Security and WIFI (was Re: [TriLUG] who else is experimenting with the sharp zaurus?)

[al johson]

You might want to take a look at Apple's Airport and Airport cards (they
work with Macs or PCs and are completely wireless, they have a fairly good
range as well and the frequency is high enough to avoid most interference).
To increase their range all you have to do is to experiment with antenna
placement which works for any wireless system---small changes in location of
the antenna can produce large changes in signal strength, this is because
antennas interact with their surroundings in almost mysterious ways, because
of the location of metal and even some plastic materials. At the frequencies
we're discussing even the weather can be a factor. This can be done by
simple trial and error. Start by moving one antenna and see if there are
differences in the signal received by the other. Then once you've improved
that the best you can, go to the other antenna and do the same. Doing this
over and over can sometimes produce amazing differences in signal strength.
----- Original Message -----
From: David A. Cafaro <dac at cafaro.net>
To: <trilug at trilug.org>
Sent: Friday, May 17, 2002 12:49 PM
Subject: Re: Security and WIFI (was Re: [TriLUG] who else is experimenting
with the sharp zaurus?)


> At 11:31 AM 5/17/2002, you wrote:
>
> >;-) my wireless net doesn't really work in the front yard that well :-)
>
> Well that's one way to keep people out :-)
>
>
> >yeah all the stuff I don't do over VPN (work stuff) or SSL is generally
> >ending up public anyhow.  Now if they hacked into my desktop (since
they'd
> >be behind my firewall) that would be a bit more interesting, but we
> >generally bank on line over SSL.
>
> >Lets talk likelyhood per amount of effort.  Its fairly unlikely I'd be a
> >target due to the pure lack of gain.  General hacking over the net is
> >another story because kids in Korea can do it with little chance of
> >getting caught and low skill and effort so the low pay off (being
> >annoying) is probably worth it.
>
> True it may not be worth it, but if you say live in a townhouse and there
> are several people around you then, maybe it is worth it to sit there and
> pick up say 4 peoples identities for 1 hours worth of work.  And if these
> are well todo people you could have access to some nice credit lines, and
> bank accounts.
>
> This is just in theory, and may not be a big thing now, but it is
> definitely something to keep in mind in the future.  And of course this
> scenario won't apply to everyone.
>
>
> >Nope my cordless phones get dropped in water at least once every 2
> >years.  We boiled one once..
>
> I have found that spaghetti tastes better with tomato sauce instead of
> telephones myself ;-).
>
>
>
> >>3. That may even be enough time to break into some digital cordless
> >>phones, though I'm not as well versed on that stuff.
> >
> >Then they'd hear me tell 1,000,000 telemarketers never to call me again.
>
> Same here
>
>
> >Now I have a better question.  How do I extend my vulnerability (my
> >wireless network) further into my backyard without more wires?   I've got
> >the Linksys wireless hub/cable router and it works okay but about half
way
> >into the back yard it quits (and its not very fast).  Is there some form
> >of wireless repeater that will communicate with a base and client so that
> >the signal strength is increased and extended?   :-)
>
> I would love to know of some cheap wireless repeaters my self.  Suppose
you
> could do it with an old Linux laptop with two wifi cards in it (one acting
> as an access point one acting as a client from the other access point),
but
> that wouldn't be as efficient as I would like.  Besides that, you could
> build an add-on antenna for your base station to try and increase your
> "vulnerability" ( ;-) ) further into your backyard.
>
> http://www.turnpoint.net/wireless/has.html
>
> -David
>
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