Netgear MA301/401 and Encryption

[Price Technology]

On Wed, 28 Jul 2004 08:27:37 -0400, Scot L. Harris <webid at cfl.rr.com>  
wrote:

> On Tue, 2004-07-27 at 23:22, Price Technology wrote:
>> As promised, I have installed the MA301/MA401 wireless card in my
>> freshly installed FC2 box and it is working famously.  (using it right
>> now in fact)
>>
>> The only thing I haven't set up is encryption.  I am using MAC address
>> access control, not broadcasting the SSID, etc. even switched away from
>> the default channel 11.
>>
>> While I have set up encryption at all my customer's sites where the
>> Netgear MR814 in deployed, and had planned to do it here, I got curious.
>>
>> Considering the other safeguards I've deployed, how important is
>> encryption??  Opinions please.
>>
>> Thanks
>>
>> Joebewan
>
> Without encryption it would be very easy to look at all your packets
> going over the wireless connection.  This could include your pop3
> passwords for your email access, text of your emails, etc.
>
They'd have to sniff the packets without being able to access the network  
though.

> Think of it as if you have locked your homes door but have the huge
> picture window on the front of the house with the drapes pulled open.
> Nobody can get in easily but they can see everything that is going on
> inside.
>
Good analogy.

> Of course if you are using WEP someone can still break the encryption
> but they have to gather a couple of million interesting packets to do
> so.  Usually more trouble than it is worth for most casual hackers.  But
> encryption would keep your next door neighbors kid from getting
> information you may not want them to have.
>
I guess I didn't consider the possibility of "promiscuous" sniffing.  With  
the MAC address restrictions and not broadcasting the SSID, I'd pretty  
well have the neighbor's kid blocked out anyway.

Thanks for the input.

Joebewan