Network Security - Please help

poppetpoppet
Posted:
in Genius Bar edited January 2014
Hi there,



I need some advice as I want to make sure my network is secure.



I currenty have a netgear modem/wireless router and link both my destop and macbook to this. I have now bought an apple hifi with Airport Express so that I can play itune where ever I want.



So the thing is last night I added the express to my wireless network and told the netgear to let it access my exsisting network. Can someone hook up to my network through the express? Obviously I have to put in the mac addresses on the Netgear for someone to be able to access through that but just wondered if there was a back door on the express and I needed to set up securtiy.



I hope I am making some sort of sense but would appreciate you help so that I am secure on my network. Was happy with security before the express so just want make sure I am still secure.



Thanks



Julie



p.s I had notice that the netgear had lost the access control settings so a pc I didn't know had managed to access my network.

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 9
    dmzdmz Posts: 5,775member
    I'd just go with WPA or WPA2 if at all possible -- with a 20+ character random password. You should be fine. There will be a password for the Express itself, so be sure to use a strong password there as well.



    Find a large book, open to any page and write down the last digit of the page number, then look at the 10th character on the first line and write that next. Repeat that ten times and you'll have a very random password.
  • Reply 2 of 9
    aquamacaquamac Posts: 585member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Poppet View Post


    Hi there,

    I need some advice as I want to make sure my network is secure.

    I currently have a netgear modem/wireless router and link both my desktop and macbook to this. I have now bought an apple hifi with Airport Express so that I can play itune where ever I want.

    So the thing is last night I added the express to my wireless network and told the netgear to let it access my existing network. Can someone hook up to my network through the express? Obviously I have to put in the mac addresses on the Netgear for someone to be able to access through that but just wondered if there was a back door on the express and I needed to set up security.



    Thanks Julie



    p.s I had notice that the netgear had lost the access control settings so a pc I didn't know had managed to access my network.



    This is exactly why I would never use a wireless network at home. I have a wired router with a built in firewall, and no worries. Wireless networks are inherently easier to hack into. Good luck.
  • Reply 3 of 9
    poppetpoppet Posts: 90member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by AquaMac View Post


    This is exactly why I would never use a wireless network at home. I have a wired router with a built in firewall, and no worries. Wireless networks are inherently easier to hack into. Good luck.



    I couldn't agree more but we are in a rented out and have one phone line in the most stupid place so the only option is wireless. I guess the wifi bit for the apple hifi is not exactly essential but I like the idea of having it in a room that doesn't have a pc / mac etc.



    Any tips for avoiding hackers would be appreciated.
  • Reply 4 of 9
    project2501project2501 Posts: 433member
    As DMZ said, secure everything with WPA, disable name showing from both of your wlan hubs(increases security only little, but potential hackers might not even notice there is a wlan nearby), limit the network access to known MAC addresses, and reduce the signal strength, to minimum needed. Wlan is never as secure as cable, but then again, not too many people are SO interested to get into your network that they bother trying to hack WPA.
  • Reply 5 of 9
    sherman homansherman homan Posts: 167member
    As the above posters have noted, WPA is pretty much bullet proof as long as you give it a ridiculous password. The Express is simply extending your network, as the secondary in your WDS it will follow the "rules" set by the primary. With WPA required the Express will ask for the WPA password exactly like the primary would do. No one can jump on the Express without going through the primary. You will only need to enter that password once on each of your wireless devices so it shouldn't be a bother. If someone has the interest to crack it you have some seriously bad friends!
  • Reply 6 of 9
    bluesblues Posts: 40member
    Wireless network works over radio, everything that works over radio is unreliable by definition. Sure, using your laptop in the backyard is convinient over wireless - but go wireless only if you cant go wired. Do not do silly things like hiding your SSID etc. WPA offers enough security for a home network as already mentioned above.



    http://blogs.zdnet.com/Ou/index.php?m=20050318
  • Reply 7 of 9
    poppetpoppet Posts: 90member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Blues View Post


    Wireless network works over radio, everything that works over radio is unreliable by definition. Sure, using your laptop in the backyard is convinient over wireless - but go wireless only if you cant go wired. Do not do silly things like hiding your SSID etc. WPA offers enough security for a home network as already mentioned above.



    http://blogs.zdnet.com/Ou/index.php?m=20050318



    Why is it silly to hide your ssid??? Does that not add more protection???



    Thanks for all the responses.



    J
  • Reply 8 of 9
    bluesblues Posts: 40member
    Please read the article I linked to, the truth is a hacker may even not notice your SSID is hidden when cracking his/her way into your network.



    Quote:

    There is no such thing as "SSID hiding". You're only hiding SSID beaconing on the Access Point. There are 4 other mechanisms that also broadcast the SSID over the 2.4 or 5 GHz spectrum. The 4 mechanisms are; probe requests, probe responses, association requests, and re-association requests. Essentially, youre talking about hiding 1 of 5 SSID broadcast mechanisms. Nothing is hidden and all youve achieved is cause problems for Wi-Fi roaming when a client jumps from AP to AP. Hidden SSIDs also makes wireless LANs less user friendly.



  • Reply 9 of 9
    poppetpoppet Posts: 90member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Blues View Post


    Please read the article I linked to, the truth is a hacker may even not notice your SSID is hidden when cracking his/her way into your network.



    Sorry overlooked the link.



    Cheers



    J
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