Help Pls - Wireless WEP Key

LeftBallBigger SG

Hi guys,

Need some advise, after setting up WEP Encryption key in my wireless router, 4 keys were generated. Do I have to use a diffrent key for each puter or can I use the same key for all?

If I use the same key, does it effect speed?

And if I use a diffrent key, must I change the 'Key Index" number (scroll down box) in windows to the corresponding key?

Many Many Thanks..Appreciate any advise.

Cheers!

ditzy SG

Its just a code, don't affect ur speed. Very Happy
The number key you set on the router must correspond with your comp.
You can try out if a number works for one comp or all. I have not much idea.

LeftBallBigger SG

Hi ditzy, found this interesting article about WEP, guess its a bummer for securing wireless networks....

http://www.nwfusion.com/reviews/2004/1004wirelesswep.html

The most egregious issue with WEP is its lack of key management. You pick an encryption key, give it to your users and then - typically - never change that key. Anyone who can recover your key can then decrypt all WEP traffic you've sent using it, compromise the privacy of your network and get a good handle on its access controls.

Based on several years of testing WEP products, we predicted the key recovery method employed by hacker tools such as WEPCrack and AirSnort (see How we did it) would be obsolete today because there are a variety of techniques that can defeat them. This round of testing proved that assumption dead wrong (see graphic, below). In addition to more than 40% of the products failing our WEP-cracking test, we found that some vendors actually have moved backward, meaning newer products might be more vulnerable to attack than older products.
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Most vendors - trying to explain away the fact they are shipping code vulnerable to 3-year-old attacks - argued with us when we pointed to test results that showed their WEP implementations were cracked easily. Most justified their vulnerable WEP implementations by saying something akin to "if you were serious about security, you wouldn't be using WEP." That said, we still believe it's a bad idea to ship vulnerable products.

Although we checked with technical support regarding all products that failed our AirSnort test, only the three wireless switch vendors - Airespace, Aruba Wireless Networks and Trapeze Networks - went back to the lab and patched the holes for a retest.

AirSnort and WEPCrack aren't the only tools used to attack WEP. If you use 40-bit keys, there are tools such as KisMAC that can recover the key using brute force.

A number of the access point products we tested - including Belkin, Linksys and Netgear - have a "passkey" system, where you enter one password and all your WEP keys are generated. This technique often makes very "unrandom" WEP keys weaker than even 40-bit WEP keys.

Many vendors have built in what they call "high security" WEP, selecting keys that are longer than the industry-standard 104 bits. While that spins marketing wise, the technical point is pretty moot because trying to crack a 104-bit key with a brute force tool already will take longer than the projected life of the universe, so there is no need to go beyond that. But, on the downside, these non-standard longer keys cause interoperability issues.

So it's right to conclude that WEP is not the proper tool if you're serious about wireless security. Fortunately, most of the products we tested (all but the Linksys Cardbus wireless adapter) support better security.

LeftBallBigger SG

Heres another good article, kinda getting interested in this...

http://www.practicallynetworked.com/support/wireless_secure.htm

Securing your Wireless Network
Secure Your LAN
LAN Security Threats

LAN Security Tools

Wireless Networking Security

If your wireless LAN is located in a single family home, then you are probably more at risk from intruders coming in via your Internet connection than from folks gaining access to your LAN over the air. But if your LAN has some means of wireless connectivity, you've added another way to access your LAN that doesn't require getting past your router's firewall and doesn't even require physical access!

What can I do?

Actually, there's a lot you can do to secure your wireless LAN. Most of these tips apply to 802.11b based LANs, since they're the most prevalent. But some tips are just good network security practice and can help no matter how you build your LAN:

1) Don't use TCP/IP for File and Printer sharing!
Access Points are usually installed on your LAN, behind any router or firewall you may be using. If someone successfully connects to your Access Point, they'll be on your LAN, just like any of your other clients. But since they'll be using TCP/IP to make the connection, you can easily deny access to MS File and Printer sharing by using a protocol other than TCP/IP for those services. That way, they may get access to your Internet connection, but they won't get access to your files! See this page for instructions on using NetBEUI for File and Printer Sharing.

2) Follow secure file-sharing practices
This means:

*

Share only what you need to share (think Folders, not entire hard drives)
*

Password protect anything that is shared with a strong password.

3) Enable WEP Encryption
802.11b's WEP encryption has had a lot of bad press lately about its weaknesses. But a weak lock is better than no lock at all, so enable WEP encryption and use a non-obvious encryption key. Look for and use products that support 128bit WEP. Prices have come down on 802.11b equipment so there's no need to buy something that doesn't support 128bit WEP. See this page if you need help getting WEP to work.

4) Use WEP for data and Authentication
Some products allow you to separately set the Authentication method to "Shared Key" or "Open System". Use the "Shared Key" method so that encryption is used to both authenticate your client and encrypt its data. See this page for more info.

5) Use non-obvious WEP keys and periodically change them
While the limitations that some wireless client utilities have don't help (hexadecimal only support, single keys, forgetting keys, etc.), don't make it easy for potential snoops to get onto your LAN by using simple keys like 123456, all ones, etc. Changing the keys periodically is more difficult, because it requires sending out information about the new keys to users and that can be a security problem in itself. But changing keys periodically can help keep your LAN secure, so consider getting a procedure into place to do it.

6) Secure your wireless router / Access Point (AP)
Your router or Access Point should require a password to access its Admin features. If it doesn't, get one that will!
Also, change your password from the default and use a strong one!

7) Disallow router/ AP administration via wireless
Unfortunately, this feature is usually only present in "Enterprise-grade" APs, and shuts off the ability to administer your Access Point from wireless clients. But if your router/AP has it, use it!

Cool Use MAC address based Access and Association control
Previously available only on "Enterprise-grade" products, many routers and Access Points are being upgraded to have the ability to control the clients that can use them. MAC addresses are tied to physical network adapters, so using this method requires a little coordination and maybe a little inconvenience for LAN users. And MAC addresses can be "spoofed" or imitated/copied, so it's not a guarantee of security. But it adds another hurdle for potential intruders to jump. If you already have a product that doesn't include this feature, check your Manufacturer's Web site for a firmware upgrade.

9) Don't send the ESSID
ORiNOCO and Apple call the ability to stop their products from sending out the network ESSID the "closed network" feature. Other manufacturers are adding this ability, so check your Manufacturer's Web site for a firmware upgrade. Note that the feature doesn't have a consistent name, so check your product's documentation.

10) Don't accept "ANY" ESSID
ORiNOCO and Apple's "closed network" feature also won't accept connections from clients using the default "ANY" ESSID. Other manufacturers' products have the ability to not accept clients with an "ANY" ESSID, but you'll need to check your product's documentation, since there's not a consistent name for the feature.

11) Use VPN
Of course, if you really don't want to take chances with your data, then you should run a VPN tunnel over your wireless connection, too. You may take a throughput hit, but isn't your data's security worth it?