Connecting a laptop to the internet without 'phone line?

TonyLisaP

Believe what you like.

espresso

TonyLisaP wrote: »

Believe what you like.

Explain what you mean by "unless it is MAC protected" then.

TonyLisaP

You can restrict your Router to allow only specified MAC addresses to connect.

espresso

TonyLisaP wrote: »

You can restrict your Router to allow only specified MAC addresses to connect.

This make absolutely no difference to security, as the MAC address is broadcast in the wireless data packets and can obviously be spoofed.

TonyLisaP

Much harder to spoof the MAC address as it is hard coded into the network card.

espresso

TonyLisaP wrote:

Much harder to spoof the MAC address as it is hard coded into the network card.

That is irrelevant. You stated

TonyLisaP wrote:

WPA security on any wireless network can be cracked in about 30 seconds, unless it is MAC protected.

The MAC address filtering adds nothing to the security of a WPA encrypted wireless link. A little knowledge is a dangerous thing.

TonyLisaP

Of course it adds more security, the MAC address filtering is a lot more secure than just WEP or WPA, your router should reject any request for access from a network point that it is not enabled for. I have more than just a little knowledge. I have about 12 wireless networks in range of my PC and the only one I haven't surfed on has been a MAC protected one.

Norman-B

Thank you all for the help and advice. The last few post have left me scratching my head!

I think we may have solved her problem, at her flat at least. She is going to go for a BT connection at £11.75 (?) per month and connect via that to a broadband package. OK, she won't be able to connect on the move but that can be sorted at a later date. The BT is for 12 months, so we will have to worry about that at the end of the year. As things stand re the credit crunch, it might be longer that 12 months before she moves.

Thanks again, N

espresso

TonyLisaP wrote: »

Of course it adds more security, the MAC address filtering is a lot more secure than just WEP or WPA, your router should reject any request for access from a network point that it is not enabled for. I have more than just a little knowledge. I have about 12 wireless networks in range of my PC and the only one I haven't surfed on has been a MAC protected one.

:rotfl:

So you are telling me that if someone has enough knowledge to sniff enough data packets to break the encryption algorithm in use, that they can't simply spoof the MAC address to gain access!

TonyLisaP

You might want to turn that spray on yourself. Yes you can spoof the MAC address but that is going to be useless without the encryption key and vice versa, you have to be desperate to do both and spoofing a MAC address can render your hardware useless if you are not careful. Lets agree to disagree.
:T For the picture, hilarious. :rotfl: