Wireless - How do I stop other people from accessing my wireless?

On XP I have setup wireless network... how can I prevent other people (eg.
neighbours) from picking up the signal and joining my network? I tried the
following:

Data encryption (WEP enabled) - tick
Network Authentication (Shared mode) - tick
Key is provided automatically - untick
Network key: some 5 digit letters

Now to test, I connected to the network, and typed in the wrong network key,
yet the damn computer still connects to the network... I thought this was
meant to be some type of passord to limit access but obvioulsy it is not
since I didnt need to type thepassword to access the network. Please
advise!!!

btw, using ad-hoc without router
I just want simple security to limit access to network

Thanks.

On Mon, 19 Apr 2004 20:56:49 +0100, Andre <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

> On XP I have setup wireless network... how can I prevent other people
> (eg.
> neighbours) from picking up the signal and joining my network? I tried
> the
> following:
>
> Data encryption (WEP enabled) - tick
> Network Authentication (Shared mode) - tick
> Key is provided automatically - untick
> Network key: some 5 digit letters
>
> Now to test, I connected to the network, and typed in the wrong network
> key,
> yet the damn computer still connects to the network... I thought this was
> meant to be some type of passord to limit access but obvioulsy it is not
> since I didnt need to type thepassword to access the network. Please
> advise!!!
>
> btw, using ad-hoc without router
> I just want simple security to limit access to network
>
> Thanks.
>
>

Hi,

Depending on what router you have you may be able to restrict access to
certain MAC addresses. Each MAC address is unique to every network card so
restricting access to only the MAC addresses of wireless cards you own
will prevent anyone else logging on to your router.

--
Regards,

| Dave Tomlinson Unmetered & ADSL solutions
| Technical Support for Home & Business
| PlusNet Technologies Ltd. @ http://www.plus.net
+ ----- My Referrals - It pays to recommend PlusNet -----

If you read the original post, you would see that he does not have arouter.
He is using ad-hoc mode, so going on about MAC address filtering is not very
helpful.


"PlusNet Support Team" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news(E-Mail Removed)...
> On Mon, 19 Apr 2004 20:56:49 +0100, Andre <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>
> > On XP I have setup wireless network... how can I prevent other people
> > (eg.
> > neighbours) from picking up the signal and joining my network? I tried
> > the
> > following:
> >
> > Data encryption (WEP enabled) - tick
> > Network Authentication (Shared mode) - tick
> > Key is provided automatically - untick
> > Network key: some 5 digit letters
> >
> > Now to test, I connected to the network, and typed in the wrong network
> > key,
> > yet the damn computer still connects to the network... I thought this
was
> > meant to be some type of passord to limit access but obvioulsy it is not
> > since I didnt need to type thepassword to access the network. Please
> > advise!!!
> >
> > btw, using ad-hoc without router
> > I just want simple security to limit access to network
> >
> > Thanks.
> >
> >
>
> Hi,
>
> Depending on what router you have you may be able to restrict access to
> certain MAC addresses. Each MAC address is unique to every network card so
> restricting access to only the MAC addresses of wireless cards you own
> will prevent anyone else logging on to your router.
>
> --
> Regards,
>
> | Dave Tomlinson Unmetered & ADSL solutions
> | Technical Support for Home & Business
> | PlusNet Technologies Ltd. @ http://www.plus.net
> + ----- My Referrals - It pays to recommend PlusNet -----

"Piers James" <nospan-(E-Mail Removed)-nospam> wrote in message
news:Zndhc.287$(E-Mail Removed)...
> If you read the original post, you would see that he does not have
arouter.
> He is using ad-hoc mode, so going on about MAC address filtering is not
very
> helpful.
>


Might help if rather than bitching about someone elses reply you made some
constructive comments of your own

Thanks for your advise (?) guys..... i aprreciate the thoughts but still not
sure wot the answer is...

"Jacko" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:Luehc.32348$(E-Mail Removed)...
>
> "Piers James" <nospan-(E-Mail Removed)-nospam> wrote in message
> news:Zndhc.287$(E-Mail Removed)...
> > If you read the original post, you would see that he does not have
> arouter.
> > He is using ad-hoc mode, so going on about MAC address filtering is not
> very
> > helpful.
> >
>
>
> Might help if rather than bitching about someone elses reply you made
some
> constructive comments of your own
>
>

"Andre" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:408589a3$(E-Mail Removed)...
> Thanks for your advise (?) guys..... i aprreciate the thoughts but still
not
> sure wot the answer is...
>

What make/model wireless setup do you have ? don't think you specified

I would have made some suggestions, if I had any. I use a router and never
tried ad-hoc mode, so I don't know enough about it, so I didn't answer, but
I least I read the post properly first.

I don't see that you have offered any advice either!!!


"Jacko" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:Luehc.32348$(E-Mail Removed)...
>
> "Piers James" <nospan-(E-Mail Removed)-nospam> wrote in message
> news:Zndhc.287$(E-Mail Removed)...
> > If you read the original post, you would see that he does not have
> arouter.
> > He is using ad-hoc mode, so going on about MAC address filtering is not
> very
> > helpful.
> >
>
>
> Might help if rather than bitching about someone elses reply you made
some
> constructive comments of your own
>
>

PlusNet Support Team <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
> On Mon, 19 Apr 2004 20:56:49 +0100, Andre <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
<snip>
> Depending on what router you have you may be able to restrict access to
> certain MAC addresses. Each MAC address is unique to every network card so
> restricting access to only the MAC addresses of wireless cards you own
> will prevent anyone else logging on to your router.

This is sort of right, and completely wrong at the same time.
It's trivial with many cards to set whatever MAC you like.

Anyone can then wait till a PC is switched off, and clone its MAC.

but a user would still have to supply the correct WEP key to join the
network. a 128bit WEP key is good enough to keep most people out but do
change the key regularly. and turn the WAN off when not in use



"Andre" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> On XP I have setup wireless network... how can I prevent other people (eg.
> neighbours) from picking up the signal and joining my network? I tried
the
> following:
>
> Data encryption (WEP enabled) - tick
> Network Authentication (Shared mode) - tick
> Key is provided automatically - untick
> Network key: some 5 digit letters
>
> Now to test, I connected to the network, and typed in the wrong network
key,
> yet the damn computer still connects to the network... I thought this was
> meant to be some type of passord to limit access but obvioulsy it is not
> since I didnt need to type thepassword to access the network. Please
> advise!!!
>
> btw, using ad-hoc without router
> I just want simple security to limit access to network
>
> Thanks.
>
>

bloomer <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
> but a user would still have to supply the correct WEP key to join the
> network. a 128bit WEP key is good enough to keep most people out but do
> change the key regularly. and turn the WAN off when not in use

Nitpick: It's 104 bits (24 bits are stolen for sequence number)

A cracker can gain enough data to crack the key in as little as an
hour if it's a 802.11g network transferring files.


Use WPA, if you can.