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Wireless Woes

GlorfindelGlorfindel Registered User regular
edited April 2007 in Help / Advice Forum
I connected a wireless router to my modem about a month ago (using a D-Link DI-524 or something like that - I know, D-Link is shit, but it's all I have for the time being). Now, up until the last couple of days, everything has been fine. However, a few issues are cropping up, namely:

1) Internet - I often get "server cannot be found" errors.
2) Wireless Manager - I use the Inter(R) PROSet/Wireless manager on my laptop. It gives me an error, stating that my laptop is connected to a network with a default SSID with all the default settings, and this is a security issue.
3) People stealing my Internets - I live in a apartment complex, and I am fairly sure people are connecting to my wireless. I need help in putting a password on the network.


Please note: I am a total newb at this sort of stuff. Any help would be greatly appreciated :P

Glorfindel on

Posts

  • AngelHedgieAngelHedgie Registered User regular
    edited April 2007
    Let's see...

    1. While the theory is that there are 11 channels, the reality is that there are only three (1, 6, 11). Most routers ship on 6. Try switching to 1 or 11 to see if that helps.
    2. Check the order of networks, and make sure yours is at the top.
    3. Well, there's a bunch of things:
    *Turn off SSID broadcast - others cant find easily what they don't know exists
    *Enable encryption
    *Enable wireless MAC locking

    Hope that helps.

    AngelHedgie on
    XBL: Nox Aeternum / PSN: NoxAeternum / NN:NoxAeternum / Steam: noxaeternum
  • redimpulseredimpulse Registered User regular
    edited April 2007
    Turn off that PROSet configurator. You'll have better connectivity if you let Wireless Zero (built in XP SP2 wireless manager) manage your connection

    If it's a DI-524 the encryption is pretty easy to set up. Go to http://192.168.0.1 (default IP setting for the DI-524. If you've changed it use the address you created). Go to the wireless section and select security. Select the level of security you desire and create an encryption key. Reboot the router (through the webpage) and you're good to go.

    redimpulse on
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  • FristleFristle Registered User regular
    edited April 2007
    Let's see...

    1. While the theory is that there are 11 channels, the reality is that there are only three (1, 6, 11). Most routers ship on 6. Try switching to 1 or 11 to see if that helps.
    2. Check the order of networks, and make sure yours is at the top.
    3. Well, there's a bunch of things:
    *Turn off SSID broadcast - others cant find easily what they don't know exists
    *Enable encryption
    *Enable wireless MAC locking

    Hope that helps.

    MAC-address filtering and turning off the SSID broadcast will not stop an attacker (they will just use Kismet/Kismac/etc and sniff the SSID and MAC addresses from your traffic). They will stop a n00b, but using WPA encryption with a strong passphrase will stop them both. So rely on WPA, but the rest is a waste of your time in my opinion.

    Fristle on
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  • 3lwap03lwap0 Registered User regular
    edited April 2007
    Fristle wrote: »
    They will stop a n00b, but using WPA encryption with a strong passphrase will stop them both. So rely on WPA, but the rest is a waste of your time in my opinion.

    Fo shizzles. Use WPA2, it may also be called TKIP/WPA. Create a good long passpharse (14-25 characters), and you should be alright.

    3lwap0 on
  • GlorfindelGlorfindel Registered User regular
    edited April 2007
    Ok, I've turned the Intel manager off, now using Windows to manage my connection. I have to dig up the password I set for the configuration page, and once I've done that I will set a password and use WPA2/TKIP/WPA.

    Glorfindel on
  • GlorfindelGlorfindel Registered User regular
    edited April 2007
    I am at the config. screen now, and have selected WPA2(AES) as the security. Just wondering, what is the RADIUS Shared Key?

    EDIT: Nevermind, I figured it out. Thanks for all the help, I guess you could consider this one solved.

    Glorfindel on
  • AngelHedgieAngelHedgie Registered User regular
    edited April 2007
    Fristle wrote: »
    MAC-address filtering and turning off the SSID broadcast will not stop an attacker (they will just use Kismet/Kismac/etc and sniff the SSID and MAC addresses from your traffic). They will stop a n00b, but using WPA encryption with a strong passphrase will stop them both. So rely on WPA, but the rest is a waste of your time in my opinion.
    While I understand your point, I'm of the "don't make it easy for the bastards" school of thought. Besides, not broadcasting an SSID keeps away the people who might accidentally try to connect, since their computer doesn't know the network is there.

    AngelHedgie on
    XBL: Nox Aeternum / PSN: NoxAeternum / NN:NoxAeternum / Steam: noxaeternum
  • FristleFristle Registered User regular
    edited April 2007
    Fristle wrote: »
    MAC-address filtering and turning off the SSID broadcast will not stop an attacker (they will just use Kismet/Kismac/etc and sniff the SSID and MAC addresses from your traffic). They will stop a n00b, but using WPA encryption with a strong passphrase will stop them both. So rely on WPA, but the rest is a waste of your time in my opinion.
    While I understand your point, I'm of the "don't make it easy for the bastards" school of thought. Besides, not broadcasting an SSID keeps away the people who might accidentally try to connect, since their computer doesn't know the network is there.

    Your reasoning is "yes these things are ineffective to skilled attackers but they keep out riff raff" but what I am saying is that WPA obsoletes the other practices, or is a replacement for them if you will.

    SSID hiding and MAC filtering -- these practices don't do anything that the WPA won't do for you already. If you have WPA, you're secure, and the other stuff is no longer necessary. You can call your SSID "123_Walnut_Street_betcha_cant_hack_me" but if you have WPA (and a strong passphrase) your wireless network is secure.

    Fristle on
    Fristle.jpg
  • stiliststilist Registered User regular
    edited April 2007
    Fristle wrote: »
    MAC-address filtering and turning off the SSID broadcast will not stop an attacker (they will just use Kismet/Kismac/etc and sniff the SSID and MAC addresses from your traffic). They will stop a n00b, but using WPA encryption with a strong passphrase will stop them both. So rely on WPA, but the rest is a waste of your time in my opinion.
    While I understand your point, I'm of the "don't make it easy for the bastards" school of thought. Besides, not broadcasting an SSID keeps away the people who might accidentally try to connect, since their computer doesn't know the network is there.
    If you don't have the router broadcast the SSID, the clients will broadcast it instead while they attempt to find the router. The MAC can easily be cloned, so it's a waste of time.

    stilist on
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