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View Full Version : WPA Personal for WEP:I need to swap it

nbaptista007
07-13-07, 05:39 PM
Today I bought a Wireless cardbus adapter 2.4Ghz for my laptop.The card was old so I get a good discount but the problem now is that my wireless network is set to Security Mode : WPA Personal and the card as it is old just accept WEP Mode security.
So I have two questions:
Iīve been reading that WEP is not so secure,but the dealer told me that might be a problem if I was running a bussiness.For personal use it is ok , according to him.Is he right?
Or should I ask for another card that runs WPA?
How can I set the router for Security Mode WEP?It is only swap the Security Mode to WEP on the main computer or should I set both the PCīs for WEP?
Thank you for your help
P.S. A friend of mine told me that was possible to adjust the router and maintain the WPA Personal Security Mode...but how?
jdrom17
07-14-07, 12:11 AM
You must change the security on your router to WEP. Then change all the clients (computers) to WEP as well. As far as I know, it's impossible to run 2 types of encryption/security.

WEP is a lot easier to crack (takes a few minutes I believe), but if you use some MAC filtering too (if possible on your router) and if your SSID is hidden and not broadcasted it makes it harder. You could also disable DHCP and assign static IP addresses.

Then the hacker would need to spoof your IP and MAC address, figure out your SSID and then finally get your WEP key. Although for an experienced person, that would probably only take a few minutes.

I wouldn't say WPA is un-hackable either. Anything wireless is.

The only way to ensure security, is to keep an eye on your router's logs and change your key frequently.
nbaptista007
07-14-07, 06:26 AM
My Wireless SSID broadcast is set as enable!Should I disable it?
jdrom17
07-14-07, 12:43 PM
Well having it enabled makes it extremely easy for basically any one to see theres a wireless network within range. I always disable mine. Then people driving by or living next door won't see my network. Of course, if they're smart enough they could still figure out a network exists but generally people look for open, default configured networks.

Makes it a tad harder to configure each computer as you have to manually add the network and type in the SSID and Key but I don't mind.
nbaptista007
07-14-07, 01:54 PM
OK,thank you.I didnīt know that!Once,some guys living nearby hijacked my network!