12-10-2006, 09:27 AM
Hi,
MAC filtering means that you can tell your router only to accept data packets from specific MAC addresses, e.g. the MAC addresses from your other devices, which in theory should prevent other devices (from some hacker, for example) to connect to your router. However, as YZilla noted already, the MAC addresses are stored in the data packets sent over the air with no additional encryption, so they can easily be read from any hacker who then can use them to fool your router to believe his network device is actually one of yours. MAC filtering won't hurt, but won't help much either. Use WPA (not WEP, which can be hacked automatically taking only a couple of minutes!), and you should be fine.
-Kylearan
Quote:Can someone walk me through basic wireless internet security, including things like what WEP, WPA, and MAC filtering mean and how I can lock down my network? Please to be using simple terms that a wireless idiot can understand.YZilla already gave you some very good advice, but just in case you don't know what the "MAC" in MAC filtering means: Every physical device has a unique MAC (Medium Access Control) address, which is needed to decide which data packets on a local network should be delivered to what device. While a device can have several different IP addresses, it only has one MAC address which is unique world-wide.
MAC filtering means that you can tell your router only to accept data packets from specific MAC addresses, e.g. the MAC addresses from your other devices, which in theory should prevent other devices (from some hacker, for example) to connect to your router. However, as YZilla noted already, the MAC addresses are stored in the data packets sent over the air with no additional encryption, so they can easily be read from any hacker who then can use them to fool your router to believe his network device is actually one of yours. MAC filtering won't hurt, but won't help much either. Use WPA (not WEP, which can be hacked automatically taking only a couple of minutes!), and you should be fine.
-Kylearan
There are two kinds of fools. One says, "This is old, and therefore good." And one says, "This is new, and therefore better." - John Brunner, The Shockwave Rider