wireless router password security

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Subject Author Date
wireless router password security RS 05-07-2008
Posted by RS on May 7, 2008, 9:59 am
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Hi all,

I don't know much about wireless security. I have a friend who uses a
Linksys WRT54G router connected to his cable modem so that an OS X
machine in a different room connect to the web using airport.

My understanding is that WRT54G is a very common router, so I hoping
that someone here can help me with this. I have noticed that the airport
in OS X can see several connections (presumably from neighbors),
including the Linksys one. But while all other connections are password
protected, the connection to the Linksys is not, and this troubles me.

On the comuter that is physically connected to the router, I have httpd
to 192.168.0.1 and I've noticed that there is a place to set the
password, however changing the password would not deny connections to
the OS X machine. The machine sees the Linksys router and doesn't even
ask for password. it gets connected right away. So I am guessing that
the password is an administrative password, and not for connections.

Does the WRT54G model have a capability to be password protected? The
firmware has never been updated, how essential is that for password
capability or for security in general (How does one update the firmware
anyway?) Since this a relatively old router, should a more up-to-date
one be purchased? If not, what is the best way to secure a connection
with this router?

Thanks very much,
RS

Posted by Kyle T. Jones on May 7, 2008, 1:48 pm
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RS wrote:
> Hi all,
>
> I don't know much about wireless security. I have a friend who uses a
> Linksys WRT54G router connected to his cable modem so that an OS X
> machine in a different room connect to the web using airport.
>
> My understanding is that WRT54G is a very common router, so I hoping
> that someone here can help me with this. I have noticed that the airport
> in OS X can see several connections (presumably from neighbors),
> including the Linksys one. But while all other connections are password
> protected, the connection to the Linksys is not, and this troubles me.
>
> On the comuter that is physically connected to the router, I have httpd
> to 192.168.0.1 and I've noticed that there is a place to set the
> password, however changing the password would not deny connections to
> the OS X machine. The machine sees the Linksys router and doesn't even
> ask for password. it gets connected right away. So I am guessing that
> the password is an administrative password, and not for connections.
>
> Does the WRT54G model have a capability to be password protected? The
> firmware has never been updated, how essential is that for password
> capability or for security in general (How does one update the firmware
> anyway?) Since this a relatively old router, should a more up-to-date
> one be purchased? If not, what is the best way to secure a connection
> with this router?
>
> Thanks very much,
> RS

Sure it does. Go back in the way you had (192.168.0.1), enter username
and password to access admin controls.

Then simply follow these directions:

http://www.howtodothings.com/computers-internet/how-to-protect-a-linksys-wrt54g-router-using-wap-and-wep

Cheers.

Posted by Sebastian G. on May 7, 2008, 2:08 pm
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Kyle T. Jones wrote:


>
http://www.howtodothings.com/computers-internet/how-to-protect-a-linksys-wrt54g-router-using-wap-and-wep


But please omit the step where disabling SSID broadcast. It doesn't change
anything about the security, doesn't make your network invisible at all, but
surely creates a lot of trouble with your client accidentially trying to
connect to someone else's network.

Posted by Kyle T. Jones on May 8, 2008, 3:08 pm
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Sebastian G. wrote:
> Kyle T. Jones wrote:
>
>
>>
http://www.howtodothings.com/computers-internet/how-to-protect-a-linksys-wrt54g-router-using-wap-and-wep
>>
>
>
> But please omit the step where disabling SSID broadcast. It doesn't change
> anything about the security, doesn't make your network invisible at all,
> but
> surely creates a lot of trouble with your client accidentially trying to
> connect to someone else's network.


Good point.

Posted by bz on May 9, 2008, 10:19 am
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> Sebastian G. wrote:
>> Kyle T. Jones wrote:
>>
>>
>>> http://www.howtodothings.com/computers-internet/how-to-protect-a-linksy
>>> s-wrt54g-router-using-wap-and-wep
>>>
>>
>>
>> But please omit the step where disabling SSID broadcast. It doesn't
>> change anything about the security, doesn't make your network invisible
>> at all, but
>> surely creates a lot of trouble with your client accidentially trying
>> to connect to someone else's network.
>
>
> Good point.

I don't follow the logic. Disabling SSID makes it more difficult for
someone to connect to my wireless router (WEP turned on also).
They will have to wait until I have a connection in progress and sniff that
to find the router's SSID. During the times when there is nothing
connected, the SSID is not broadcast, so they can't WAR DRIVE by my house
when I am not there and try to bust in.

Also, my laptop, doesn't try to 'accidental' connect to other networks.
It needs to know the SSID for my wireless router in order to establish
connection.
I don't tell my laptop wireless card to connect to any available access
point, so it isn't going to connect to anything unless I tell it to do so.

Clearly, there are things about wireless that I don't yet understand.
Perhaps someone can explain more clearly.





--
bz         

please pardon my infinite ignorance, the set-of-things-I-do-not-know is an
infinite set.

bz+csm@ch100-5.chem.lsu.edu remove ch100-5 to avoid spam trap

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