Can I require two passwords to access a wireless network?

Jephph

Senior member
Feb 11, 2006
333
0
0
I've got a guy who wants to double password protect his wifi. I know that having strong encryption, and a long password with alpha-numeric and non-alpha-numeric characters would work better for him, but I'm not sure I can convince him of that. Is there a way that I can require two passwords to get into a wireless network?
 

Lithium381

Lifer
May 12, 2001
12,458
2
0
True, with a radius backend you could run EAP and require multiple items for authentiction, including certificates. . .
you could also run everyone who connects over wireless through a captive portal of some sort . .
 

serpretetsky

Senior member
Jan 7, 2012
642
26
101
what is he trying to achieve with two passwords? Stronger encryption? More authentication steps for network resources? Harder for someone to guess the password?
 

kevnich2

Platinum Member
Apr 10, 2004
2,465
8
76
For the OP - Home based wifi pretty much doesn't need anything other than just WPA AES encryption. Even trying to hide the SSID and using mac authentication is completely unnecessary. Seriously, who wants to even try and break into a home wifi system. There's no point to it. I know people think they have so much valuable digital stuff in their home network so they're ultra sensitive on the security, but people could care less about that. Now if it's open wifi or business/government, that's a bit different.

Your guy is looking way too much into this and is causing himself undo frustration. No one on the outside cares what he has on his network to try and break into it.
 

Mushkins

Golden Member
Feb 11, 2013
1,631
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For the OP - Home based wifi pretty much doesn't need anything other than just WPA AES encryption. Even trying to hide the SSID and using mac authentication is completely unnecessary. Seriously, who wants to even try and break into a home wifi system. There's no point to it. I know people think they have so much valuable digital stuff in their home network so they're ultra sensitive on the security, but people could care less about that. Now if it's open wifi or business/government, that's a bit different.

Your guy is looking way too much into this and is causing himself undo frustration. No one on the outside cares what he has on his network to try and break into it.

This is the absolute wrong way to think about security. "It'll never happen to me" is just asking for trouble. That being said, double-password protected WiFi for home or a RADIUS server is overkill.

A poorly secured wireless AP even on a home network is a script kiddies wet dream. Yeah, you might not have all your personal records or top secret corporate documents sitting on a network share, but once Joe Blow in the condo downstairs gets on your network, he can dump all sorts of nasties on every other computer on the network, and suddenly you start getting $10000 credit card bills for cards you never opened. Even in a best case breach, you've got a deadbeat running up your bill and degrading your connection running torrents on your dime and using up your monthly data.

Hell, home wireless security has only become as ubiquitous as it is now because the manufacturers started enabling it by default, otherwise you could spin your cantenna like a top and see two dozen new open APs regardless of where it lands like you could in 2000 :)