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Date: Fri, 8 Aug 2003 01:45:35 EST5EDT4,M4.1,M10.5
Sender: os2-wireless_users-owner <os2-wireless_users-owner@2rosenthals.com>
Reply-To: os2-wireless_users@2rosenthals.com
From:  Orest Skrypuch <os2-wireless_users@2rosenthals.com>
To:  os2-wireless_users@2rosenthals.com
Subject: [OS2Wireless] WPA - any OS/2 wireless PC

Charles McCallister wrote:

>Orest, 
>
>After reviewing the Wi-Fi Alliance website, it appears that Texas
>Instruments  is producing the new chip for inclusion on the mPCI Wi-Fi
>adapters in our  machines (and possibly the WAP, too) such that if there is
>no ability to  upgrade the drivers to utilize the newer 802.11i protocol in
>place of the  present WEP encryption then we may be relegated to strictly
>WEP encryption. I  suppose you might replace the static encryption key
>every month or so to avoid  some of the problems of a static key. 
>
>What do you think? 
>
>
> 
>
Chariles,

Better than nothing for sure.

Airsnort can decode WEP keys in a couple of days -- on a busy corporate 
net. On a quieter SOHO net, it might take much longer, but probably not 
a month -- if someone was really interested. This software is available 
for free in "plain sight" on the web.

Now if you hide ESSID names, and use MAC filtering on the router, you 
are somewhat safer still.

But I think I wouldn't care to trust it if file/print sharing was 
running on the circuit, in particular if you had any Windows machines on 
the LAN. Any of your sensitive internet browsing info will be protected 
by SSL or whatever.

WPA with TKID with rotating keys (set to change every so many bytes or 
every so many minutes) based on a single initial passphrase that is 
never itself sent in the clear and packet integrity checksums, even 
without the RADIUS server authentication available to large corporate 
sites, would make me feel a lot better.

Maybe I'm just too paranoid, I'm certainly no expert on this.

* Orest


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