Re: Linksys routers

Tech-Archive recommends: Fix windows errors by optimizing your registry

From: Sam (anonymous_at_discussions.microsoft.com)
Date: 03/18/04 

Date: Thu, 18 Mar 2004 10:25:38 -0800

Chuck, you made a comment about *not* disabling the SSID
Broadcast. Linksys says to disable the SSID Broadcast
option. Can you give me your reasons why not to disable
the SSID broadcast option?

Here's what Linksys says:
http://www.linksys.com/edu/page10.asp

>-----Original Message-----
>On Thu, 18 Mar 2004 08:26:27 -0800, "Sam"
<anonymous@discussions.microsoft.com>
>wrote:
>
>>I have a linksys router and read something about I
should
>>enable MAC address filtering. If I do, will I be able
to
>>go out to the Internet with these XP machines? I would
>>like to still have Internet access.
>
>Sam,
>
>MAC filtering limits the wireless devices that can
connect to (associate with) a
>wireless router. You do this to prevent anyone unknown
in your wireless
>neighborhood from using your network for internet
access, or access to your LAN.
>Remember that your wireless neighborhood may extend far
from your front door.
>
>If you enable MAC filtering, and you enter the MAC
addresses of all the wireless
>devices which you own, those devices and only those
devices will be permitted to
>associate with your router. So, if you enter the MAC
addresses of the XP
>machines which you own, they will have access to the
internet.
>
>Remember MAC filtering alone will not protect you - MAC
spoofing is a trivial
>exercise. Here are additional security precautions
which you should take.
>
>Enable WEP / WPA. Use non-trivial values for each.
(No "My dog has fleas").
>Disable DHCP, and assign an address to each computer
manually.
>Don't disable SSID broadcast. But change the SSID
itself - to something that
>doesn't identify you, or the equipment.
>Enable the router activity log. Examine it regularly.
Know what each
>connection listed represents - you? a neighbor?.
>Install a software firewall on every computer connected
to a wireless LAN. Put
>manually assigned ip addresses in the Local (highly
trusted) Zone. Open the
>following ports for file sharing only in the Local Zone:
TCP 139, 445; UDP 137,
>138, 445.
>Use non-trivial userids and passwords on every computer
connected to a wireless
>LAN. Disable or delete Administrator and Guest userids.
>Stay educated - know what the threats are. Newsgroups
alt.internet.wireless and
>microsoft.public.windows.networking,wireless are good
places to start.
>
>Cheers,
>Chuck
>Paranoia comes from experience - and is not necessarily
a bad thing.
>.
>

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