Making a WEP connection as secure as possible

s-j-cooper_2

Fight! Fight!:j

DatabaseError

ok, i don't own a console, but i thought i'd better have a look at the instructions, because you (blacksheep) seem to have a point, apology on the way
it apears that the nintendo usb wifi connector once installed opens a window in xp asking for permission to grant access to devices as they try to connect (instructions here]/url). so it looks like the dongle does not allow access unless somebody physically sat at the pc allows it (or controlling remotely, but let's not go down that road..). of course it is still possible that a hacker could physically break into your house and press the 'allow' button, though unlikely...
...apology postponed...

Blacksheep1979

that'll in effect be a primitive firewall and will most probably identify the device connecting by mac address - which is so ease to fake it's comical.

JustPassingBy

Blacksheep1979 wrote: »

Sorry but to the last two solutions - if you're allowing access to your network via wep in any form there is little point having a wpa segment (if they are connected together). This would just be a waste of money.

Are you saying there is little point in isolating the network segments?

Brian.

DatabaseError

Blacksheep1979 wrote: »

that'll in effect be a primitive firewall and will most probably identify the device connecting by mac address - which is so ease to fake it's comical.

quite possibly. it also won't (without changing files on the pc) allow connection by anything other than a nintendo, though this could be by checking against a known range of macs assigned to the devices.
so, for security, attach the nintendo usb dongle, connect the ds, allow the connection from the host pc. once playtime over, pull the dongle out of the usb port.
if the hypothetical hacker has managed to get the ds mac (quite possible) he will have difficulty connecting with the dongle in a drawer.

bicycle_repair_man_2

Does the ds have an ethernet port? if so, you could buy a very long ethernet cable to connect the ds to your router, then you could keep the router on wpa security

s-j-cooper_2

bicycle_repair_man wrote: »

Does the ds have an ethernet port? if so, you could buy a very long ethernet cable to connect the ds to your router, then you could keep the router on wpa security

Unfortunately not, otherwise I would do it that way.

Blacksheep1979

JustPassingBy wrote: »

Are you saying there is little point in isolating the network segments?

Brian.

If they are on the same subnet/connected to the same router then no, there is no point.

tonyhague wrote: »

quite possibly. it also won't (without changing files on the pc) allow connection by anything other than a nintendo, though this could be by checking against a known range of macs assigned to the devices.
so, for security, attach the nintendo usb dongle, connect the ds, allow the connection from the host pc. once playtime over, pull the dongle out of the usb port.
if the hypothetical hacker has managed to get the ds mac (quite possible) he will have difficulty connecting with the dongle in a drawer.

Come on this is taking it a little far - how many people are going to go to the hassle of switching on a pc, attatching a dongle, pairing it with the ds and then unplugging the dongle and turning off the pc every time they want to connect the ds to the internet? You'll either forget/not bother to unplug the dongle or get fed up after the second time that you won't bother using the ds which isn't very moneysaving now is it?

JustPassingBy

Blacksheep1979 wrote: »

If they are on the same subnet/connected to the same router then no, there is no point.

Agreed. But I did say isolate the segments, which implies different subnets. Perhaps we can settle on three routers as a way of getting trusted and untrusted networks.

Brian.

DatabaseError

Blacksheep1979 wrote: »

Come on this is taking it a little far - how many people are going to go to the hassle of switching on a pc, attatching a dongle, pairing it with the ds and then unplugging the dongle ...

i have a bluetooth dongle for my pc, which i pair with my phone to transfer photos etc. when i want to use to i plug it into the usb, do the biz, unplug it, dead easy.
so that'll be 1 person so far!


feel free to make a practical suggestion to the OPs problem rather than sniping at fellow posters
:T