What's your wireless router's SSID?

[Green Sub]

People are starting to express themselves with their wireless router's SSID (the name it broadcasts). So instead of something lame, like "JJ Home", what does your router broadcast?

Mine is "Barry's Hot Spot"

One of my neighbors is "OMGWTFBBQ"

[iSellJerseyShore]

"Free Internet" - That is if their MAC address is known in the router



-Frankie

[Green Sub]

There is another SSID in my neighborhood that is

"Noisy Neighbors Suck"

[BarkMaster]

For privacy reasons, it is unwise to set the SSID identifying the network as yours, or even broadcast the SSID unless you have a need to.

[idk01]

The main is IDK :-) and the second is 'ACE_RIMMER' :-)

[Saxon007]

Originally Posted by 777

For privacy reasons, it is unwise to set the SSID identifying the network as yours, or even broadcast the SSID unless you have a need to.

Indeed!

Enter your zipcode and have a look. Use the slider or double click to zoom.

http://www.wigle.net/gps/gps/Map/onlinemap2/

[TheDude]

I don't broadcast my SSID.

Sure, there are tools that will be able to see it, but your run of the mill OS or wireless connection tool won't be able to.


Mine is jibberish - just a collection of letters and numbers that I made up. I also have the power turned way down.

I live in a condo, and wireless signals are essentially spheres - so they extend above and below as well as laterally, which is why I go to such lengths. WPA2, MAC address filtering, firewalling the wireless connections from the rest of the network, etc...

[allanofcalifornia]

I think we should be kind and recommend SSIDs for our TRF family members!!

"SHEEP" for JJ
"TRF" for Lol-x


Allan

[thelawpimp]

I have no idea what any of this means. I type and I hit send.

[TheDude]

Originally Posted by thelawpimp

I have no idea what any of this means. I type and I hit send.

The SSID (Service Set Identifier) is the identifier that the Wireless Access Point (AP) broadcasts as a beacon. When you open the lid on your laptop at Panera or Starbucks and your computer searches for wireless networks, it's looking for SSIDs.

The names it returns are the SSIDs that it hears when it listens. That is how a computer learns about available networks.

[sea-dweller]

I don't broadcast my SSID from my AP.

[BigHat]

Well now you all have me thinking.

I live in a high-rise that just introduced FIOS and wireless networks just exploded. I must get 30 SSIDs in my condo. I have used an Airport Extreme for a long time and this was really not an issue.

I'm encrypted of course, but broadcast an SSID. I know I can turn that feature off and just have friends type in the name and PW should they need to use it.

Is turning the power down necessary too? I'm not even sure how to do that on my Apple Extreme. Will research though if deemed important to do so.

[allanofcalifornia]

Originally Posted by BigHat

Well now you have me all thinking.

I live in a high-rise that just introduced FIOS and wireless networks just exploded. I must get 30 SSIDs in my condo.

I'm encrypted of course, but broadcast an SSID. I know I can turn that feature off and just have friends type in the name and PW should they need to use it.

Is turning the power down necessary too? I'm not even sure how to do that on my Apple Extreme. Will research though if deemed important to do so.

In my wifi router setup, there is an option if you want the SSID to be broadcasted or not.


Allan

[dkpw]

dkpw - obviously.

Although the idea of Red Dwarf characters is appealing - Arnold Judas Rimmer is a fantastic name. How fortunate Rimmer's parents were, to have so aptly picked a fitting middle name for their youngest and most weasely son.

[Goodwatch]

SSID = loose_lips_sink_ships

[BarkMaster]

Originally Posted by BigHat

I'm encrypted of course, but broadcast an SSID

Not broadcasting and MAC filtering will help for the "drive by" casual misuse.

Encryption is a false sense of security from a purposeful "attack" unless you are using WPA(/2) and a very, very, very long and strong passphrase. Be sure to change the SSID from time to time.

If your WAP allows, be sure to isolate clients from each other unless you require connectivity between them.

[allanofcalifornia]

Here's a question for everyone. What is the risk if you don't set up security but you have a SSID that you don't broadcast?


Allan

[2careless]

Well, as long as your router uses the later versions of wireless authentication protocols such as WPA or WPA2, knowing the SSID does not really give the bad guys much advantage other than that they will know who yours is when in the vicinity. My SSID is "my patch".

[BarkMaster]

Originally Posted by allanofcalifornia

Here's a question for everyone. What is the risk if you don't set up security but you have a SSID that you don't broadcast?


Allan

The risk is very, very high; just like it is to use open access points anywhere else.

Besides exposing the vulnerabilities of your internal network to the outside world, there are tools that make it simple to intercept passwords, IM and VoIP conversations.

[BarkMaster]

Originally Posted by 2careless

Well, as long as your router uses the later versions of wireless authentication protocols such as WPA or WPA2, knowing the SSID does not really give the bad guys much advantage other than that they will know who yours is when in the vicinity. My SSID is "my patch".

That totally depends on the strength of your passphrase.

[2careless]

Originally Posted by allanofcalifornia

Here's a question for everyone. What is the risk if you don't set up security but you have a SSID that you don't broadcast?


Allan

Hiding the SSID doesn't amount to a lot of defence as the bad guys can intercept your transmissions and decode them easily. "Not broadcast" doesn't mean the existing stations (i.e. the stations you allow them to connect) won't use your SSID, just that they know who your access point's SSID is. Normal initiation traffic will still have your SSID in the packets and the bad guys will know if they are sniffing.

As to the risks, I remember a case that someone left his wireless AP without encryption and his AP was wardrove by bad guys initiating hacks to banks. The end result was that the AP owner was criminally liable.

[2careless]

Originally Posted by 777

That totally depends on the strength of your passphrase.

I got an IAS VM authenticating the AD machine certificates I issue to the wireless clients. It's beyond standard WPA2 with preshared secrets.

[damoyorkie]

Originally Posted by idk01

The main is IDK :-) and the second is 'ACE_RIMMER' :-)

"Ace Rimmer " !!!!! Hehehehe. You and your double entendres. Shame on you.

[BarkMaster]

Originally Posted by 2careless

I got an IAS VM authenticating the AD machine certificates I issue to the wireless clients. It's beyond standard WPA2 with preshared secrets.

Excellent!!! You get gold stars!!!

[TheDude]

Originally Posted by 2careless

I got an IAS VM authenticating the AD machine certificates I issue to the wireless clients. It's beyond standard WPA2 with preshared secrets.

Shrug - for the home that's a bit overkill, but it's probably fun to play around with.

My AP is a Check Point appliance, and runs extensive firewalling (inbound and outbound restrictions and protocol checking). I have a few other virtualized FW and IPS contexts peppered throughout the network as well, but a lot of that is for work - mock-ups and learning, etc...

[meloncap78]

Originally Posted by iSellJerseyShore

"Free Internet" - That is if their MAC address is known in the router



-Frankie

MAC filtering is king. Mine is Inertiagaming

[Green Sub]

Well FWIW, I have a WRT54GL router running tofu 13c 3rd party firmware with high gain antennas. I have the power turned up to about 2/3 max. My SSID is loud and clear.

I do use WPA/PSK and I have a randomly generated 63 character passphrase generated from the downloaded tool at

http://www.pctools.com/guides/password/

I don't loose a wink of sleep worring about someone getting on to my wireless network.

[TheDude]

This is mine...




http://www.sofaware.com/general.aspx...=142&objId=212

[mikey]

I think i will change mine to "noseyneighborssuck" I have nosey neighbors that appear whenever i talk to a friend in the yard or sidewalk. They don't even say hi and when conversation or small talk is done they leave. It would be cool if my neighbors pick up my free signal network and it say "nosey neighbors suck" on their iphone or ipod touch LOL

[BarkMaster]

Originally Posted by TheDude

Shrug - for the home that's a bit overkill

Depends on your neighbors....