Is WEP the most secure encryption in wireless network security?

In terms of wireless network security, is WEP encryption the
most secure choice?

I am the home user, and have multiple machines connect to
the wireless router inside the house. I worry about the
wireless security and people can hack the machines.

There are choices such as WEP 64 bits, WEP 128 bits, and PSK.
I chose WEP 128 bits but not sure if this is the most
secure choice.

Any other suggestions to make the wireless network more secury?

Please advise. thanks!!

strutsng@gmail.com wrote:

>In terms of wireless network security, is WEP encryption the
>most secure choice?
>
>I am the home user, and have multiple machines connect to
>the wireless router inside the house. I worry about the
>wireless security and people can hack the machines.
>
>There are choices such as WEP 64 bits, WEP 128 bits, and PSK.
>I chose WEP 128 bits but not sure if this is the most
>secure choice.
>
>Any other suggestions to make the wireless network more secury?
>
>Please advise. thanks!!
>
>
>
WEP is flawed. Anyone with the proper tools and time can break it.

WPA is considered very secure if you use a good passphrase. Either TKIP
or AES (WPA2).

strutsng@gmail.com writes:

>In terms of wireless network security, is WEP encryption the
>most secure choice?

No, it is not WPA is more secure. WEP is breakable with sufficient captured
traffic.

>I am the home user, and have multiple machines connect to
>the wireless router inside the house. I worry about the
>wireless security and people can hack the machines.

Yes, they can.
Make your essid hidden, so that the outsider has to try to figure out
what your essid is to connect. Then make sure you have some encryption
configured. If you are worried, make sure that the key is changed
periodically.

>There are choices such as WEP 64 bits, WEP 128 bits, and PSK.
>I chose WEP 128 bits but not sure if this is the most
>secure choice.

>Any other suggestions to make the wireless network more secury?

>Please advise. thanks!!

> Make your essid hidden, so that the outsider has to try to figure out
> what your essid is to connect. Then make sure you have some encryption
> configured. If you are worried, make sure that the key is changed
> periodically.

No point in hiding the SSID if it's intentional intruders that are a
worry, they'll just run Kismet and immediately find it.

Similarly, WEP is equally pointless for deterring intentional intruders.

Jerry Park <NoReply@No.Spam> wrote in news:pJh_e.656$Qb6.412
@bignews6.bellsouth.net:

> strutsng@gmail.com wrote:
>
>>In terms of wireless network security, is WEP encryption the
>>most secure choice?
>>
>>I am the home user, and have multiple machines connect to
>>the wireless router inside the house. I worry about the
>>wireless security and people can hack the machines.
>>
>>There are choices such as WEP 64 bits, WEP 128 bits, and PSK.
>>I chose WEP 128 bits but not sure if this is the most
>>secure choice.
>>
>>Any other suggestions to make the wireless network more secury?
>>
>>Please advise. thanks!!
>>
>>
>>
> WEP is flawed. Anyone with the proper tools and time can break it.

Yes and not much time either. Say around two minutes max.

>
> WPA is considered very secure if you use a good passphrase. Either TKIP
> or AES (WPA2).

Much stronger than WEP. Probably fine for most purposes.

Klazmon.


>

On Tue, 27 Sep 2005 13:00:41 -0700, strutsng wrote:

> In terms of wireless network security, is WEP encryption the
> most secure choice?
>
> I am the home user, and have multiple machines connect to
> the wireless router inside the house. I worry about the
> wireless security and people can hack the machines.
>
> There are choices such as WEP 64 bits, WEP 128 bits, and PSK.
> I chose WEP 128 bits but not sure if this is the most
> secure choice.
>
> Any other suggestions to make the wireless network more secury?
>
> Please advise. thanks!!

WEP isn't recommended but it's better than no encryption. It would be best
to use WPA or WPA2 encryption instead.

strutsng@gmail.com wrote:

> In terms of wireless network security, is WEP encryption the
> most secure choice?
>
> I am the home user, and have multiple machines connect to
> the wireless router inside the house. I worry about the
> wireless security and people can hack the machines.
>
> There are choices such as WEP 64 bits, WEP 128 bits, and PSK.
> I chose WEP 128 bits but not sure if this is the most
> secure choice.
>
> Any other suggestions to make the wireless network more secury?

WEP will only stop casual intruders. With sufficient data, it can be
broken. WPA is more secure, however you may also want to use a VPN.

"James Knott" <james.knott@rogers.com> wrote in message
news:4aKdnUewnua1YaTenZ2dnUVZ_sudnZ2d@rogers.com.. .
> strutsng@gmail.com wrote:
>
>> In terms of wireless network security, is WEP encryption the
>> most secure choice?
>>
>> I am the home user, and have multiple machines connect to
>> the wireless router inside the house. I worry about the
>> wireless security and people can hack the machines.
>>
>> There are choices such as WEP 64 bits, WEP 128 bits, and PSK.
>> I chose WEP 128 bits but not sure if this is the most
>> secure choice.
>>
>> Any other suggestions to make the wireless network more secury?
>
> WEP will only stop casual intruders. With sufficient data, it can be
> broken. WPA is more secure, however you may also want to use a VPN.
>

1. Use WPA not WEP
2. Use a password that is at least 20 characters long.
( This will handle the weakness in WPA ... as per the latest
research on WPA :-)

or if you're wanting to up the security, you might want
to consider a VPN (with a digital certificate), or
a Radius authentication server (with digital certificates)

Enjoy
Postmaster

strutsng@gmail.com wrote:
> In terms of wireless network security, is WEP encryption the
> most secure choice?

There is a very serious flaw in WEP which allows it to be cracked fairly
easily. If you have a choice between WEP and WPA go with WPA.

> I am the home user, and have multiple machines connect to
> the wireless router inside the house. I worry about the
> wireless security and people can hack the machines.

Thank you. You would be surprised at how many home users are
unconcerned about this sort of thing.

> There are choices such as WEP 64 bits, WEP 128 bits, and PSK.
> I chose WEP 128 bits but not sure if this is the most
> secure choice.

If PSK is shorthand for WPA-PSK (which it probably is) than that is the
best choice.

-j

Jeffrey Goldberg wrote:
> strutsng@gmail.com wrote:
> > In terms of wireless network security, is WEP encryption the
> > most secure choice?
>
> There is a very serious flaw in WEP which allows it to be cracked fairly
> easily. If you have a choice between WEP and WPA go with WPA.
>

I am using linksys wireless router, and it doesn't support WPA, it has
WEP.
any ideas??