I have got three PCs all with usb actiontec wireless adapters (no router)....see here for details

http://www.actiontec.com/support/wireless/80211b_usb/index.html

.....story so far ...........Xav came up the other night and tapped into the network instantly ...so I checked out the security to make sure it was on ......yes WEP is on ....so that is pretty useless then (don't get me wrong I dont mind friends tapping in )

The question is..... is there a good software wireless security program that is easy to use and most of all cheap or free.

TIA

Rob

Hmmm, I;ve noticed my wireless hogging much of the bandwidth and not sure. I have to "allow" each PC trying to access the network (as its I.P address comes up and I have to login to the router to allow each one individually)

I assume therefore my Netgear DG834G rejects any other I.P address other than the 3 laptops I.Ps I have allowed physically myself by logging in to my password protected router.

Should I be doing anything else?

You need to use WPA/WP2.....very secure and sorts all the loop holes of WEP.

Xav should not have been able to tap into your wireless network unless he knew the pass phrase.....or he was monitoring the connection long enough to get all of the pass word.

Also you should turn off ESSID broadcast.

I have a 3Com unit that allows you to specify the MAC address of machines that can use it. It also has WEP and password protection.

SO, I'm pretty sure no one can get in through that lot.

The thing is that it was quite difficult to set up the security where as using the wizzard there is no security at all...... there must be loads of people round the country with the same product that have no security on their device what so ever.

After seeing Xav take about three seconds to start using mine I am now worried..........

so....wpa wp2 ........where do I find it and how easy is it to set up (Xp pro on my pc and XP on the other two) bearing in mind networking does my brain in and my network is working on sheer fluke power

Mr Octygone. Perhaps Xav is the best person to ask about closing holes in your network..... he obviously knows where they are

I have got three PCs all with usb actiontec wireless adapters (no router)....

Rob

So what are they actually connecting to if you don't have a a PC or router that's serving the connection? :confused:

WEP settings - have you got the PC's set to "Key is provided automatically"?

is the WEP Key generated by a user supplied pass-phrase? although I am using a router/modem unit. so may not be applicable

IIRC (and i usually dont ) security should be set on whichever unit is the "server", but without knowing the ins-and-outs of your setup (because i'm only good at hands on) can't offer more advice than that.

Certainally on the 3Com unit, the security is set on the router itself. There is a utility that you access via internet explorer.

After seeing Xav take about three seconds to start using mine I am now worried..........

so....wpa wp2 ........where do I find it and how easy is it to set up (Xp pro on my pc and XP on the other two) bearing in mind networking does my brain in and my network is working on sheer fluke power

Rob,

you're router may have WPA...check under the wireless section in the set-up menu. If it does you may be able to download the WPA2 upgrade.

You will probably have at least couple of option for the number of bits used...64 or 128....if all your wireless devices can handle the higher number of bits use that.

I'm wondering whether you had the WEP settings sorted properly...as Xav should not have been able to get onto your network that easily without knowing your pass phrase....if you have SSID broadcast on he would see your wireless network but not be able to make a connection...without the pass phrase.

WEP can be cracked but you need equipment to monitor the wireless transmission...this is so you can extract the pass phrase...and then you have to monitor for some time to get all of it.

I'm assuming that you have SSID broadcast on to enable wirless connection but haven't set WEP on.....when you start up one of your wireless pc/laptop you can check the connection properties to see if a pass phrase is set.

So what are they actually connecting to if you don't have a a PC or router that's serving the connection? :confused:

QUOTE]

They connect to each other as far as I make out....bought the three adaptors plugged the in and setup the software ....and it started working.......including printer and file sharing.......was going to buy a router but have never got round to it....this system has been on and working for at least two years....nobody else can figure out why it does though

So Rob, how do you share your broadband connection then? Is one PC equiped with a USB "modem" ?

Looking at the answers so far I think the thing to do is get a router....maybe adsl router in one so all the internet stuff doesn't have to go through my pc ....any suggestions?

Told you networking hurts my brain

Edit: looks like it hurts wallets too

So Rob, how do you share your broadband connection then? Is one PC equiped with a USB "modem" ?

Yep my pc has a usb modem

You can get a good router for around

Hmm... I think you should look at getting a router.

By the way I dont know much about these thigns but if Xav can use your network someone else could do so very easily.

Get a router and if you need any help setting it up I'm not far away.

Hmm... I think you should look at getting a router.

By the way I dont know much about these thigns but if Xav can use your network someone else could do so very easily.

To say I was surprised how easy it was is a slight understatement.....just didn't realise how easy it is and I dare say a lot of other people don't either....trouble is if my actiontec adaptors work computer to computer I shal have to sort that out as well.

Cheers guys......going to go off and check wallet

maybe this will do the trick

http://www.otosoftware.com/wireless.asp

Yo be honest, I was a bit alarmed that it didn't ask me for a passphrase. That said, I don't recall my pda saying it was an encrypted network. When I connected to it, I thought it was something official setup by Marlborough community.

I guess I should have asked you first, Rob

What would worry me more however is how accessible your PC(s) may be. I seem to remember you saying you have a firewall on them, and depending on how it's configured, I may have been able to access the files on your PC given that I was "behind" the router, i.e. part of your home network and not coming through the internet / adsl. I didn't try though as a PDA is a bit fiddly to use for hacking

I'll happily take a look at it next time I pop round (which may be soon).

TBH, the biggest flaw with security from a home user's point of view IMHO is when you think you're sufficiently protected when in fact you're not. The trick is really just to make your neighbour's network more accessible than your own. Make it hard and potential hackers will look for easier targets

However, as Adrian said, the biggest first step is to turn off ESSID / SSID if you can. SSID is the technical term for the "name" of your network, in your case actiontec. With broadcast ESSID turned off, I would have never known there was an "actiontec" network in the first place.

Just had a look at that otosoftware site.

Not a bad idea. My understanding is it just interfaces into your router and configures it from the choices you make in the software (as opposed to configuring the router directly).

I just presents a less-jargony interface than what your router might present you.

IMHO, it's just a "workaround". Being a proper nerd, I'd rather learn it the hard way that way you know exactly what's going on, rather than having a tellytubby translation.

Also, I don't think it would work with what you have at the moment because you have a USB ADSL modem and you're using your PC as the "router" / using ICS for Lorna's PC (and my PDA when I'm there!) and any potential unwelcomed guests.

If you want, I'd happily spend an afternoon when we can sit down and go through it. The cost of the otosoftware can go towards a hardware adsl modem/router/network switch as those suggested above. Within an hour, we'll be able to lock down your network and most importantly, you'll know how it works and be able to manage it (including Lorna's authorised on-line time ) as and when required

My worry is, can someone use my broadband at home on wireless, even IF I haven't authorised their I.P address in the Netgear control panel?? (logging in to 192.168 etc in I.E)

Why the hell should I bother OK'ing everyone I want to OK, including my own laptop, if matey down the road can use my connection without me actually OK'ing. I often go into the control panel and check the list of wireless users, and there's never anyone extra in the "awaiting authorisation" column.

I'd consider upgrading to other security setting if the need really mattered. Is an ADSL modem/router a better form of security than a USB modem/separate router? :confused:

My worry is' date=' can someone use my broadband at home on wireless, even IF I haven't authorised their I.P address in the Netgear control panel?? (logging in to 192.168 etc in I.E)

Why the hell should I bother OK'ing everyone I want to OK, including my own laptop, if matey down the road can use my connection without me actually OK'ing. I often go into the control panel and check the list of wireless users, and there's never anyone extra in the "awaiting authorisation" column.

I'd consider upgrading to other security setting if the need really mattered. Is an ADSL modem/router a better form of security than a USB modem/separate router? :confused:[/quote']

If someone can see your wireless network AND can access it....they can use it.

With ESSID/SSID broadcasting anyone can see it but, if you have WEP/WPA/WPA2 enabled they cannot access it without knowing the pass phrase/keyword.

If you have set-up internet link sharing them that's different.

And even if you have SSID broadcasting and you have WEP/WPA/WPA2 enabled but the guy has got around it, you can still have MAC address filtering which is another technical barrier your hacker / hijacker needs to get around

Jason, turn off the SSID broadcast and if your router supports it, put mac filtering on. Take a note of all the MAC addresses of all the wireless NICs in your house, add them to the "authorised" table. Anyone logging onto your wireless access point without an authorised MAC address won't get very far.

It's all about making your wireless point more of a pain getting into than its worth. Although, sounds like you're probably the only one with net access and state-of-the-art wireless in Devon :P

I doubt WPA2 can be cracked...it adheres to FCC regs....and we know how anal they can be.

Tha tis for the enterprise flavour although the home user version is no less secure.

Xav - it is "MAC" addresses I authorise in the control panel, not I.P. I got that wrong. I have tested it by removing my own laptop, it disconnects and won't connect again (with no trickery, just its automated search and locate function) - I allow the MAC address as it appears back in the "to authorise" box and I add it.

Its just if people with other MAC addresses down the road being able to access as well. :eek: Sometimes the wireless signal is being used so much my hardwired connection suffers. Might ask the housemate I suspect is hogging the bandwidth and not paying anything toward my