' reasons
>> are wrong: it's no more secure than broadcasting your SSID.
>>
>> If you do broadcast your SSID however, neighbours will have less problems
>> troubleshooting their wireless LAN.
>>
>> Regards, Peter
>> --
>> The bigger the theory the better.
>>
>> MSN/Mail: pboosten at hotmail dot com
>
>

Taking a moment's reflection, Richard Mesagna mused:
|
| I've heard a number of people like yourself say that I am wrong in
| thinking that this will make my network anymore secure. How can you say
| that when broadcasting your ssid allows any novice to see your wireless
| network when in range, inviting an intrusion?

First, if you are concerned about intrusion, you should not be running
your network without WPA or WEP. The novice doesn't have the ability to
crack WEP or WPA. So, it doesn't matter if they can see your SSID. So,
let's assume someone who can crack WEP comes alone ... they are going to be
able to see your SSID whether it's broadcast or not.

| This is like saying it makes no difference whether you lock your car or
| not. Certainly leaving the doors and windows open all the time will
| clearly increases the probability of trouble.

Your problem is in your analogy ... disabling SSID is not a lock. WEP
and WPA are the locks. A better analogy would be parking your car in an
alley because it keeps it from view of the general public who might steal it
.... not knowing that the alley you parked it in is frequented by car
thieves. Obviously, disabling SSID doesn't increase your risk, but it
doesn't decrease it either, and could cause problems.

For example, I have four wireless networks in my area ... on of which is
mine. I had it set up on channel 11 at first, and I didn't broadcast SSID.
One day my throughput and connectivity went in the toilet. So, I started
checking into things ... I set things up to sniff the neighbourhood, and
found the two other networks. Both of them were on channel 11, and
interfering with my network. I reset mine to channel 1, and started
broadcasting SSID. Since then, no problems at all ... and a forth network
has shown up ... on channel 11 as well.