Should I Upgrade my Parents' 802.11b to G?

About a year and a half ago, I gave myparents a Linksys WAP11 wireless
access point. I have Mac address filtering and WEB encryption enabled.
I do have the SSID broadcasting since under Windows 2000 I Mom kept
getting an error saying her network was nor visible. But she still
have internet access. So Ibought her a new laptop for Christmas. Not
a big deal, just a Gateway machine. The laptop has 802.11G
capabilties, but I haven't upgraded the router. Somebody in #windows95
on Dalnet said that 128 bit WEP is basically useless! Should I upgrade
them to a Linksys WRT54G and ditch WEP, and use WPA-PKS? Is WEP really
that crackable? Mom and Dad generally don't rome around the
neighborhood with her laptop, so distance and range is not an issue.

Justin wrote:

>About a year and a half ago, I gave myparents a Linksys WAP11 wireless
>access point. I have Mac address filtering and WEB encryption enabled.
>I do have the SSID broadcasting since under Windows 2000 I Mom kept
>getting an error saying her network was nor visible. But she still
>have internet access. So Ibought her a new laptop for Christmas. Not
>a big deal, just a Gateway machine. The laptop has 802.11G
>capabilties, but I haven't upgraded the router. Somebody in #windows95
>on Dalnet said that 128 bit WEP is basically useless! Should I upgrade
>them to a Linksys WRT54G and ditch WEP, and use WPA-PKS? Is WEP really
>that crackable? Mom and Dad generally don't rome around the
>neighborhood with her laptop, so distance and range is not an issue.
>
>
>
WEP is really that insecure. No one is going to connect to a WEP secured
network by accident, but it is fairly easy and quick, with the proper
tools, to extract the encryption key.

WPA-PSK is not known to be vulnerable except to a dictionary attack
(short, easily guessed key).

> capabilties, but I haven't upgraded the router. Somebody in #windows95
> on Dalnet said that 128 bit WEP is basically useless! Should I upgrade
> them to a Linksys WRT54G and ditch WEP, and use WPA-PKS? Is WEP really
> that crackable? Mom and Dad generally don't rome around the
> neighborhood with her laptop, so distance and range is not an issue.

WEP can be cracked in 10 minutes, given half an hour to an hour to set
up, fart around, fail to get lucky and have to try a few times to catch
the right packet and do whatever and it should be a sure crack.

You have to weigh up what's at risk, is it the data in the air, the
intruder threat to your parents computer or the risk of a spammer using
the connection or indeed all of the above.

I'd suggest that the odd spammer is more likely to find one of the many
open AP's and not bother. The more likely crack would be from the local
script kiddie trying out his "powers".

David.

David Taylor wrote:
> > capabilties, but I haven't upgraded the router. Somebody in #windows95
> > on Dalnet said that 128 bit WEP is basically useless! Should I upgrade
> > them to a Linksys WRT54G and ditch WEP, and use WPA-PKS? Is WEP really
> > that crackable? Mom and Dad generally don't rome around the
> > neighborhood with her laptop, so distance and range is not an issue.
>
> WEP can be cracked in 10 minutes, given half an hour to an hour to set
> up, fart around, fail to get lucky and have to try a few times to catch
> the right packet and do whatever and it should be a sure crack.
>
> You have to weigh up what's at risk, is it the data in the air, the
> intruder threat to your parents computer or the risk of a spammer using
> the connection or indeed all of the above.
>
> I'd suggest that the odd spammer is more likely to find one of the many
> open AP's and not bother. The more likely crack would be from the local
> script kiddie trying out his "powers".
>
> David.

I think that answers my question. There is another secured via WEP)
network operating in rance with the name "n3tw0rk." He can't use my
network for spamming though since I have mac addy filtering. The thing
is, if I can see him, he can see me. Time to upgrade.

Now for the next question... Does Linksys have a five port version of
the WRT54G? I set up two printers for them, one color and one a
Samsung laserjet. Dad's PC is wired. That makes three. Plus the
Wireless access point... actually the WAP won't be there anymore so
that might work. and I can use a hub.
I just negated my own question. Right now I have the WAP11 hooked into
a BEFSR8 router.

Justin wrote:
>
> I think that answers my question. There is another secured via WEP)
> network operating in rance with the name "n3tw0rk." He can't use my
> network for spamming though since I have mac addy filtering.

Sure he can. It takes less time to set the MAC on your computer than it
does to crack WEP.

> The thing is, if I can see him, he can see me. Time to upgrade.

Yes.
>
> Now for the next question... Does Linksys have a five port version of
> the WRT54G? I set up two printers for them, one color and one a
> Samsung laserjet. Dad's PC is wired. That makes three. Plus the
> Wireless access point... actually the WAP won't be there anymore so
> that might work. and I can use a hub.
> I just negated my own question. Right now I have the WAP11 hooked into
> a BEFSR8 router.

LOL. You could probably even have turned the WAP11 into a hub ;-)
--
derek

> network operating in rance with the name "n3tw0rk." He can't use my
> network for spamming though since I have mac addy filtering. The thing

Sure he can use your network. Changing a wireless MAC address is
trivial, just requires an entry to be made, nothing to crack and the
allowed MAC addresses are in the clear and have to be.

If you're concerned about WEP cracking then MAC filtering is doing
nothing for you.

David.

Derek Broughton wrote:
> Justin wrote:
> >
> > I think that answers my question. There is another secured via WEP)
> > network operating in rance with the name "n3tw0rk." He can't use my
> > network for spamming though since I have mac addy filtering.
>
> Sure he can. It takes less time to set the MAC on your computer than it
> does to crack WEP.
>
> > The thing is, if I can see him, he can see me. Time to upgrade.
>
> Yes.
> >
> > Now for the next question... Does Linksys have a five port version of
> > the WRT54G? I set up two printers for them, one color and one a
> > Samsung laserjet. Dad's PC is wired. That makes three. Plus the
> > Wireless access point... actually the WAP won't be there anymore so
> > that might work. and I can use a hub.
> > I just negated my own question. Right now I have the WAP11 hooked into
> > a BEFSR8 router.
>
> LOL. You could probably even have turned the WAP11 into a hub ;-)
> --
> derek

I already had the router and desktops already wired, when certain
members of the household wanted me to wire each room for cat5. She
wanted ro roam around the house with her laptop.

"Justin" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>Should I upgrade
>them to a Linksys WRT54G and ditch WEP, and use WPA-PKS?

Absolutely. Best $60 you'll ever spend.

William P. N. Smith wrote:
> "Justin" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
> >Should I upgrade
> >them to a Linksys WRT54G and ditch WEP, and use WPA-PKS?
>
> Absolutely. Best $60 you'll ever spend.

I dunno about that... I spent $65 for a blowjob in Mexico.