Wireless Security (lack of)

> Hi, and thanks for any help.
>
> I have read previous posts and this article:
> http://netsecurity.about.com/od/hack...a072004b_2.htm
>
> about securing my Belkin 802.11b wireless router:
> http://catalog.belkin.com/IWCatProdu...duct_Id=136514
>
> I have implemented the SSID, disabled the broadcasting and set the
> encryption to 128 bit generated by a unique passphrase.
>
> Yesterday a tech friend from down the road came over to do some work.
> With his laptop, he was on my network in less than ten seconds,
> without knowing anything about the settings. I asked him how he did
> it and he said that my network's not secure. Can anyone explain to me
> how this is possible? Is there something I'm overlooking in the
> security settings? At first I thought perhaps he was picking up a
> neighbor's router. But I can't detect any other connections local to
> my house. I then double checked the wireless settings and everything
> is as it should be. Any ideas?
>
> Thanks
> Doug



Hi All,
As it turns out, my buddy did nothing special to connect to my
network. (in fact he said he connected as if it was an open router.)
Now I don't know for sure that he was connected to my network or not,
but inside my house, my wireless card does not find any other
connections besides mine. I'm going to try taking my laptop outside
and scanning around in case his wirless card is just much better at
recieving signals than mine is. Will post again if I find anything.

Again thank you all for your help.

Doug

Doug Beattie <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
> As it turns out, my buddy did nothing special to connect to my
> network. (in fact he said he connected as if it was an open router.)

Was this the first time your friend visited? If he was there previously,
maybe you gave him the key so that he could connect, and he still had a
saved configuration.

Is your key something that you might both have enabled for an encrypted
network at work?

--
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Clarence A Dold - Hidden Valley (Lake County) CA USA 38.8-122.5

(E-Mail Removed) wrote in message news:<clu0ci$fsj$(E-Mail Removed)>...
> Doug Beattie <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
> > As it turns out, my buddy did nothing special to connect to my
> > network. (in fact he said he connected as if it was an open router.)
>
> Was this the first time your friend visited? If he was there previously,
> maybe you gave him the key so that he could connect, and he still had a
> saved configuration.
>
> Is your key something that you might both have enabled for an encrypted
> network at work?

No, he hadn't been here with his laptop before, and no, no keys on our
router at work - it's completely open with a dedicated (separate from
our company's intranet) connection to the Internet.

Thanks
Doug