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| reply to jdmax
Re: The cluess come out in droves Ok, I'll counter the first part of your message here.
I ran a wireless AP up until today when the wireless card in the one computer that was using it died and I decided it would be better to run a cable to that location rather than buying a new wireless card. After all, it was only 17 feet away and I have numerous ethernet cards laying about and a 20 foot cable in a box sitting right there. Free fix. So I disabled the wifi. Doesn't get any more secure than that.
During the year that I had the AP active I did not bother with WEP, MAC filtering (on the AP side, i used MAC filtering on the ethernet side because my firewall is configured to allow greater access to my LAN from the ethernet and I don't want some arse plugging in to one of my outside CAT-5 jacks and getting into where I don't want him), I DID turn off DHCP, and that was the only security measure I took.
If someone wanted to connect and was able to figure out what IP range I was using, my DNS server and gateway addresses, then they were more than welcome to the 1mbit of shared wireless bandwidth I allowed (wit the 56k upstream my packet shaping would allow them). I have 4mbit downstream and 384k upstream so it is unlikely that I would notice during normal browsing. No big.
Now, if someone were to clone a MAC addredd from one of my ethernet-connected systems and plug into one of my outside CAT-5 ports and do the same, possibly gaining access to other systems on that segment of my LAN, then i'd have an issue. Then I may consider taking precautions such as using DHCP to lock a specific MAC address to a specific IP address and to allow it to only assign those addresses that I plan to use.
Even that's not a perfect option, but at least then it's not like I'm leaving it wide open.
Anyway, if someone accesses my AP from off my property, that's my fault because I left it open, on purpose, to allow them access. If they set foot on my property with that intent (or to plug in to my ethernet) without my permission, that is trespassing. They would foot the blame for that.
Now, if I set up an ethernet jack on the side of the road, then the blame would again fall on me. Until they set foot on my property or begin trying to crack passwords or clone MAC addresses.
It's not cut-and-dry, he accessed your AP it's his fault or you left it open it's your fault. How, when, and where come into play. Why also plays a part.
Of course, then i read the rest of your message and I'm simply too lazt to change what I wrote. No need to, really, as it still sheds some light on the situation. |
