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That's a good question.

I think it's still moderately important because there are a lot of tools out there to overcome weak signals. People who do "war driving" often have directional, amplified antennas that can pick up surprisingly weak signals. So, just because your computer can't connect well outside of 10-20 feet doesn't mean that somebody else with the proper equipment can't from farther. But it's definitely a help, because the percentage of people with this "proper equipement" is much lower; your odds of being detected at all are now much lower. :)

That said, the 128bit encryption should help quite a lot. Otherwise, I wouldn't worry too much, but you should check in on the security from time to time. (And I still personally recommend changing the key regularly, since it's a weak encryption.)

I hope this helps! Thanks for your interest in my article!! :) -- Paul

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1) Do you have a wireless network ? - Are you currently considering it.

Yes. :)

2) Has the security concerns regarding wireless networks effected your decision to buy wireless networking products?

It has, and that's why I made sure what I bought had at least 128bit security. If I had known then what I do now, I might have waited a bit longer or chosen something with WPA instead, such as the more expensive 802.11g products out there.

3) Does the price of wireless networking products effect your decision to buy wireless networking products? - If this is the case how much cheaper do they need to get ?

Yes indeed. Up until recently, this equipment was very pricy. Now, with rebates, you can get the router I use (which has a doubled transmission rate and doubled WEP key) for under $40 on newegg, which is quite affordable.

4) What are your current thoughts, experiences concerning wireless networking ?

It's a great advance for home users in terms of convenience, but the security is definitely an issue. It's too bad that the majority of these products have all the security turned off by default. Most home users never even turn it on, and I've had many friends who accidentally connected to their neighbor's networks. (And not intentionally. Windows will generally try to choose the strongest network it can find, so long as it can connect and log in.)

I think the situation will improve on the security end. The manufacturers are getting a lot of interest, and they don't want the continued bad press like WEP is starting to generate. WPA should be a lot better, and I'd assume they'll be more careful in future selection of standards.

I guess this is a lot like anything else in life: there's a trade-off between security / privacy and convenience. The U.S. liked relatively porous borders because it made commerce cheaper and faster. 9/11 happened, and now we have to trade some of that convenience for (presumably) better national security. Cordless phones are nice and convenient, but many of us (especially in the 900MHz days and before) have experienced picking up the phone to hear unexpected voices!

It's finding a livable balance between safety and convenience that's key, I think.

5) What do you think of this article and the advice it gives ? - Do you have any more ? [/B]

Still looking for helpful comments! :) Thanks! -- Paul

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Agreed. At least not for very long.

Then again, all locks (physical or in software) can be picked or broken with sufficient effort, so in a sense, there is no such thing as "secure." There are only various shades of relative security. Like most things in life, it's about choosing how much effort needs to be put into security to ensure a reasonable expectation of privacy for the intended purpose of the system and the value of that which you are safeguarding.

VPN's aren't secure, either. (I had some interesting discussions with a wireless researcher in Australia about wireless security, VPN's, and readily-available tools to crack VPN's, on a wireless or not.)

If the intended use of the network is mission-critical (e.g., financial operations or accounting or anything else with vital private or sensitive information), wireless is not the right networking form. Only wired networks should be used for sensitive transactions.

For casual file sharing, internet connection sharing, etc., (i.e., standard home use), wireless is fine so long as reasonable protections are used. WEP is a flawed encryption, but it still takes time to break. Which means that if the key is changed sufficiently regularly and proper precautions are taken, it should do alright for the typical home user.

It'll certainly be better than the setup of most home users: default settings on, no security enabled at all, and oblivious to whether or not somebody else is connected.

But I agree with at least a good portion of your statement: under WEP, you shouldn't be completely oblivious to the fact that you're still vulnerable. Just as wearing a bike helmet shouldn't encourage one to bike recklessly, the limited protections of WEP shouldn't encourage one to be needlessly risky. On the other hand, life is safer with a helmet than without.

So, at the end of the day, it isn't about making a network completely secure, but rather making security better than it was before.

Thanks!! -- Paul

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This article could not have come at a better time for me. I have actually been considering a wireless network for my home. I was considering wireless simply because it's easier than pulling cable.
I am not overly concerned about security. Where I live, I know all of my neighbors for over 100 yards in any direction. This is a dead end gravel road 3 miles from town.
So, just how far away should I really be worried about? The nearest public road is 100+ yards away, is seldom traveled and used only by people who live in this neck of the woods so to speak.
The cost of wireless networking devices has fallen so far that cost is nearly a non-issue. At least for a small system with a lower need for security (I hope).

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Cuda, thanks for the interest!

You sound like you're in a pretty fortunate position, since you're quite isolated. Again, amplified antennas can pick up quite faint signals and connect to those networks, but since you're so isolated, the probability is much lower.

I think if you at the least used WEP with regular key changes, did MAC filtering, and reduced your antenna's range if possible, you'd probably be in good enough shape. It never hurts to be security-minded, though, particularly on financial transactions.

If possible, I'd try to spend the extra $ on a system that has WPA if it's affordable for you. Otherwise, you'll probably be reasonably safe with the 802.11b systems with >= 128bit WEP, with the standard provisos. :)

Good luck, and have fun! :) -- Paul

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