Linux Format forums

heiowge · Posted: Tue Jun 07, 2011 1:30 pm Post subject: Hidden SSID

A recent (not yours, sorry) article suggests hiding your router SSID since the default name can give bandwidth thieves easy access.

I have just changed mine from the default (which I'm not saying, or what would be the point!) to Surveillance Vehicle T7. I thought it would worry my neighbours! Twisted Evil

Anyone got a better SSID I could use? Laughing

Arthur_Dent · Posted: Tue Jun 07, 2011 2:00 pm Post subject: Re: Hidden SSID

nelz · Posted: Tue Jun 07, 2011 2:07 pm Post subject:

Hiding the SSID does not significantly increase security. Broadcasting a default SSID demonstrates that you can't be bothered to change the settings, making it a prime target for attack, but it is still possible to connect to an AP that does not broadcast its SSID. you just need to find the SSID in other ways, like sniffing the connections of the devices connecting to it.
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Unix is user-friendly. It's just very selective about who it's friends are.

bobthebob1234 · Posted: Tue Jun 07, 2011 4:26 pm Post subject:

finding a wireless point without a ssid is quite easy really. There is a program (can't remember what it is called) that sniffs for wireless networks and just picks up everything, and if you have hidden the ssid it just has a blank cell in the table. Can still find you ap mac address, sometimes ip and strength, etc

Changing from the default ssid however means that it is harder to guess what hardware you are using, meaning that trying to use the default key for your hardware is harder.
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For certain you have to be lost to find the places that can't be found. Elseways, everyone would know where it was

heiowge · Posted: Tue Jun 07, 2011 4:57 pm Post subject:

bobthebob1234 · Posted: Tue Jun 07, 2011 5:21 pm Post subject:

however if you were really cleaver you could use the 'MAC OUI' and find out the manufacture of the box/network card, and from there do some guessing.

Or just look though the window Very Happy

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For certain you have to be lost to find the places that can't be found. Elseways, everyone would know where it was

heiowge · Posted: Tue Jun 07, 2011 6:17 pm Post subject:

They'd have to look through a window, round a corner and under a desk! Laughing

bobthebob1234 · Posted: Tue Jun 07, 2011 6:58 pm Post subject:

http://www.google.co.uk/search?q=snake%20camera&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=isch Cool

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For certain you have to be lost to find the places that can't be found. Elseways, everyone would know where it was

heiowge · Posted: Tue Jun 07, 2011 10:45 pm Post subject:

Is that from Stalkers R Us? Laughing

AndyBaxman · LXF regular Joined: Tue Oct 04, 2005 9:47 am Posts: 519

Never ceases to amaze me the number of people who set their SSID as their family name......
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Bomb #20: "Let there be light"

towy71 · Posted: Wed Jun 08, 2011 10:32 am Post subject:

I feel sorry for the people with the BT homehub which has been set up as an open access point for BTFon and there's no support for 128-bit WEP, so you'll be even less secure using 64-bit WEP. There's also no MAC address filtering for limiting access to only pre-defined devices.
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still looking for that door into summer

ollie · Posted: Thu Jun 09, 2011 1:38 pm Post subject:

nelz · Posted: Thu Jun 09, 2011 6:13 pm Post subject:

Most people don't use random passwords. The chances are that if they use their family name as the SSID, the password is based on names or birthdays of children or pets. That gives you a far smaller pool of potential candidates, especially if you know the family.
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Unix is user-friendly. It's just very selective about who it's friends are.

bobthebob1234 · Posted: Thu Jun 09, 2011 8:05 pm Post subject:

towy71 · Posted: Thu Jun 09, 2011 8:37 pm Post subject:

Have you all seen http://passwordcard.org/ I think it is a simple, good idea for non-secure sites or better still, for Linux users, install pwgen