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Home Wireless Network Security

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by arichart

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I have a wireless network (relativley small bandwith) at home running on an inexpensive Netgear router. One laptop with wireless card and a desktop with a wireless card. Wep is enabled (64 bit with my own encryption key and not a factory default). In the attached devices area, it shows my two computers and their MAC addresses. Is this secure enough to keep, let's say, a neighbor from using my network? Is there a way to determine if someone is using this to connect to the Internet and/or my files?

6 replies

by alin.selicean

Hi

That should be enough, but I would also suggest to use MAC filtering. This will definitely deny any other attempts to use your wireless device and/or to connect to your files. However, wireless traffic can be sniffed and passwords can be stolen, as well as other sensitive data.

HTH,
Alin

by alin.selicean

Forgot to mention: don't provide the encryption key autmatically to your clients (it is a feature most wireless routers have).

by rkuhn040172

A few suggestions:

1) Go up to 128 bit encryption if you can
2) Use MAC filtering
3) Limit the # of IP's handed out via DHCP to 2
4) Use IP filtering
5) Assign IP's statically
6) Update firmware if needed
7) Adjust the power of the wireless radio to that of a range needed, no more no less
8) Check your logs periodically
9) Use WPA instead of WEP if you can
10) Disable SSID broadcasting

Aside from that, unless you are truly paranoid, you could monitor what ports you are using over time and lock down the ports that you don't use.

You can also test your firewall here:

https://www.grc.com/x/ne.dll?bh0bkyd2

It's better to "stealth" ports than to merely block them.

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