Securing and unsecured network

[andy hibbert]

I have a Netgear 834GT router operating on Windows XP Pro op system.
I had occasion to reset the Netgear router (small hole & paperclip)
When I look at the available networks, I see 3 or 4 neighbours all
secured.
I also see my Netgear network but it is unsecured.
Q. How do I secure my netork so that only I can logon?
Thanks for any help


------------------------------------------------------------------------
View this thread: http://www.wirelessforums.org/showthread.php?t=35403
http://www.wirelessforums.org

[Jeff Liebermann]

andy hibbert <andy.hibbert.32b2oh@no-mx.wirelessforums.org> hath
wroth:

>I have a Netgear 834GT router operating on Windows XP Pro op system.

Amazing. I didn't know the Netgear used XP in their products. Perhaps
you mean your connecting wireless client runs XP Pro?

>I had occasion to reset the Netgear router (small hole & paperclip)
>When I look at the available networks, I see 3 or 4 neighbours all
>secured.
>I also see my Netgear network but it is unsecured.
>Q. How do I secure my netork so that only I can logon?

I'm too lazy to see if Netgear has something in their docs on their
web page, so I'll just guess(tm) from memory. There should be
something in the Netgear instructions, but RTFM is no fun. Try this:

Connect a CAT5 cable between your XP Pro computah and one of the 4 LAN
ports on the Netgear.

Go to: http://192.168.0.1 which is the configuration screen.

Find the Wireless page and set the SSID to something unique like
"GET_LOST" so that you can distinguish your Netgear router from all
the others that didn't bother doing this.

Find the Wireless Security page and select "WPA Personal" or
"WPA-PSK". This is your Wireless security.

Install a long and messy WPA pass phrase. Write it down somewhere as
you'll need it.

Unplug the CAT5 cable and try to connect via wireless. Go to the
Wireless setting on your XP system and either edit the saved profile
for your system, or just delete and recreate it. When it asks for a
pass phrase, incribed the long and messy WPA pass phrase (twice).

Done.

--
Jeff Liebermann jeffl@cruzio.com
150 Felker St #D http://www.LearnByDestroying.com
Santa Cruz CA 95060 http://802.11junk.com
Skype: JeffLiebermann AE6KS 831-336-2558

[dwacon]

"andy hibbert" <andy.hibbert.32b2oh@no-mx.wirelessforums.org> wrote in
message news:andy.hibbert.32b2oh@no-mx.wirelessforums.org...
>
> I have a Netgear 834GT router operating on Windows XP Pro op system.
> I had occasion to reset the Netgear router (small hole & paperclip)
> When I look at the available networks, I see 3 or 4 neighbours all
> secured.
> I also see my Netgear network but it is unsecured.
> Q. How do I secure my netork so that only I can logon?
> Thanks for any help


Have you tried setting your router up so that only specific MAC addresses
can connect? That is how mine is configured... keeps out all the bad guys.


--
Servatis a periculum...
Servatis a maleficum...
http://dwacon.blogspot.com

[John Mason Jr]

dwacon wrote:
> "andy hibbert" <andy.hibbert.32b2oh@no-mx.wirelessforums.org> wrote in
> message news:andy.hibbert.32b2oh@no-mx.wirelessforums.org...
>> I have a Netgear 834GT router operating on Windows XP Pro op system.
>> I had occasion to reset the Netgear router (small hole & paperclip)
>> When I look at the available networks, I see 3 or 4 neighbours all
>> secured.
>> I also see my Netgear network but it is unsecured.
>> Q. How do I secure my netork so that only I can logon?
>> Thanks for any help
>
>
> Have you tried setting your router up so that only specific MAC addresses
> can connect? That is how mine is configured... keeps out all the bad guys.
>
>
MAC addresses are easily spoofed, so should not be relied upon as a
security measure.

for the original poster you can find the manuals and other docs for your
router here

<http://kbserver.netgear.com/products/DG834GT.asp>


John

[Jeff Liebermann]

"dwacon" <aunt.jemima@pancake.box> hath wroth:

>"andy hibbert" <andy.hibbert.32b2oh@no-mx.wirelessforums.org> wrote in
>message news:andy.hibbert.32b2oh@no-mx.wirelessforums.org...
>>
>> I have a Netgear 834GT router operating on Windows XP Pro op system.
>> I had occasion to reset the Netgear router (small hole & paperclip)
>> When I look at the available networks, I see 3 or 4 neighbours all
>> secured.
>> I also see my Netgear network but it is unsecured.
>> Q. How do I secure my netork so that only I can logon?
>> Thanks for any help

>Have you tried setting your router up so that only specific MAC addresses
>can connect? That is how mine is configured... keeps out all the bad guys.

I do the same thing, but not for security. Details if you want them.

MAC addresses are easily spoofed. I do it all the time for testing
the number of connections that an access point can handle. The MAC
addresses in use can easily be extracted using any wireless sniffer or
monitoring tool:
<http://www.irongeek.com/i.php?page=security/changemac>

--
Jeff Liebermann jeffl@cruzio.com
150 Felker St #D http://www.LearnByDestroying.com
Santa Cruz CA 95060 http://802.11junk.com
Skype: JeffLiebermann AE6KS 831-336-2558

[dwacon]

"Jeff Liebermann" <jeffl@cruzio.com> wrote in message
news:e6hdn352hlu6muatvmbf48ss6qha2bppm9@4ax.com...

> MAC addresses are easily spoofed. I do it all the time for testing
> the number of connections that an access point can handle. The MAC
> addresses in use can easily be extracted using any wireless sniffer or
> monitoring tool:
> <http://www.irongeek.com/i.php?page=security/changemac>


YIKES! I'm thinking about maybe trading in my wireless router for a few 100
foot RJ-45 cables maybe...


--
Servatis a periculum...
Servatis a maleficum...
http://dwacon.blogspot.com

[Jeff Liebermann]

"dwacon" <aunt.jemima@pancake.box> hath wroth:

>
>"Jeff Liebermann" <jeffl@cruzio.com> wrote in message
>news:e6hdn352hlu6muatvmbf48ss6qha2bppm9@4ax.com...
>
>> MAC addresses are easily spoofed. I do it all the time for testing
>> the number of connections that an access point can handle. The MAC
>> addresses in use can easily be extracted using any wireless sniffer or
>> monitoring tool:
>> <http://www.irongeek.com/i.php?page=security/changemac>

>YIKES! I'm thinking about maybe trading in my wireless router for a few 100
>foot RJ-45 cables maybe...

I've done more breakings using wire tap than with wireless.
<http://www.snort.org/docs/tap/>

Before you abandon wireless as hopelessly insecure, methinks you'll
find that WPA encryption is more than adequate for keeping hackers
like me out of your system. At this time, a sufficiently long (> 20
chars) WPA password has not been cracked. If you want additional
security, setup a RADIUS server, and you won't have to worry about
assigning a WPA key. Each user and session get their own unique and
maximum length key from the RADIUS server.

Also, if your level of parnoia is sufficiently high, you might wanna
do some light weight monitoring. See:
<http://home.comcast.net/~jay.deboer/airsnare/>
which should be able to detect any intruders.


--
Jeff Liebermann jeffl@cruzio.com
150 Felker St #D http://www.LearnByDestroying.com
Santa Cruz CA 95060 http://802.11junk.com
Skype: JeffLiebermann AE6KS 831-336-2558

[jch]

"dwacon" <aunt.jemima@pancake.box> wrote in message
news:zlwdj.15199$hO4.13263@newsfe19.lga...
>
> "andy hibbert" <andy.hibbert.32b2oh@no-mx.wirelessforums.org> wrote in
> message news:andy.hibbert.32b2oh@no-mx.wirelessforums.org...
>>
>> I have a Netgear 834GT router operating on Windows XP Pro op system.
>> I had occasion to reset the Netgear router (small hole & paperclip)
>> When I look at the available networks, I see 3 or 4 neighbours all
>> secured.
>> I also see my Netgear network but it is unsecured.
>> Q. How do I secure my netork so that only I can logon?
>> Thanks for any help
>
>
> Have you tried setting your router up so that only specific MAC addresses
> can connect? That is how mine is configured... keeps out all the bad
> guys.
>
>
> --
> Servatis a periculum...
> Servatis a maleficum...
> http://dwacon.blogspot.com
>
>

Yes. MAC filtering isn't the most secure method, but really, for a home
network where you're just trying to keep out your nosey but well intended
neighbors, MAC filtering is adequate. Those inclined will snoop around
their neghborhood (probably from inside their homes) and see who's out
there. Once they try to log on to the unsecured but MAC filtered network and
can't get on, they'll try someone else's network or give up all together.
It isn't worth it for most home network hackers to try and bust a network
protected only by MAC filtering.

[Jeff Liebermann]

"jch" <jch@nospam.com> hath wroth:

>Yes. MAC filtering isn't the most secure method, but really, for a home
>network where you're just trying to keep out your nosey but well intended
>neighbors, MAC filtering is adequate. Those inclined will snoop around
>their neghborhood (probably from inside their homes) and see who's out
>there. Once they try to log on to the unsecured but MAC filtered network and
>can't get on, they'll try someone else's network or give up all together.
>It isn't worth it for most home network hackers to try and bust a network
>protected only by MAC filtering.

If you're running MAC filtering, but no encryption, anyone with a
sniffer can capture your traffic and extract your logins, passwords,
incriminating email, list of morally degenerate web sites, etc. It
might keep the neighbors from using your broadband connection, but it
won't stop them from looking at your traffic.


--
Jeff Liebermann jeffl@cruzio.com
150 Felker St #D http://www.LearnByDestroying.com
Santa Cruz CA 95060 http://802.11junk.com
Skype: JeffLiebermann AE6KS 831-336-2558