[NBLUG/talk] WiFi revisited

[Lincoln Peters]

On Mon, 2004-06-07 at 11:45, Augie Schwer wrote:
> If you are a Sonic.net customer you can set up a residential hotspot with
> them:
> 
> http://www.sonic.net/hotspots/
> 
> They secure the line with IPSEC. It is what I use and I find it to work
> very well.

Unfortunately, I'm an SBC customer.

> 
> > 3. My WiFi router supports the following security modes:
> >   a. WPA pre-shared key
> >   b. WPA RADIUS
> >   c. RADIUS
> >   d. WEP
> > Which mode would offer the best security?
> 
> I would vote "a. WPA pre-shared key". I would guess that both 'b' and 'c'
> would require you to actually have a RADIUS server to perform the
> authentication.

What would be the advantage, if any, to having a RADIUS server, rather
than a pre-shared key?  Would I be correct to assume that a pre-shared
key would be easier to set up?

> 
> To get WPA to work on Linux you may have to do some extra work:
> http://www.linux-sec.net/Wireless/AP/#WPA
> 
> Also I believe you'll have to make sure your hardware can do WPA:
> http://www.wi-fi.org/OpenSection/certified_products.asp?TID=2

I know that the router supports WPA.  The literature for my WiFi cards
talks about WEP but not WPA; would the card itself need to support WPA
or could I implement WPA on a software level?

I have an iBook G3 that apparently only supports WEP; I'll try to
solicit advice for it from another list.

> 
> 'd' wouldn't be so bad either.  These days there are so many open APs that
> if you turn on WEP and turn off 'broadcast' on your AP, then most people
> won't waste their time with you

I guess I'll go with 'd' if I find that nothing else would work.

---
Lincoln Peters
<sampln at sbcglobal.net>

It's a poor workman who blames his tools.