Archived from groups: alt.internet.wireless (More info?)

I'm still concerned about the security of Wi-Fi. One way of reducing the
risk of an attack would be to reduce the range so that only the
building I want covered will be serviced with minimal service outside
that area.

Is it possible to lower the wattage of the router to achieve this?


--
Entropy1024
brought to you by http://www.wifi-forum.com/

Archived from groups: alt.internet.wireless (More info?)

Entropy, reducing the power of your router will accomplish nothing in
enhancing your WiFi security. The same goes for disabling your SSID.
For corporate networks, MAC filtering may have some benefit, but it is
pointless in a home network.

The *only* way to secure your home network, or any WiFi network, is to
use data encryption. WEP has been cracked yeas ago so there is no point
in using it. WPA is secure as long as you use a long pass phrase with
high entropy.


Entropy1024 wrote:
> I'm still concerned about the security of Wi-Fi. One way of reducing the
> risk of an attack would be to reduce the range so that only the
> building I want covered will be serviced with minimal service outside
> that area.
>
> Is it possible to lower the wattage of the router to achieve this?
>
>

Archived from groups: alt.internet.wireless (More info?)

On Tue, 09 Nov 2004 00:46:36 GMT, Entropy1024
<Entropy1024.1ffht0@no-mx.forums.yourdomain.com.au> wrote:

>I'm still concerned about the security of Wi-Fi. One way of reducing the
>risk of an attack would be to reduce the range so that only the
>building I want covered will be serviced with minimal service outside
>that area.

No problem. You need Wi-Fi wallpaper. See:
http://www.newscientist.com/news/n [...] ns99996240
Just plaster your office with this new type of wallpaper. 2.4GHz will
be blocked while cellular, radio, and TV go right through. I'm not
sure how you would handle the windows, ceiling, and floor with this
wallpaper, but it seems like a good idea.

>Is it possible to lower the wattage of the router to achieve this?

Yes, but it's probably easier to remove the antenna and replace it
with a paper clip. Either way, your signal will not just stop at the
building walls, but slowly fade out. An attacker would simply need a
much higher gain antenna than usual to get a useable signal. For
example, if you reduce your TX power by 6dB, then an attacker would
only need a 6dBi gain antenna to return the signal to its previous
level.


--
Jeff Liebermann jeffl@comix.santa-cruz.ca.us
150 Felker St #D http://www.LearnByDestroying.com
Santa Cruz CA 95060 AE6KS 831-336-2558

Archived from groups: alt.internet.wireless (More info?)

>
>I'm still concerned about the security of Wi-Fi. One way of reducing the
>risk of an attack would be to reduce the range so that only the
>building I want covered will be serviced with minimal service outside
>that area.
>
>Is it possible to lower the wattage of the router to achieve this?

Sure, on a .11b setup only check the box on the setup page that is
"allow 11Mbps connections". This will reduce the effective size of
your WLAN to 100' or less in many cases. 99% of long distance
connections to your WiFi are 1-2Mbps so never allow connections at
those rates.

Archived from groups: alt.internet.wireless (More info?)

Certainly! I've got a Linksys WRT54G with a flashed
firmware that allows you to adjust the transmission
output. I live in an appartment building myself and
it works very nicely to limit the range of your
network.

Mine is set from the default 28mW to 2mW. I get
plenty of coverage I need in every room.

As others have suggested, you need to ensure WEP/WAP
is enabled as well as MAC filtering and disable SSID.

If a hacker wants in and you give him/her enough reason
to do it, trust me, they'll get in. The point is that
you're using all the necessary tools to provide
"reasonable" security.

Good luck!

Entropy1024 <Entropy1024.1ffht0@no-mx.forums.yourdomain.com.au> wrote in
news:Entropy1024.1ffht0@no-mx.forums.yourdomain.com.au:

>
> I'm still concerned about the security of Wi-Fi. One way of reducing the
> risk of an attack would be to reduce the range so that only the
> building I want covered will be serviced with minimal service outside
> that area.
>
> Is it possible to lower the wattage of the router to achieve this?
>
>

Archived from groups: alt.internet.wireless (More info?)

I still do not understand the rational of why reducing the power output
of the router, disabling SSID, or enabling MAC filtering will secure a
WiFi network.

The network is a cluster of radio transceivers. If you reduce the
routers power output, the network cards in the computers will continue
broadcasting at full power. Furthermore, they will continue
broadcasting their SSID address, and MAC address in the clear, as per
802.11x specifications. There is nothing risky or wrong with this, it
is simply the way the network hardware devices communicate with each other.

When we talk about security or securing a WiFi network, we are actually
talking about securing the data stream which follows this hardware
handshaking. The data contains our credit card numbers, bank
statements, email ... things which we would rather not share with our
neighbors. Once again, the *only* way to secure this transmitted data
is to encrypt it.

What amazes me is how trivial it is to encrypt this data, yet this
encryption seems to be the last thing people think about.

Archived from groups: alt.internet.wireless (More info?)

"Entropy1024" <Entropy1024.1ffht0@no-mx.forums.yourdomain.com.au> wrote in
message news:Entropy1024.1ffht0@no-mx.forums.yourdomain.com.au...
>
> I'm still concerned about the security of Wi-Fi. One way of reducing the
> risk of an attack would be to reduce the range so that only the
> building I want covered will be serviced with minimal service outside
> that area.
>
> Is it possible to lower the wattage of the router to achieve this?

Yes.

reducing power levels can be useful if you need to support more access
points in a given area - you can limit the interference between different
access points.

this is suggested in one of the Cisco enterprise setup guides for wireless -
so obviously they support it . See:
www.cisco.com/go/srnd

Also, some of the ETSI (European) enhancements for 802.11 were designed to
reduce power usage / sprectrum pollution by dynamically reducing the
transmit power - 802.11h?

FWIW, when the 5 GHz spectrum was initially allowed in the UK, it was
illegal to use 802.11a out of doors until equipment supports and is
configured for dynamic power control.
>
> --
> Entropy1024
> brought to you by http://www.wifi-forum.com/
--
Regards

Stephen Hope - return address needs fewer xxs