This a good network setup?

[Crow550]

My friend needed help getting his DSL modem with wifi to work and a network setup.

So I setup a 64 bit wep key on the modem for his laptop and psp and using Zone Alarm I added the ip address of the other computer and named in so and so computer and set it in the trusted zone and did the same for the other computer as well. So both computers have each others ip addresses set in the trusted zone so they can share files and what not.

Does this sound like a good setup?

I did it all right, right? lol!

-Crow550

 

[blemoine]

Yes this is a very impressive setup. Go ahead and pat yourself on the back for this one.

 

[nweaver]

wow, it me 30 seconds longer to get on his wireles, spoof his IP, and steal his identity...


friends don't let friends use wep....

 

[ArchAngel777]

Originally posted by: nweaver
wow, it me 30 seconds longer to get on his wireles, spoof his IP, and steal his identity...


friends don't let friends use wep....

Huh?

 

[DarkTXKnight]

Are there any other ways to add security to a network when youre using wep?? On our home network we'd been using wpa, but we need to go back to wep because one of us has two wireless devies that do not support wep and we cant just go out and buy something that does yet (two PDAs). What else can be done to leessen the issue of using WEP for the encryption

 

[Crow550]

Okay so use WPA. Will do so. It's not hard to setup is it?

nweaver any suggestions on how to make this more secure would be welcome.

 

[Crow550]

Okay setup WPA and made a 16 characters PSK string with random letters and numbers.

Changed the ESSID name and turned off SSID broadcasting.

Is this better?

Also does it matter what channel it's on, because it's currently on channel 1.

Thanks and if you can give me more advice, i'd be greatful.

 

[Atheus]

Originally posted by: Crow550
Okay setup WPA and made a 16 characters PSK string with random letters and numbers.

Changed the ESSID name and turned off SSID broadcasting.

Is this better?

Yes.

Also does it matter what channel it's on, because it's currently on channel 1.

Not for security it doesn't. For performance and reliability you want to pick a channel as far as possible from the ones everyone else is using. If you fire up a scanner and see a network on channel 6 and one on channel 11, then 1 is optimal.

 

[nweaver]

much better, WPA is "good enough" (think it's brute forcable now?). WEP is an old standard, that is showing it's age.


If devices won't support WPA, and you have to go back, then I would just not use them on wireless. Going back to wep is probably "OK" if you are remote (i.e. middle of nowhere) or there are a couple wide open ap's around. Just realize, wep is like locking the doors on a convertible with the roof down...

 

[JackMDS]

Wireless Security for the Home User.

:sun:

 

[Crow550]

Thanks to everyone who helped.

Stupid Qwest DSL comes with a paper explaining how to setup a 64 bit wep key and nothing else.