[mdlug] WiFi -Woes(?) or Broadcom is 'the' lame

[Robert Adkins]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: mdlug-bounces at mdlug.org 
> [mailto:mdlug-bounces at mdlug.org] On Behalf Of Ingles, Raymond
> Sent: Thursday, November 29, 2007 3:57 PM
> To: MDLUG's Main discussion list
> Subject: Re: [mdlug] WiFi -Woes(?) or Broadcom is 'the' lame
> 
> > From: Robert Adkins
> 
> > The WiFi is "working", it just doesn't appear to be properly 
> > supporting WPA authentication... I would rather not leave 
> myself wide open.
> 
>  Well, there's WEP, which isn't secure but does serve to 
> discourage casual leechers. It won't stop (or even seriously 
> slow down) a specific attack (it's been called "'as useful as 
> a chocolate teapot' in sensitive environments") but for 
> example, I can see three other unsecured WAPs from my 
> bedroom. Unless someone was specifically after me, they'd 
> just go after the other low-hanging fruit. It's not "wide 
> open"; more like "the door's closed but not locked".
> 

	Yeah, I know about WEP. I don't want to use that, as it certainly is
as you say it is.

>  However, I've also placed my WAP low in my basement. The 
> signal isn't detectable (at least, with the hardware I have) 
> from the street, but I have no trouble hooking up anywhere in 
> my house with reasonable speed.
> 

	My house bizarely acts similar to a Faraday cage. I am unable to
receive a signal for the Oakland County Wireless, that's freely available in
my neighborhood, from outside and I have been unable to get a signal from my
WAP while outside of my house.

	This was tested with my cell phone, which has WiFi capability and
not a very good antenae at that. I did, once, see the Oakland County WiFi
popup while I was in the basement on the laptop, the signal was weak and
didn't last for long.

	-Rob