Wireless Networking Security

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grad27
Wireless Networking Security

i was reading some comments and suggestions about Wireless Security,
but what i want to know is if i originally used WEP as security, and
then i enabled the MAC to control access to the wireless network, would
someone with hardware to access wireless facilities still be able to
access the connection if they have the wireless key, or would the MAC
bypass all previous security, so that if your MAC address is not listed
then u won't be able to get on period, kind of a long question but any
feedback would be great. 

also, when everything has been
enabled and your router is working fine and your wireless connection
shows connected only when u input it manually, and there is no virus,
why is there still no internet access and how can access be
granted. 

ok this is a lot, thanks so much for your kindness 

 

Matt Whitlock
If you use MAC address

If you use MAC address filtering as your basis for network security, it will supercede all other forms of security. In other words, even someone with a security key won't actually be able to access your network directly unless the hardware address is registered. Unless of course, they've cloned a device to a registered MAC address for your network. If you use WEP along with MAC filtering, you'll need both properly setup for your devices to access the network.

MAC address filtering is a bit overkill for most environments, so your question begs another. Is there a reason you need this level of security? Also, don't forget that someone can still get into your network from the internet, so never lull yourself into a false state of security.

I'm not sure I'm following you on your second question. Can you clarify?

 

grad27
hi matt, thanks for your

hi matt, thanks for your response, someone was accessing the
wireless connection and there was a WEP, so i thought that someone must
have given them the key, or they had an ethernet card, so i wanted to
know if the MAC address would be better.  however i did try it,
but the router set up just sets it back to disable every time i log
out, even though i clicked apply changes

in my second question i
was stating that i couldn't get internet access, even though my
wireless connection showed connected.  additionally, it would not
connect if i set it to obtain IP address automatically, but when i put
a manual IP address, it shows connected but i still can't get
access.  what i noticed was that the IP for that particular
computer was not showing up on the client list in the router utility
set up.  this was for a wireless, the same thing is happening for
one computer on a LAN setup.  i scanned for a virus but none, i
tried everything i could think of, so now i'm lost

sorry for the length, i'll make it short next time

thanks again matt 

 

 

 

Matt Whitlock
Can you tell me a little more

Can you tell me a little more about the internet connection and hardware you're using? Maybe a little about the environment, like a college campus, typical home setup, etc. Are you using a seperate modem for DSL or Cable, or is the modem integrated with your router?

First, I would disable MAC address filtering in your router and just change back to WEP or WPA. At least until you get everything working properly. You may want to consider factory resetting the router in case a lot of the configuration has been messed with.  Next, use a wired connection for setup, and once you can get online when wired, then try and get your wireless going.

Don't forget to check all your network wiring. For example, if using a seperate DSL/cable modem, make sure you're using the WAN port on your router. You should also check the manufacturer's website for your router and see if there are any firmware updates available. Sometimes, this can solve many problems and even add new features.

I'll need more info before I can really be of any more help.  

grad27
hi matt

hi matt

the system is a network connection in a small private
hospital.  at most there are 15 computers.  there is a Belkin
router and utility that is set up on the server and the DSL modem is
connected to the router and the connection from the modem runs to the
server.  most computers are hard wired and a few are connecting
via the wireless network.  in addition to doctors with laptop
computers.  the wireless uses WEP 128 bit key as a security, this
is all configured in the router utility and the protected mode is
on. 

i wanted to explore using the MAC address as a form of
security.  however when i added MAC addresses of the computers of
the network and set to allow or deny, the setup automatically went back
to the disable radio button. 

the other problem i was
having is that one of the computers was showing me internet connection
but there was no internet access. this is a hard wired computer. 
the firewall was set to off and i turned it on so i'm yet to find out
if that works.  otherwise to that i've tried to scan for a virus
but none.  i was having the same problem on one wireless laptop.

hope u get some clarification

thanks for your patience and help 

 

 

Matt Whitlock
Is the router set to assign

Is the router set to assign an IP to each client automatically through DHCP, or is every computer supposed to be assigned a static IP? Since most of the computers on the network are working fine, I'm going with my gut that it's a config problem. We just need to figure out whether or not the problem is on the router or client side.

grad27
hi matt

hi matt

the computers are configured to obtain the IP address automatically from the router through DHCP.  

good
news, the firewall on the computer that was not connecting to the
internet was off so i turned it on and am now able to access the
internet, just hope it stays that way.  by the way for that
particular computer that was not getting internet access, the router
was picking up that address cause it was shown in the DHCP client list,
so maybe that problem was on the client side, i'll see how it behaves

i can't test the laptop since that one is out until Monday, will let u know how that one goes 

i'm not sure what i'm doing with the security as yet, for now i am still using WEP 128 bit

thanks again for all your help 

 

grad27
hi matt

hi matt

good news again

the wireless computer had a wrong WEP key, which was strange, it was working fine all the time, so that is good now

thanks for all your help 

 

 

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