Wireless Network Encryption Weirdness

[cube_rat]

I posted a while back about finally encrypting my home network. Everything has been cool so far up to two weeks ago. We were experiencing annoying timeout issues. I just discovered that my encryption has been disabled. I've re-enabled and guess what? No timeout issues. hmmmm....

Does any know how 128 bit encryption can just disable itself? I have a netgear router.

 

[cute fuzzy bunny]

Flashed any new firmware lately? That sometimes causes the router to defaults.

Remembered to change the default administrators name and password?

Some routers have bugs in them that can be exploited to cause them to default back to their original settings.

128 bit encryption can be broken by easily downloadable software in just a few minutes. Anyone that would go through the trouble of sniffing for unencrypted wireless data will probably go the extra mile.

My opinion is that you're as well off setting access control on the router to limit attachment to just the mac addresses of the devices you use, and not bother with the encryption. HTTPS sessions will still be in effect for secure transactions.

 

[cube_rat]

Thanks CFB. Your advice on dumping WEP 128 bit encryption has been duly noted. I'll have to plan this as a project in the near future, since I detest playing IT administrator when I'm at home. I seem to lose all technical focus when I hit the front door

 

[Marshac]

\I detest playing IT administrator when I'm at home.  I seem to lose all technical focus when I hit the front door 

Amen!

 

[BigMoneyJim]

Restricting to MAC addresses sounds like a horrible idea to me. MAC addresses can be spoofed as easily as cracking 802.11b. If CR has a 802.11g wireless I'd say go with WPA-PSK encryption.

Or stay with WEP 128-bit and put a stronger password on the router settings; people may still sneak on, but they won't change your settings.

 

[JB]

depends on where you live. If it's unlikely that an e-criminal is within range then disabling SSID broadcast and using Mac filtering is reasonable. I doubt that anyone within range of my network even knows what a mac is.

 

[cute fuzzy bunny]

I guess it depends on whether you live in an apartment building in silicon valley or in a middle class neighborhood in yuba city.

I know my neighbors. None of them would be able to spoof anything more complicated than a fabricated piece of drain pipe.