ssid broadcasting from my netgear router

Hi

i have setup my wireless net at home and have been reading a bit into
security, it left me wondering about whether to broadcast the ssid from the
router.

there are a few wireless networks in the neighbourhood and i can see them
from my laptop, i can also see they have no security setup which seems a bit
mad

Now if i can see theirs then they can obviously see mine, so if i turn off
broadcast ssid on my router, then they cant see the network in the available
list (i hope this true!) but how do i connect to it if it does not
automatically appear in the available networks

Cheers and TIA

C

There is no good reason to not broadcast the SSID. The SSID can be easily obtained by tools like
Kismet even when cloaked. Your much better off using 128-bit WEP or better yet WPA if your hardware
supports it...

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/u..._03july28.mspx

http://support.microsoft.com/default...b;en-us;811427

http://support.microsoft.com/default...b;en-us;309369

http://support.microsoft.com/default...b;en-us;870702

http://support.microsoft.com/default...b;en-us;313242

Personally I use WPA-PSK (TKIP) with a very long random key on my home network...

--
Al Jarvi (MS-MVP Windows Networking)

Please post *ALL* questions and replies to the news group for the mutual benefit of all of us...
The MS-MVP Program - http://mvp.support.microsoft.com
This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights...

"Craig" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:416561f3$0$20314$(E-Mail Removed). ..
> Hi
>
> i have setup my wireless net at home and have been reading a bit into security, it left me
> wondering about whether to broadcast the ssid from the router.
>
> there are a few wireless networks in the neighbourhood and i can see them from my laptop, i can
> also see they have no security setup which seems a bit mad
>
> Now if i can see theirs then they can obviously see mine, so if i turn off broadcast ssid on my
> router, then they cant see the network in the available list (i hope this true!) but how do i
> connect to it if it does not automatically appear in the available networks
>
> Cheers and TIA
>
> C
>

i have wpa- psk setup which i hope is keeping people out, the router is
running a firewall and filtering mac addresses. i have also turned on
wireless confinement so the wireless pc's cant see each other. on the pc it
has a firewall running on that

i guess there is not much left

Cheers
C

"Sooner Al" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> There is no good reason to not broadcast the SSID. The SSID can be easily
> obtained by tools like Kismet even when cloaked. Your much better off
> using 128-bit WEP or better yet WPA if your hardware supports it...
>
> http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/u..._03july28.mspx
>
> http://support.microsoft.com/default...b;en-us;811427
>
> http://support.microsoft.com/default...b;en-us;309369
>
> http://support.microsoft.com/default...b;en-us;870702
>
> http://support.microsoft.com/default...b;en-us;313242
>
> Personally I use WPA-PSK (TKIP) with a very long random key on my home
> network...
>
> --
> Al Jarvi (MS-MVP Windows Networking)
>
> Please post *ALL* questions and replies to the news group for the mutual
> benefit of all of us...
> The MS-MVP Program - http://mvp.support.microsoft.com
> This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no
> rights...
>
> "Craig" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:416561f3$0$20314$(E-Mail Removed). ..
>> Hi
>>
>> i have setup my wireless net at home and have been reading a bit into
>> security, it left me wondering about whether to broadcast the ssid from
>> the router.
>>
>> there are a few wireless networks in the neighbourhood and i can see them
>> from my laptop, i can also see they have no security setup which seems a
>> bit mad
>>
>> Now if i can see theirs then they can obviously see mine, so if i turn
>> off broadcast ssid on my router, then they cant see the network in the
>> available list (i hope this true!) but how do i connect to it if it does
>> not automatically appear in the available networks
>>
>> Cheers and TIA
>>
>> C
>>
>

"Craig" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message news:416561f3$0$20314$(E-Mail Removed). ..
> but how do i connect to it if it does not
> automatically appear in the available networks

Just add your AP into the lower pane of the Wireless networks dialog box
(in SP2 - click on Advanced configuration to open it).
Enter the SSID, encryption keys etc. This adds it to Preferred networks list.
Then you should get connection, and your SSID will appear in the available list,
even though it is hidden.

--PA