Solution- Can't connect with disabled SSID MN-510

After thinking for a long while, I figured it out. There
are two sets of drivers available for the MN-510.

One can be downloaded here by clicking on MN-510:
http://www.microsoft.com/hardware/br...tworking/15_Do
wnloads.aspx

This is version 1.31.9.0 and is for Win 9x, 2k
(mswusb50.sys) or XP (mswusb51.sys)

The other is version 3.04.205 and is for XP Only (mn510-
51.sys).
It is automatically installed when you run the
MSBNDownload.exe (the one that contains all of the
updates).

Version 1.31.9.0 works properly with the SSID broadcast
disabled while ver. 3.04.205 will not detect networks that
have it disabled.

So after getting all of the updates, just download the old
version from above and use it.

I think that 3.04.205 is the version that includes WPA
suppor though I am not positive.

Hopefull somebody from Microsoft will read this and fix
the new version before the next release.

-Concerned

Disabling the SSID broadcast is not a valid method of securing a
wireless network. MAC filtering is, WEP is, & WPA is. The reason
disabling the SSID isn't is because every broadcast from the router &
wireless clients includes that without it being encrypted.

This is why disabling the SSID shouldn't make you feel any safer with
wireless networking.

concerned wrote:
> After thinking for a long while, I figured it out. There
> are two sets of drivers available for the MN-510.
>
> One can be downloaded here by clicking on MN-510:
> http://www.microsoft.com/hardware/br...tworking/15_Do
> wnloads.aspx
>
> This is version 1.31.9.0 and is for Win 9x, 2k
> (mswusb50.sys) or XP (mswusb51.sys)
>
> The other is version 3.04.205 and is for XP Only (mn510-
> 51.sys).
> It is automatically installed when you run the
> MSBNDownload.exe (the one that contains all of the
> updates).
>
> Version 1.31.9.0 works properly with the SSID broadcast
> disabled while ver. 3.04.205 will not detect networks that
> have it disabled.
>
> So after getting all of the updates, just download the old
> version from above and use it.
>
> I think that 3.04.205 is the version that includes WPA
> suppor though I am not positive.
>
> Hopefull somebody from Microsoft will read this and fix
> the new version before the next release.
>
> -Concerned

That was not the point of my post, I just stated that I
found out where the problem is (in the driver update) as I
have read several posts of people having the same problems
after disabling the SSID broadcast.

IMHO, it keeps the average people from finding my network,
I know anybody that has a brain will use something to
locate it anyways... I think adding that extra little bit
can help in the area I live. If you dont think it helps,
dont use it.

-concerned

>-----Original Message-----
>Disabling the SSID broadcast is not a valid method of
securing a
>wireless network. MAC filtering is, WEP is, & WPA is.
The reason
>disabling the SSID isn't is because every broadcast from
the router &
>wireless clients includes that without it being encrypted.
>
>This is why disabling the SSID shouldn't make you feel
any safer with
>wireless networking.
>
>concerned wrote:
>> After thinking for a long while, I figured it out.
There
>> are two sets of drivers available for the MN-510.
>>
>> One can be downloaded here by clicking on MN-510:
>>
http://www.microsoft.com/hardware/br...tworking/15_Do
>> wnloads.aspx
>>
>> This is version 1.31.9.0 and is for Win 9x, 2k
>> (mswusb50.sys) or XP (mswusb51.sys)
>>
>> The other is version 3.04.205 and is for XP Only (mn510-
>> 51.sys).
>> It is automatically installed when you run the
>> MSBNDownload.exe (the one that contains all of the
>> updates).
>>
>> Version 1.31.9.0 works properly with the SSID broadcast
>> disabled while ver. 3.04.205 will not detect networks
that
>> have it disabled.
>>
>> So after getting all of the updates, just download the
old
>> version from above and use it.
>>
>> I think that 3.04.205 is the version that includes WPA
>> suppor though I am not positive.
>>
>> Hopefull somebody from Microsoft will read this and fix
>> the new version before the next release.
>>
>> -Concerned
>
>.
>

Joker,

You need a passive sniffer, like Kismet (Unix/Linux-based)
in order to identify a non-broadcast SSID. Most
wardrivers use the Windows-based Netstumber, which is an
active sniffer. I've found my old broadcast SSID (from 1
1/2 yrs ago)in a database lookup on the web. I haven't
found any of my non-broadcast SSIDs.

While I agree that disabling the SSID is not a valid
method for securing a wireless network, it does prevent
the vast majority of casual wardrivers from seeing your
network in the first place. If the network isn't
visible, then they aren't tempted to crack it or connect
to it. I believe that disabling the SSID, used in
conjunction with other methods of securing/masking your
network will help to make your home network as
reasonably secure as it can be.

There is an excellent web-based article on Wireless
Security at http://arstechnica.com/paedia/w/wireless-
security-howto/home-802.11b-1.html. The article is
titled "Security Practicum: Essential Home Wireless
Security Practices" by Ken "Caesar" Fisher. Another
article is the "Wireless Security Blackpaper" by
Trey "Azariah" Dismukes at
http://arstechnica.com/paedia/w/wireless/security-
1.html. Lastly, check out the "Wireless Networking Basic
Security Checklist" by Frank Thornton (one of the
moderators of the Netstumbler forums):
ftp://ftp.blackthornsystems.com/pub/WLAN_Sec_Home.pdf.

One extra layer of perceived security shouldn't be
dismissed so readily.

Kurt
>-----Original Message-----
>Disabling the SSID broadcast is not a valid method of
securing a
>wireless network. MAC filtering is, WEP is, & WPA is.
The reason
>disabling the SSID isn't is because every broadcast from
the router &
>wireless clients includes that without it being
encrypted.
>
>This is why disabling the SSID shouldn't make you feel
any safer with
>wireless networking.
>
>concerned wrote:
>> After thinking for a long while, I figured it out.
There
>> are two sets of drivers available for the MN-510.
>>
>> One can be downloaded here by clicking on MN-510:
>>
http://www.microsoft.com/hardware/br...etworking/15_D
o
>> wnloads.aspx
>>
>> This is version 1.31.9.0 and is for Win 9x, 2k
>> (mswusb50.sys) or XP (mswusb51.sys)
>>
>> The other is version 3.04.205 and is for XP Only
(mn510-
>> 51.sys).
>> It is automatically installed when you run the
>> MSBNDownload.exe (the one that contains all of the
>> updates).
>>
>> Version 1.31.9.0 works properly with the SSID
broadcast
>> disabled while ver. 3.04.205 will not detect networks
that
>> have it disabled.
>>
>> So after getting all of the updates, just download the
old
>> version from above and use it.
>>
>> I think that 3.04.205 is the version that includes WPA
>> suppor though I am not positive.
>>
>> Hopefull somebody from Microsoft will read this and
fix
>> the new version before the next release.
>>
>> -Concerned
>
>.
>