setting up WPA Personal (F9 & KDE 4.1 (from updates-testing))

[Kevin J. Cummings]

Beartooth wrote:
> On Sat, 09 Aug 2008 22:37:15 +0930, Tim wrote:
> 
>> On Sat, 2008-08-09 at 15:14 +0300, Joonas Sarajärvi wrote:
>>> At least on my laptop, running Fedora 9 with KDE, clicking the
>>> NetworkManager icon in the tray immediately shows me the available
>>> networks, just as in Fedora 8. I never need to manually specify an
>>> SSID. Easy and powerful.
>> Likewise, here with 9 and using Gnome.  I wonder a couple of things:
>> Whether the original poster has tried both right clicking and left
>> clicking on the network manager icon.  And whether they're trying to use
>> access points that aren't broadcasting their SSID (which is a complete
>> waste of time).
> 
> 	I have to be missing something here. Why do the wireless settings 
> on my router allow me a separate choice whether to broadcast SSID, if one 
> that isn't doing it is useless?? 

I think you misunderstand what Tim is trying to say.  To make a router 
not broadcast its SSID in the hopes of being more secure is a waste of 
time.  It does *NOT* make your connection any more secure.  Anyone 
sniffing for SSID broadcast packets won't see it, but, anyone sniffing 
for ALL packets will eventually see packets destined for your "hidden" 
SSID while your wireless is active.  So to *not* broadcast your SSID is 
a waste of time.  "iwlist scan" (amongst other tools, I'm sure) will 
find networks without an SSID being broadcast and print out their 
channel number and encryption details.

-- 
Kevin J. Cummings
kjchome at rcn.com
cummings at kjchome.homeip.net
cummings at kjc386.framingham.ma.us
Registered Linux User #1232 (http://counter.li.org)