Encryption

Ok im trying to setup my axim with my router, and off course i want to have some security, but the only way the pda can connect to the internet trough the router is with the Authentication OPEN and the encryption Disabled on BOTH

The Authentication options for the router are

128bit WEP
64bit WEP
WPA-PSK (no server)
WPA2

And for the pda

Open
Shared
WPA
WPA-PSK

[dvmed]

I'm using a 64 bit WEP encryption. PDA set to Open (Authentication); WEP(encryption). At the network management page, both have been set to connect to "My Work Network".

You could also you MAC Filtering.....

My personal favorites because people can see your SSID but can't connect to it.
nanannana boo booo

oh yeah.....i've never had a problem with the 64 BIT WEP Encryption either....

If you go into the Wireless LAN Utility, setting, click on the connection, and the Network Key tab....its says WEP in there. I'm not sure where you are going for your Network Connection settings but the x51v can definitely do WEP.

[braincat]

MAC filter is just a speed bump. It can be easily spoofed.

[AKAJohnDoe]

You should be able to do WPA-PSK between the two. My X50V is set up that way.

MAC filter is just a speed bump. It can be easily spoofed.

I was told the opposite...that it can't be....please explain further. I was told WEP 64 Bit and 128 Bit can be easily cracked but that the MAC Address was unique to each machine and couldn't be duplicated.

[dvmed]

I can't see why anyone would attempt to crack an encryption in a residential neighborhood. Even if somebody manages to crack it just change the WEP every two weeks and no-one would bother to continue trying to crack it. What are the chances that a cracker lives two houses beside me. And if they are parking a car in front of my house, wouldn't it be easier for them to just park in front of a house with no encryption?

[eolhc]

I was told the opposite...that it can't be....please explain further. I was told WEP 64 Bit and 128 Bit can be easily cracked but that the MAC Address was unique to each machine and couldn't be duplicated.

A mac address is sent with transmitted traffic, so anybody listening to the traffic can read the mac address. Software can then be used to change the attackers mac address to the allowed address. Search google for "mac spoofing"

WEP can be cracked by listening to traffic on a network, analysis on this traffic can then be used to find the WEP key, as I understand it a certain volume of traffic is needed to find the key. WEP should stop most people using your access point, but if your worried about sending sensitive info (email passwords, sensitive business info) over the connection it should be avoided.

WPA is what I use with my axim, just select WPA-PSK, and TKIP under the encryption setting. With a relatively long random pass phrase, this should be secure. WPA2 should be backward compatible with WPA on the axim, so you should try that setting on your router.

As said above, changing the encryption key every so often is good practice, especially with WEP, but I doubt most people change it too often because of the hassle

[AKAJohnDoe]

The first line of defense is always to change the SSID of your Wireless Router from the default to something much less obvious and to turn off SSID broadcast. That way others cannot readily see your network and need to know what it is known by in order to connect to it.

[braincat]

most free unix distributions allow changing a mac address with a simple
command. It might also be possible to do that on windows.

[braincat]

A mac address is sent with transmitted traffic, so anybody listening to the traffic can read the mac address. Software can then be used to change the attackers mac address to the allowed address. Search google for "mac spoofing"

WEP can be cracked by listening to traffic on a network, analysis on this traffic can then be used to find the WEP key, as I understand it a certain volume of traffic is needed to find the key. WEP should stop most people using your access point, but if your worried about sending sensitive info (email passwords, sensitive business info) over the connection it should be avoided.

WPA is what I use with my axim, just select WPA-PSK, and TKIP under the encryption setting. With a relatively long random pass phrase, this should be secure. WPA2 should be backward compatible with WPA on the axim, so you should try that setting on your router.

As said above, changing the encryption key every so often is good practice, especially with WEP, but I doubt most people change it too often because of the hassle

Do you have to use Odyssey client to set TKIP?
Thanks.

[eolhc]

Do you have to use Odyssey client to set TKIP?
Thanks.

No, you dont have to use Odyssey

I used Odyssey when I first got the axim, but there seem to be problems with Odyssey and the x51v, it worked but caused lots of slow downs.

Now I just use the standard dell wlan utility

Oh, what I said above about wpa2 being backwards compatible, a wpa2 device should be backwards compatible with wpa, but the wpa-psk is probably the setting to use