Re: Linksys routers

From: Marc Reynolds [MSFT] (marcrey_at_online.microsoft.com)
Date: 03/18/04 

Date: Thu, 18 Mar 2004 12:47:23 -0600

See

811427 Your Computer Connects to an Access Point That Broadcasts Its SSID
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=811427 

-- 
Thanks,
Marc Reynolds
Microsoft Technical Support
This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.
"Sam" <anonymous@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:f97301c40d16$69667360$a301280a@phx.gbl...
> 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.
> >.
> >

Relevant Pages

  • Re: Wireless security linksys home system
    ... Changing the SSID, disabling broadcast of the id, enabling MAC ... There is some debate about the merits of MAC filtering and disabling ... >Considering the importance of security in a wireless network it is ...
    (alt.internet.wireless)
  • RE: Wirless Bleeding - How to stop it?
    ... The other thing to do is to set the AP to only permit specific MAC addresses ... If you cannot limit the transmission speed I would change the SSID to ... access to those who know you have a wireless AP and those who are ... your WEP key regularly. ...
    (Security-Basics)
  • Re: First foray into the wireless world, couple of questions...
    ... There's no "strength" in the SSID. ... THE SIX DUMBEST WAYS TO SECURE A WIRELESS LAN ... MAC filtering: This is like handing a security guard a pad of paper ... SSID hiding: There is no such thing as "SSID hiding". ...
    (alt.internet.wireless)
  • Windows XP broadcast SSID issues
    ... I was having difficulty with my Windows XP wireless ... Windows XP, however, automatically connects to broadcast ... SSIDs if the preferred SSID is not broadcast. ... across this in the security for wireless networking ...
    (microsoft.public.windowsxp.network_web)
  • Re: SSID broadcast disabled - wireless connection lost
    ... WPN824 wireless router. ... The configuration has been set to disable SSID ... broadcast, and has been working fine for months. ... This laptop is only used wirelessly at this access point. ...
    (alt.internet.wireless)
Loading