Eircom DSL Wireless security?

jleavy046

Evening,
I have just (3hours ago) got DSL and it's working on 1st attempt with download speeds on average of 106k/Sec.

Anyways, I have installed and I'm only using the Wireless Router. Is the security setup by default any good?

Only one change I made since install - stop SSIB from being broadcast. Any other tips?

What's the MAC address security about?
//Joe

Redshift

Ok, now what you need to do is to make sure WEP (wireless encryption protocol) is switched on the strongest mode your router supports probably 128K encryption. You need this to prevent packet sniffing of your connection.
Also you should use the mac address security part this prevents wireless cards that don't have the correct mac address i.e. yours from connecting to your access point.

If you have them both activated then you are pretty secure.

jleavy046

Redshift wrote:

Ok, now what you need to do is to make sure WEP (wireless encryption protocol) is switched on the strongest mode your router supports probably 128K encryption. You need this to prevent packet sniffing of your connection.
Also you should use the mac address security part this prevents wireless cards that don't have the correct mac address i.e. yours from connecting to your access point.

If you have them both activated then you are pretty secure.

Is the default WEB key ok ?

azezil

Redshift wrote:

Ok, now what you need to do is to make sure WEP (wireless encryption protocol) is switched on the strongest mode your router supports probably 128K encryption. You need this to prevent packet sniffing of your connection.
Also you should use the mac address security part this prevents wireless cards that don't have the correct mac address i.e. yours from connecting to your access point.

If you have them both activated then you are pretty secure.

by default wep is turned on and its 128bit encryption, you can increase it to 256

the default key you get is randomly generated and 26digits long... i think you should be ok

Redshift

It's W.E.P make sure you got the right one. Your computer should ask you for this key the first time you connect to the wireless network after activating WEP. Keep a note of the key because you will lose your connection as soon as you switch on WEP; until you give your computer the key.

And I would say the default key if there is one is probably not ok; unless it's generated randomly by the router.


Edit: Thanks Az, I haven't use the eircom wireless stuff myself and in my past experience most wireless APs have security switched off by default.

jleavy046

Redshift wrote:

It's W.E.P make sure you got the right one. Your computer should ask you for this key the first time you connect to the wireless network after activating WEP. Keep a note of the key because you will lose your connection as soon as you switch on WEP; until you give your computer the key.

WEB Key Edited ok. It would not take the long the 58 Char code...my card driver said it couldn't do it.

A side from that, all is well. I have a backup of the WEB key and also i can just connect a LAN cable to the route thing if needed.

Yipeeee.... 106k/Sec I can't get over this on a 1mb line!

secret_squirrel

If your router and wireless card support it you should be using WPA rather than WEP - its more secure.

MAC Address - a unique number 16? digit number given to every piece of hardware capable of making a network connection. Essentially you are restricting wireless connections to ONLY MAC addresses you specify.

To find out the MAC address of your laptop/desktop do Start --> Run ---> cmd <enter> Then type ipconfig /all <enter>
You will get a display like this MAC addresses in bold
Note I have a wireless adaptor, wired ethernet port and a bluetooth network adaptor - the important one is the wireless one.
:

Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Intel(R) PRO/Wireless LAN 2100 3B M
ni PCI Adapter
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-BB-WW-ZZ-YY-XX
Dhcp Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes
IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.0.101
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.0.200
DHCP Server . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.0.200
DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.0.100
192.168.1.245
Lease Obtained. . . . . . . . . . : 31 May 2005 19:04:47
Lease Expires . . . . . . . . . . : 01 June 2005 19:04:47

Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection:

Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Realtek RTL8139C+ Fast Ethernet NIC
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-AA-99-77-FF-BG

Ethernet adapter Bluetooth Network:

Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Bluetooth LAN Access Server Driver
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : BB-BB-AA-BB-AA-DD


Also dont forget to change the default admin user/password of your router.

jleavy046

secret_squirrel wrote:

Also dont forget to change the default admin user/password of your router.

Where is that now? Expert Mode the Remote Access is disabled. No other "passwords" are given apart from eircom@ericom..... for the DSL link stuff...

//Joe

secret_squirrel

When you use Internet Explorer to get to your router's admin page - does it not ask for a password before letting get at the settings?

See attatchment

jleavy046

nope, i got nothing like that.....

I got Router Name
Netopia
Model
3347NWG

Does that help???

secret_squirrel

hmm maybe someone with an eircom router can help you out?

DemonOfTheFall

Isnt WPA better than WEP ?????

DemonOfTheFall

DemonOfTheFall wrote:

Isnt WPA better than WEP ?????

Yes. But if your AP is one of the latest models WEP is enough.

Mutant_Fruit

ronoc wrote:

Yes. But if your AP is one of the latest models WEP is enough.

I believe W.E.P. can be cracked in minutes. On newer model routers, i think thats stretched to maybe 20 mins at most. Its better than nothing, but if at all possible, use WPA.

CyberGhost

secret_squirrel wrote:

When you use Internet Explorer to get to your router's admin page - does it not ask for a password before letting get at the settings?

See attatchment

hey squirrel, what firefox theme is that? can you please give a link or name?

jleavy046

Mutant_Fruit wrote:

I believe W.E.P. can be cracked in minutes. On newer model routers, i think thats stretched to maybe 20 mins at most. Its better than nothing, but if at all possible, use WPA.

Being honest, I'm only concerned about neighbours looking for an easy Wi-Fi connection. I have the MAC address security enabled and the SSID is not broadcast and the WEB, so that's enough for me I think.

You can never 100% protect anything in this world, but you can just try.

Thanks for the advise so far. Only one question remaons, the router default password or it is possible with the Netopia ?