WEP Cracking

[Jedi940]

This thread is related to the article at smallnetbuilder.com

http://www.smallnetbuilder.com/content/view/30114/98/

I decided to play around with this one day at home because I had forgotten my password to my router and didn't feel like resetting it. I used an old laptop with a Netgear wireless card in it based on the atheros chipset and used my new laptop as the target which has a broadcom wireless adapter built in.

While I was able to successfully crack the WEP protection, there were a few problems. While the article says that you should not be interfering with the network I found quite the opposite. While stimulating communication, so much interference was generated that it caused my dad's wireless mouse to virtually stop working and it also caused my new laptop (the target) to drop the internet connection more than a few times. It did reconnect right away but it would continually drop and reconnect throughout the process. And, in case you are wondering, the laptops were both in the basement directly below the router. I have never had any problem with my connection and still don't so distance or objects between the laptop and router are not the issue here.

I am wondering why this happened and if there is something I did wrong. I followed the article to the letter from the OS used to each command so I'm not sure why I had this problem

 

[JackMDS]

Originally posted by: Jedi940

I am wondering why this happened and if there is something I did wrong. I followed the article to the letter from the OS used to each command so I'm not sure why I had this problem

Why it matters, you are planing to open a business of WEP Cracking and you want it to work smoother? :shocked:

 

[Genx87]

Originally posted by: JackMDS

Originally posted by: Jedi940

I am wondering why this happened and if there is something I did wrong. I followed the article to the letter from the OS used to each command so I'm not sure why I had this problem

Why it matters, you are planing to open a business of WEP Cracking and you want it to work smoother? :shocked:

Further shouldnt everybody be using WPA or better by now?

Though I will admit using the Dell utility on my laptop there are a lot of networks with open or wep security still!

 

[RebateMonger]

Originally posted by: Genx87
Further shouldnt everybody be using WPA or better by now?

I don't think I've EVER seen a new client who's using WPA or higher encryption.

I guess I missed something in the article, since it mentions cracking WPA in the Introduction. But I didn't see anything about cracking WPA. Gotta' increase my reading comprehension....

Originally posted by: Jedi940
While I was able to successfully crack the WEP protection, there were a few problems. While the article says that you should not be interfering with the network I found quite the opposite.

So, they lied.

 

[thecoolnessrune]

Our network for ages in our home only used WEP because our wireless printer only supported it. A couple months ago we found out that while the printer software didn't support WPA 1, the wireless chipset in the printer did. It took a day of fiddling with it and even still at times the printer will randomly disconnect and have to be restarted but it now runs on WPA 1 PSK while our comps use WPA 1 AES. (The router runs WPA 1 PSK/AES). It was the only thing we could do to get on to WPA. When the printer is gone we'll move to WPA 2.

 

[JackMDS]

WPA AES is WPA2.

 

[thecoolnessrune]

Originally posted by: JackMDS
WPA AES is WPA2.

Really? Well thanks for that helpful revelation Jackie

 

[spidey07]

Originally posted by: thecoolnessrune

Originally posted by: JackMDS
WPA AES is WPA2.

Really? Well thanks for that helpful revelation Jackie

Well, he's mostly correct, but not completely.

 

[geokilla]

Originally posted by: spidey07

Originally posted by: thecoolnessrune

Originally posted by: JackMDS
WPA AES is WPA2.

Really? Well thanks for that helpful revelation Jackie

Well, he's mostly correct, but not completely.

IF WPA AES is almost WPA2, then what's WPA2 AES? WPA 3

 

[spidey07]

Originally posted by: geokilla

Originally posted by: spidey07

Originally posted by: thecoolnessrune

Originally posted by: JackMDS
WPA AES is WPA2.

Really? Well thanks for that helpful revelation Jackie

Well, he's mostly correct, but not completely.

IF WPA AES is almost WPA2, then what's WPA2 AES? WPA 3

One is a IEEE 802.11i standard with guaranteed interoperability, the other is not. Standards are a good thing and this is why folks that know what happens with the IEEE won't purchase or buy any "we don't know what will happen, but here's our pre-802.11n stuff" products.

There are other differences with WPA, but suffice it to say it isn't standard and why you have problems with it. I'll stick with the IEEE standards after being burned too many times.

 

[thecoolnessrune]

Originally posted by: spidey07

Originally posted by: geokilla

Originally posted by: spidey07

Originally posted by: thecoolnessrune

Originally posted by: JackMDS
WPA AES is WPA2.

Really? Well thanks for that helpful revelation Jackie

Well, he's mostly correct, but not completely.

IF WPA AES is almost WPA2, then what's WPA2 AES? WPA 3

One is a IEEE 802.11i standard with guaranteed interoperability, the other is not. Standards are a good thing and this is why folks that know what happens with the IEEE won't purchase or buy any "we don't know what will happen, but here's our pre-802.11n stuff" products.

There are other differences with WPA, but suffice it to say it isn't standard and why you have problems with it. I'll stick with the IEEE standards after being burned too many times.

Thanks for all the clarifications guys, I appreciate it. But which one is the 802.11i standard? There was no way I could get the printer working on WPA2 personal or enterprise. It just never even got close to connecting. But I think the only algorithm is uses is AES correct? I couldn't find a WPA2 PSK option. The printer only seems to be able to authenticate via PSK.

 

[JackMDS]

Enterprise is a different ballgame and meant for RADIUS server type of connection.

I did not see yet a printer that support WPA2 with native Wireless. If you want WPA2 with a printer you have to get a wire Network printer and put on it a Client Wireless that support WPA2 (like WRT54GL with DD-WT in client mode).

Most current printers support WPA PSK personal, which is the boring regular WPA.

From the weakest to the strongest, Wireless security capacity is.

No Security
MAC______(Band Aid if nothing else is available).
WEP64____(Easy, to "Brake" by knowledgeable people).
WEP128___(A little Harder, but "Hackable" too).
WPA-PSK__(Very Hard to Brake ).
WPA-AES__(Not functionally Breakable)
WPA2____ (Not functionally Breakable).

Note 1: WPA-AES the the current entry level rendition of WPA2.

Note 2: If you use WinXP and did not updated it you would have to download the WPA2 patch from Microsoft. http://support.microsoft.com/kb/893357

The documentation of your Wireless devices (Wireless Router, and Wireless Computer's Card) should state the type of security that is available with your Wireless hardware.

All devices MUST be set to the same security level using the same pass phrase.

Therefore the security must be set according what ever is the best possible of one of the Wireless devices.
I.e. even if most of your system might be capable to be configured to the max. with WPA2, but one device is only capable to be configured to max . of WEP, to whole system must be configured to WEP.

If you need more good security and one device (like a Wireless card that can do WEP only) is holding better security for the whole Network, replace the device with a better one.

Setting Wireless Security - http://www.ezlan.net/Wireless_Security.html

The Core differences between WEP, WPA, and WPA2 - http://www.ezlan.net/wpa_wep.html

 

[doan]

Is MAC plus WEP128 helpful or basically the same as WEB128? I'm stuck at WEP128 because of my kids Nintendo stuff. So, I'm using WEP128 and locked to known MAC's

 

[JackMDS]

Originally posted by: doan
Is MAC plus WEP128 helpful or basically the same as WEB128? I'm stuck at WEP128 because of my kids Nintendo stuff. So, I'm using WEP128 and locked to known MAC's

I guess you mean WPA.

Nope, there is No relation, MAC is Not encryption it is just prevent Wirel3ess Cards that their MAC is Not allowed in the Wireless Router from establish a connection.

The problem is that MAC number can e spoofed and since it is transmitted in clear text a knowledgeable person can easily sniff and use one of your Wireless MACs to log ON.

Most normal users would not know how to get into your system with MAC and WEP On, but you never know who else would try.

So do not use the Wireless for sensitive info, and do your finance/banking on a Drive that is Not shared on the Network.

 

[doan]

thanks for your response.....no I can't use WPA....the Nintendo wireless can only use WEP