Worried about people using your wifi, and don't want to encrypt?

Tom · February 22, 2007, 06:57:33 PM

Got a router that runs some form of unix, that lets you modify the dhcp server config? This is for you

Absolutely hilarious. And I might just run my router with no encryption just to mess with people.

edit, fixed the "typo" s/linux/unix/

Lazybones · February 22, 2007, 07:00:15 PM

Awesome..

Thorin · February 23, 2007, 10:17:58 AM

Ha ha! I like the Upside Down version of the Internet. You know, after a while I would just get used to it...

Now, you can run with no encryption if you simply limit access to the router based on MAC addresses but then you have to add new MAC addresses when you get new computers in your house. Of course, when was the last time you added a new computer to your network? I'll bet it doesn't happen that often. I wonder if there's a significant speed increase if we turn encryption off... Time to do some reading!

Lazybones · February 23, 2007, 10:24:42 AM

If you just use MAC filtering an attacker just needs to sniff for a packet and cloan your mac address but it does confuse and keep out the basic freeloaders

Mr. Analog · February 23, 2007, 10:26:14 AM

I hear it's popular in Australia...

ba da bump!

Cova · February 23, 2007, 11:15:02 AM

It's very trivial to steal internet from that guy still - and not have it end up upside down. Keep in mind that a wireless access point works like an ethernet hub, not a switch. No time at all with an ethernet sniffer will show you that there are two different IP subnets working on that network - then just force an IP in the other subnet on your network card instead of using DHCP.

Melbosa · February 23, 2007, 11:25:27 AM

Usually, I don't see a huge draw on my speeds with encryption enabled. Best practices for home wireless security is MAC Filtering & some type of WA Encryption (higher is better, but does have a slight performance hit).

Thinking about it (and may be wrong on this), wouldn't your internet speeds will be more notable affected with encryption depending on your computer's ability to decrypt and encrypt the traffic than the transfer speeds on the line. So older machines on wireless will be slower than newer ones on the same wireless encrypted line, utilizing the same wireless connection cards and access point?

Either rate, most of us aren't going to game over wireless (cause of the hub style networking), and the only ones that will be affected heavily by encryption that I can see is anyone running HTPC stuff over wireless to their living room.

Lazybones · February 23, 2007, 11:57:16 AM

Quote from: Melbosa on February 23, 2007, 11:25:27 AM
Thinking about it (and may be wrong on this), wouldn't your internet speeds will be more notable affected with encryption depending on your computer's ability to decrypt and encrypt the traffic than the transfer speeds on the line. So older machines on wireless will be slower than newer ones on the same wireless encrypted line, utilizing the same wireless connection cards and access point?

You would only be as fast as your access point (most have minimal memory and CPU power).. Most of the encryption is handled in hardware by common wireless cards, so the speed of the host PC is not much of a factor.

Edit: Encrypting data also increases the amount of data sent, increasing the overhead. You only have a specific amount of bandwidth to deal with.

Darren Dirt · February 23, 2007, 01:39:59 PM

Quote from: Thorin on February 23, 2007, 10:17:58 AM
Ha ha! I like the Upside Down version of the Internet. You know, after a while I would just get used to it...

Now, you can run with no encryption if you simply limit access to the router based on MAC addresses but then you have to add new MAC addresses when you get new computers in your house. Of course, when was the last time you added a new computer to your network? I'll bet it doesn't happen that often. I wonder if there's a significant speed increase if we turn encryption off... Time to do some reading!

The only-allow-these-MAC-addresses method is the way I eventually went, and was very happy with it, works great with no maintenance worries.

Darren Dirt · February 23, 2007, 02:05:05 PM

"For the uninitiated, this redirects all traffic to kittenwar." ROFL!

I especially like the ironic text at the bottom of the messed up eBay site:
"Can't see parts of this page? Your ad-blocking software may be blocking eBay content."
Yeah, but wait oh great and wise eBay techgurus, what if I can see parts just fine only they're upsidedown?

PS: *tons* of blogs etc. have picked up on this guy's amusing project...

Tom · February 23, 2007, 02:37:56 PM

QuotePS: *tons* of blogs etc. have picked up on this guy's amusing project...

Yeah, its an oldie, but a goodie.