I have been extending my network and the guys on the Mac side of this forum have been giving advice.

One piece of advice got me thinking.

Is there much point in having a locked WiFi network? Is WEP more than enough for the average user? Why go for the strong encryption? What is likely to happen if I don't?

Someone easily breaks your WEP encryption, downloads child pr0n using your connection and you, as the account holder, go to prison.

anyone in range could steal your bandwidth, not nice if you have a download limit.

also, if they undertook any illegal activity, it would be on your account, so you would be responsible, and may get your netty suspended if your with one of the nastier ISPs. and maybe a fine, depending on the severity, im not sure on the laws.

use WPA2 with AES encryption, if you can, its the strongest security standard available today, AFAIK

Put out your username and password for the router on the front of your door, or better still, leave it unprotected.

Don't forget to leave your door and car keys outside too.

It makes life so much easier for criminals.

Better protection I've found is run wires everywhere, more secure and a hullofalot faster. Cables FTW

True.


Well you're right about the last bit . There have been a couple of cases in fact where people have been acquitted of various nefarious computer related deeds because the prosecutors couldn't prove it wasn't somebody piggybacking onto their unsecured wifi. Innocent until proven guilty and all that. The trick is the 'unsecured' bit though. if you have even WEP security on your wifi, that constitutes enough of a reasonable expectation of security as to make it an insufficient defence.


True again, but apparently still breakable. Recent advances in combining CPU and GPU to do the decryption have brought it down into the range where it's almost viable to crack WPA2 networks at home. Give it a year or two, it'll be no more trouble than WEP.

You cannot completely secure any wifi network. You're broadcasting everything in all directions, cast-iron security under those circumstances isn't realistic. What you can do is make is sufficiently hard work for someone that they give up and move on to an easier target. As things stand today, WPA2 is 'good enough'. In year, it'll be WPA2 with a VPN. A year after that, we'll have to come up with something new.

As for running wires, well yes, obviously. Howeve if you don't have cavity walls and/or know a good plasterer, that's not a viable option. For point to point connections, properly encrypted (i.e. 256 bit AES) powerline networking is a viable option too. The 'AV' 200Mbps standard is actually a pretty decent connection and the upcoming 1Gbps ones will actually be far too good for any sort of home networking.

Jon

But there is only the aged neighbours next door. They don't even have a computer.

I don't have a cap on my broadband so as long as folk don't take the piss I don't mind if the odd person sends an Email or two.

CC

All it takes is for someone to sit outside/in a car with a laptop, or possibly even a phone with wi-fi...

I completely agree with you there.

My router only gives out a very weak connection and is positioned in the centre of the house. I have tested it using my laptop, and there is no chance of a connection from the road. I live in a very rural area with little passing traffic and all of my neighbours are over 50 years old and many don't have a computer.

In this scenario, which is actually true in my case, I believe WEP is sufficient.

Peter.

If your router is capable of WPA2 there's no excuse for using WEP IMO.

I have a few devices which don't support WPA2, so I am forced to use WEP for the time being. I realise WEP can be cracked in minutes, if not seconds, but I believe that it's sufficient for my situation.

Peter.

Just make sure you change the router password to something long ,there is a new game here on the costa whereby people log in to any routers with the default password and change the name of the network.

Normally I hate wires with a [LIFTED] vengeance, but they're definitely a lot easier to setup than some [LIFTED] routers

Wires get my vote every time although at a push I also found the powerline networking to be pretty damn good as well. Certainly plenty fast for iplayer and the like and it felt somewhat more secure than wireless.

Does anyone know the exact laws rules covering wireless networks ,down here lots of bars have open connections for their client's.