On Sat, Dec 19, 2009 at 00:34, Ken Gunther <[email protected]>wrote:
> I am using the TiVo wireless adapter on a network that is not > broadcasting its SSID. The only additional thing that you need to do if > not broadcasting the SSID is to enter the SSID using the remote rather > than pick it from a list. > That's true, but it is just added hassle with *NO* security benefit. Really, hiding the SSID buys you nothing but the hassle of needing to type it in every time you want to add a device to the network. WiFi sniffers can pick up the SSID even if broadcast is off, it is still being sent over the air to connected devices. So it isn't going to stop anyone looking for networks from finding your network. It doesn't really matter if someone else can see your SSID, it isn't sensitive info - and if you have WPA configured they still can't use it even if they can see it. Hiding the SSID just makes life harder for legitimate users and doesn't help, there is no good reason to do it. While I'm commenting, MAC address filtering is nearly as pointless, as best it would keep a casual leech from using your network - but since it is secured it is a pointless added step. MAC address filtering is not security, spoofing a MAC address is trivial, and even automated by many tools. And it just makes life harder for legit users as you have to enter the MAC address for each device. So leave SSID broadcast on, don't bother with MAC address filtering - just make sure you pick a good pass-phrase for WPA/WPA2. And use WPA-PSK with AES - NOT TKIP. And don't use WEP, ever. -- [email protected] / [email protected] Geek, Gweep, Technophile, me. www.GizmoLovers.com / www.MegaZone.org / www.Eyrie-Productions.com Hail Eris Twitter.com/megazone / Facebook.com/megazone / www.LinkedIn.com/in/megazone "A little nonsense now and then, is relished by the wisest men" 432-363-4296 [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
