Making a network not allow people on it

Hi,

At some places that I go, I need to enter supply my MAC address to the system administrator in order to connect wirelessly.

Is there any way of doing this on my network at home to stop annoying friends connecting to my network without my permission?

Thanks!

Matt. I

 

yes, if you've got a wireless router you can!

what router have you got?

haven't you set up password on your network?

 

The best way is to setup security, WPA(2) Personal (aes). Using a non dictionary key, random generated at least 20 chr long will fix it so even the hackers can get in. Besides if some one is using your connection for illegal purposes you are responsiable. You are the one the authorities will come after. MAC filtering is too easy to spoof.

If your router supports dd-wrt (the full version), it has options of setting up a hotspot.

 

Thanks for the replies!

I've got a BT HomeHub (please don't laugh). Is it still possible?

Thanks blue, yeh I don't want anybody to be using my connection for illegal purposes (I don't think they do but don't want them to). At the moment, you just have to enter the network key, but somehow they've got that.....

Thanks!

Matt. I

 

Make sure your network is protected by WPA, not WEP. Then change the network access key.

 

Mattireland,

You will need to login to the BT router and change the wireless security. If it's WEP it takes less than a minute to crack. WPA TKIP is subject to brute force attack if the password is 8 chrs or less and is a word in the dictionary. You need to use WPA(2) Personal (AES) with a min of 20 random chrs of all printable chrs. If you do this you will not have to worry about them cracking it, Provided you have changed the admin password from default. Then they are actually stealing it and not cracking it. I use random generated keys from www.grc.com, and save them to a notepad. Their keys look like your worst typing test, don't try to type them in, cut and paste is the only way to go. Use your notebook on a wired connection to the router, login and make the needed changes, ADMIN PW, SSID, Wireless security to WPA(2) AES. while you have the wired connection scan for your AP, then paste the key in, you should be set. Some of the older 11g models do not like the " (double quotes), if it fails connects, delete those out of the key.

 

Thanks blue! That's worked a treat!

EDIT: Just as an experiment to see if all these claims to cracking WEP were true I just had a go at getting into my router on default settings and it's soooo easy! Makes you wonder why it's there at all? Probably for noobs who don't know how to use a computer.... like I was lol