LINKSYS Router Mac Filter

Currently I have a system that cannot handle wireless encryption. I'm running it now without any security except I do not broadcast the SSID. Will MAC filtering buy me any additional security or is it just a waste of time?

John Q Public

Reply to
publicjq.8230.cst
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Not broadcasting the SSID is no sceurity feature.

No, unless you never use the wireless connection.

Considering that you're abusing a .NET infected MSIE 7.0 as a webbrowser, any security is certainly wasteful.

Reply to
Sebastian G.

???? Please name the system. I challenge the assertion.

It raises the bar for the amount of work someone interest in your network will have to do, but for someone at all determined it is a waste of time. Valid mac addresses can be seen over teh air along with the SSID, so all the attacker needs to do is spoof a valid mac and set the bssid and off they go. Freely available tools allow it.

It's just a smidge more work than seeing the bssid in a list and setting your card to it but maybe one more command and that's all.

Reply to
Todd H.

I give you an immediate counter example: AMD PCNet 3127 PCMCIA card, based on Aetheros 1 chipset. The official driver only supports WEP, third party drivers don't work, and neither does WPA Supplicant.

Nitpick: With proper encryption, the SSID is encrypted along with the payload. However, it doesn't matter, since you have to break the encryption anyway.

Reply to
Sebastian G.

Yes, it will discourage casual users who might otherwise piggy-back on your connection, but why can't you enable encryption?

Reply to
Victek

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