the other side of wireless security

[Todd Zullinger]

Tim wrote:
> No worries, that interested me as well.  I don't think I'd ever want
> to use un-encrypted wireless, but it's interesting to note that you
> only saw the traffic in one direction.

If I didn't share access with some less technically inclined people
(whose computers are not within my control), I'd probably run my AP
with no encryption at all.  Then I'd lock off access using a VPN.  So,
anyone would be able to get on the wireless network, but the wireless
network would only be useful as a stepping stone to access the real
network which was protected by the VPN.  I tend to have more faith in
the security of things like openvpn than in WPA.  (WEP is a total
waste of time to setup, as it's trivially crackable by anyone that's
competent.)

> I did get a laptop, I'm playing with it now (working moderately
> well, if anyone wants a report on putting Fedora on an Asus PRO31J,
> sing out and I'll write a separate message about it).  But I've
> turned the wireless off - I don't have any other wireless devices to
> connect to, and I don't fancy accidentally connecting to someone
> else's wireless.  I might pay a visit to someone with a wireless
> access point, and play around with it on purpose, later on.

Good plan.  FWIW, NetworkManager won't automatically connect to any AP
until you tell it to once.  After you choose to connect, it will
remember that and try to connect to that AP automatically if it needs
a network connection.  (If you have a wired network connected, that
beats out any wireless network.)

-- 
Todd        OpenPGP -> KeyID: 0xBEAF0CE3 | URL: www.pobox.com/~tmz/pgp
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Moral indignation is jealousy with a halo.
    -- H. G. Wells

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