WPA is no longer our friend

[Mercutio]

WPA with TKIP was, until today, probably the default security setup most reasonably smart folks had on their wireless routers.

Now it looks like you'll need to be switching to WPA2 or WPA/AES instead.

 

[Stereodude]

It was breakable in 15 minutes before. I wouldn't say it was secure before today either.

 

[Mercutio]

It was breakable in 15 minutes before. I wouldn't say it was secure before today either.

The new code is 15x faster. I would say that is rather significant.

 

[LunarMist]

Fortunately I don't use the WPA or WPA2.

 

[Stereodude]

Fortunately I don't use the WPA or WPA2.

Still using WEP? :-o

 

[Mercutio]

I think he's still on dialup.

 

[LunarMist]

Still using WEP? :-o

Those are only acronyms to me. I thought WPA was for Windows installation activations.

 

[Stereodude]

They're wireless encryption protocols.

 

[LunarMist]

I think he's still on dialup.

No. I did not trust the wireless internet even before reading that there was a security situation. I have the ethernet, but it is connected to two or so computers with a wired switch since all are nearby. I explained it another thread recently.

 

[LunarMist]

They're wireless encryption protocols.

Can they be fixed with firmware or will everyone spend millions and billions in replacing hardware?

I suppose the defective encryption could foster plausible deniability for the sickos doing illegal things out there on the internet.

 

[Stereodude]

Can they be fixed with firmware or will everyone spend millions and billions in replacing hardware?

I suppose the defective encryption could foster plausible deniability for the sickos doing illegal things out there on the internet.

That depends on the device. Some can have upgraded firmware to support the newer modes, other's can't.

I run WPA2 PSK with AES and use the maximum length key possible. I had one device that only supported WEP on it's wireless connection. It's been running via wired ethernet for years as a result.

 

[Stereodude]

The new code is 15x faster. I would say that is rather significant.

Yes and no... If it went from 15hours to 1 hours I'd say that would be a significant improvement. Most people have the patience to wait 15 minutes so chopping it down to 1 minute, while from a percentage basis is significant, isn't so significant in real use.

 

[P5-133XL]

Wireless encryption has always been a joke. A determined individual has always been able to break it. In my mind, The real point is to prevent amateurs from grabbing your bandwidth and even the worst of the encryption forms (WEP) does that. So I'm not particularly worried.

 

[LunarMist]

Who exactly is doing most of the wireless hacking - government, pornographers, organized crime, etc.?

 

[Stereodude]

Who exactly is doing most of the wireless hacking - government, pornographers, organized crime, etc.?

Probably mostly people doing it for the challenge. The gov't has better ways to see what you're doing online.

 

[LunarMist]

I thought the purpose of the wireless hacking was to do evil and blame it on somebody else or make it anonymous.

 

[Stereodude]

Wireless encryption has always been a joke. A determined individual has always been able to break it.

Only if they have a lot of time on their hands. WEP and WPA-TKIP have inherent flaws in them that allow them to now be cracked in a short amount of time. Any encryption can be broken given enough time, but that doesn't mean a proper implementation of wireless encryption is ineffective or a joke.

 

[Stereodude]

I thought the purpose of the wireless hacking was to do evil and blame it on somebody else or make it anonymous.

Nah, that's what open Access Points are for. :mrgrn:

 

[P5-133XL]

I would suspect that the vast majority is simply an amateur trying to steal some free bandwidth from their neighbors. It isn't going to be a pornographer -- They are going to be amateurs and steal from an easy source that is unprotected or simply a public hot spot.

I have no idea about the second largest but Govt seems to be a reasonable choice. If someone is going to go to the effort to hack a wireless signal then they will have a specific goal in mind.

 

[Mercutio]

I would suspect that the vast majority is simply an amateur trying to steal some free bandwidth from their neighbors.

I can connect to nine open APs right now from my bedroom. I do, in fact, swipe bandwidth from my neighbors late at night. Makes the torrent seeding go faster.

 

[Tannin]

Wireless anything sucks. Wireless everything sucks. Wireless. Sucks. Equipped only with a full stop and those two words, optionally using any other spare words you have lying around with nothing better to do, you can make a sentence. And the bonus is that the sentence you make will almost certainly make more sense and stay true for longer than just about any other sentence ever written about wireless networking. (Or wireless keyboards, wireless mice, wireless any damn thing.) Wireless. Sucks. The only two words you need to know to know all about wireless networks.

 

[P5-133XL]

Wireless anything sucks. Wireless everything sucks. Wireless. Sucks. Equipped only with a full stop and those two words, optionally using any other spare words you have lying around with nothing better to do, you can make a sentence. And the bonus is that the sentence you make will almost certainly make more sense and stay true for longer than just about any other sentence ever written about wireless networking. (Or wireless keyboards, wireless mice, wireless any damn thing.) Wireless. Sucks. The only two words you need to know to know all about wireless networks.

Wireless sucks, but not having anything sucks worse. I live and work in an apartment and am not allowed to string wires to where all the computers are. Wireless solves that.

And yes, the opportunity to steal BW is ever present. So far I have resisted temptation. Yes, I have secured my network and I go far beyond just protecting the wireless portion. I would be surprised if someone could get data off one of my machines without physical access. No, this is not a challenge, so please don't try because I really don't want that kind of trouble. I do monitor traffic and will pursue those that do try ...

I'm annoyed enough with Comcast's regular querying of my network to see if specific ports are open. I am also amazed at the number of strangers that constantly query ports.

 

[LunarMist]

Wireless anything sucks. Wireless everything sucks. Wireless. Sucks. Equipped only with a full stop and those two words, optionally using any other spare words you have lying around with nothing better to do, you can make a sentence. And the bonus is that the sentence you make will almost certainly make more sense and stay true for longer than just about any other sentence ever written about wireless networking. (Or wireless keyboards, wireless mice, wireless any damn thing.) Wireless. Sucks. The only two words you need to know to know all about wireless networks.

I like my wireless Bluetooth laser mice for notebooks. They save a crucial USB port and the hassle of dealing with a cord about 8 times a day.

 

[Fushigi]

I can't recall the last time I bought a wired mouse. I've yet to get a wireless keyboard, though. That just doesn't seem to offer a benefit given the way I have things set up.

Regular WiFi works pretty well for me. Sure, not really as reliable a wired but the flexibility is there and it seems to just work once you get it set up.

 

[LunarMist]

I can't recall the last time I bought a wired mouse.

I'm still on wired mouse #2. The first one lasted from 1998-2005. I still have a couple more (USB though). With any luck they will last the remainder of my lifetime.

 

[Fushigi]

I went from serial (1985) to PS/2 (mid-90s) to USB (not sure when; maybe 2003). For my main mouse I don't think I've bought any wired USB mice. I have for secondary stuff but now I wouldn't bother, especially with mice that can go 6+ months off a single battery.

 

[Stereodude]

I use a Wacom tablet on my desktop. My wife uses the mouse and I use the pen. I guess that counts as wireless.

 

[CougTek]

I live and work in an apartment...

What happened to your house? Got divorced?

I don't like wireless anything, but it is often a necessary evil. High frequency emissions have an unknown long-term effect on our cells. All those wireless toys we use are a large-scale experimentation humanity does upon itself IMO.

 

[P5-133XL]

What happened to your house? Got divorced?

I don't like wireless anything, but it is often a necessary evil. High frequency emissions have an unknown long-term effect on our cells. All those wireless toys we use are a large-scale experimentation humanity does upon itself IMO.

I haven't lived in a house for 8 years. My father owned it, he died and during probate my brother wouldn't let me actually buy it, so it got sold and I moved out.