No idea what WAP is; used to be the name for viewing HTML on your phone :) (WML etc).
WPA is just a reworking of the WEP system to fix a bunch of flaws in the design of WEP. However, WEP is still pretty servicable, especially when 95% of people are using no protection at all and for someone's home, I would not worry too much about WEP vs WPA. I just make sure I have WEP + MAC recognition. Sure it can be broken, but no-one nearby is going to try (need a good network card to lie about your MAC, and then have to sit and watch a bunch of traffic happen to break the WEP). Longer than the battery life on my laptop if I recall correctly. MAC's are unique numbers on network cards by the way. Identifies every machine on the internet, but thankfully is kept private by browsers and the normal high-level network protocols. You can also turn off the ESID broadcasting, which is the name of your network. Makes it harder to spot the network. Hen On Wed, 21 Jul 2004, John Robinson wrote: > Bryan, > > Glad this discussion got started, I have just changed my protection to > WAP for you stated it is more robust than than the WEP which I had > previously. I used the WAP Personal, I hope this is correct, but what > is the difference between the two and why is WAP more robust? > > Many thanks, > > John R. > > > On Jul 21, 2004, at 10:23 PM, Bryan Forrest wrote: > > > Hi Mike - > > > > If you don't have a wireless setup in your home, then you don't have a > > lot to worry about. Can someone tap into your internet connection? > > Yes, but it's not going to be an easy task. Your computer is > > physically hardwired to the cable modem, so someone would have to tap > > your phone line either inside or outside your home. Unless you are > > being investigated by the FBI, Homeland Security, or the Mob, I > > wouldn't worry about it too much. > > > > If you had a wireless connection, security would be much more serious > > an issue. Wireless has several levels of security. > > 1. Closed network - Assign a name to your AP. By doing this, someone > > would have to know the name of your network to log in. This isn't > > difficult if they are sniffing for wireless networks. As soon as > > someone logs in, they have the name. It's OK for starters, but I > > wouldn't rely on it. > > 2. Set a WEP password - In order to log into the base station, you > > will need to know both the name of the network and the password. > > Better security, but not perfect. WEP has been cracked, so with enough > > packets collected a hacker can get your WEP password and access your > > network. If you have an Airport Extreme or Express, you can use WAP > > instead, much more robust and secure. > > 3. MAC address filtering - Each network device has a 12 digit hex code > > that serves as a unique identifier for that device. If you restrict > > access to your router to the network devices you own, that will > > discourage passersby from logging into your network. If their MAC > > address isn't registered in your router, they can't connect. Again, > > not a perfect solution, in that a smart user can see who is currently > > connected to a wireless network and then spoof a MAC address from > > someone already authenticated. > > 4. Turn on your Firewall software in OS X. This won't keep someone > > from accessing your network, but it will help to keep them out of your > > computer if they do access your network. > > > > Obviously, none of the solutions above are perfect, but by providing a > > multi-layered security plan, you should be much safer than your > > neighbors. And for the most part, war drivers are going to find the > > path of least resistance. > > > > HTH > > > > -- > > Bryan C. Forrest > > Macintosh Specialist & Asst. Network Administrator > > LifeNet > > http://www.lifenet.org > > > > > > On Jul 21, 2004, at 8:29 PM, Mike Watkins wrote: > > > >> All, > >> > >> Is there anything I need to do to protect my computer's DSL service > >> from being used by someone outside my home? I do not have a wireless/ > >> airport type set-up... just a regular BellSouth high speed DSL > >> conection. > >> > >> There's a kid in our neighborhood who is lurking outside some of my > >> neighbor's houses to use their internet on his laptop... I've seen > >> him by two of my neighbor's houses, and that's what he says he's > >> doing. He told me he didn't think they'd mind. (Of course, they're > >> not home at the time.) He sat out in front of my next-door neighbor's > >> for several hours on Monday. She doesn't have a wireless set-up, > >> either... perhaps he was really tapping into the folks across the > >> street's system? > >> > >> If he or someone else can access my internet, what are the dangers to > >> my system? I don't know how skilled he is. If he did anything illegal > >> using my connection, or if his computer had a virus, or whatever... > >> what could happen? Would you report him to anyone... and, if so, who? > >> > >> Anyone know about this stuff? > >> > >> Mike > >> > >> > >> > >> | The next meeting of the Louisville Computer Society will > >> | be July 27. The LCS Web page is <http://www.kymac.org>. > >> | List posting address: <mailto:macgroup at erdos.math.louisville.edu> > >> | List Web page: <http://erdos.math.louisville.edu/macgroup> > >> > > > > > > > > | The next meeting of the Louisville Computer Society will > > | be July 27. The LCS Web page is <http://www.kymac.org>. > > | List posting address: <mailto:macgroup at erdos.math.louisville.edu> > > | List Web page: <http://erdos.math.louisville.edu/macgroup> > > > > > > | The next meeting of the Louisville Computer Society will > | be July 27. The LCS Web page is <http://www.kymac.org>. > | List posting address: <mailto:macgroup at erdos.math.louisville.edu> > | List Web page: <http://erdos.math.louisville.edu/macgroup> > | The next meeting of the Louisville Computer Society will | be July 27. The LCS Web page is <http://www.kymac.org>. | List posting address: <mailto:macgroup at erdos.math.louisville.edu> | List Web page: <http://erdos.math.louisville.edu/macgroup>
