Wireless Internet Camera - Secure?

I was looking at this camera, http://www.dlink.com/products/?pid=296, and
another from Linksys,
http://www.linksys.com/products/prod...id=38&prid=566.

Both of these connect to the network via Wireless. I have two questions:

1. If I use Mac Address filtering, these devices can still connect, right?

2. If I put this camera (either one) up inside my house, and my neighbor is
also running a wireless network, is there a chance it will connect to his
network, and thus
change my home security device into an invasion of privacy?

On Sat, 24 Jul 2004 18:50:04 -0700, "WJ" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

>I was looking at this camera, http://www.dlink.com/products/?pid=296, and
>another from Linksys,
>http://www.linksys.com/products/prod...id=38&prid=566.
>Both of these connect to the network via Wireless. I have two questions:

>1. If I use Mac Address filtering, these devices can still connect, right?

Sure. MAC filtering at the access point or wireless router limits the
devices that are allowed to associate. However, enableing WEP or WPA
encryption insures that anyone that tries to spoof the camera's MAC
address has another layer of security to deal with.

>2. If I put this camera (either one) up inside my house, and my neighbor is
>also running a wireless network, is there a chance it will connect to his
>network, and thus
>change my home security device into an invasion of privacy?

Nope. Hopefully, your SSID and your neighbors SSID are different.
The camera can be set to associate only with a specific SSID, a
specific MAC address, and a common WEP encryption key. Unless your
neighbor's system matches all of these, it's unlikely that the camera
will connect to the wrong access point.

Some issues with security are worth noteing.

The Dlink camera has a built in SMTP client that can email pictures to
any mail server. Although the wireless traffic is fairly secure, once
the traffic exits the router and onto the internet, the SMTP login and
password are in the clear and sniffable.

Similarly, the user logins in the camera are encrypted over the
wireless link, but are in the clear everywhere else. Methinks having
an SSL web server in the camera might be asking a bit much.

Another problem is that these cameras generate quite a bit of traffic.
That makes it easy for a WEP cracker to gather enough information to
recover the WEP key. I don't think either camera currently does WPA
encryption.

Incidentally, the Linksys can handle 4 simultaneous users while the
Dlink can handle 10.


--
Jeff Liebermann (E-Mail Removed)
150 Felker St #D http://www.LearnByDestroying.com
Santa Cruz CA 95060 AE6KS 831-336-2558

they configure pretty much just like your wireless nic's
have mac address's and wep keys and ssid and an ip# and port #'s
chances of you invading your neighbors wifi network will only happen if you
lack security know how.

> Incidentally, the Linksys can handle 4 simultaneous users while the
> Dlink can handle 10.
>


Thanks! I didn't consider the SMTP security at all. By the way, what do
you
mean, "Linksys can handle 4 simultaneous users" and Dlink can handle 10?

On Sat, 24 Jul 2004 22:44:39 -0700, "WJ" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

>> Incidentally, the Linksys can handle 4 simultaneous users while the
>> Dlink can handle 10.

>Thanks! I didn't consider the SMTP security at all. By the way, what do
>you
>mean, "Linksys can handle 4 simultaneous users" and Dlink can handle 10?

The cameras have built in web servers that allow users to view the
pictures and in the case of Dlink, aim the camera. They both have
user logins and passwords that can be configured to control access.
DLink allows 20 logins, but only 10 simultaneous connections. I don't
remember how many users can be configured in the Linksys camera, but
it can only handle 4 simultaneous users. You might wanna download the
users documentation from the respective web piles and read through the
instructions. The data sheets and promotional handouts are not much
help with such details.


--
Jeff Liebermann (E-Mail Removed)
150 Felker St #D http://www.LearnByDestroying.com
Santa Cruz CA 95060 AE6KS 831-336-2558