will not join 'invisible' wireless network

[not12listen]

i've setup my wireless network a while back... the encryption type is WPA2/PSK and i've disabled the SSID broadcast. as of yet, i have not enabled the MAC address filtering (been debating it for a while now...)

unfortunately, my Kubuntu laptop will not join the wireless network. i have verified that the internet connection is operational via Cat5e cable and this machine is a triple boot (Win7, Kubuntu, BackTrack5) - Win7 hops onto the wireless with zero issues, Kubuntu and BackTrack will not join the wireless network.

i have verified that the wireless adapter is enabled as well.

any thoughts?

thanks in advance!

[not12listen]

Re: will not join 'invisible' wireless network

just an fyi - i've created a 2nd network called 'test' and my Kubuntu laptop is connected to it without any problems.

the 'test' network is also set up with WPA2/PSK, so the encryption level is not the issue here.

does anyone know if there is a command line way to force a connection to a 'hidden' network? though my 'test' network has strong encryption, i'd prefer to not have any wireless network broadcast if i can help it.

thanks!

[vinnywright]

Re: will not join 'invisible' wireless network

I think you are right that for some "hidden" networks are a problem with Kubuntus stock network manager .....and some say switching to wicd cures it......but I believe BackTrack5 uses wicd.....so if it didn't want to connect ether.....??

however hidden SSID's are not that much safer as I understand it .

now MAC address filtering may do some good and WPA2 was a good choice

VINNY

[SteveRiley]

Re: will not join 'invisible' wireless network

Disabling your SSID is not required for securing your network. Yes, I know this "recommendation" continually shows up in various places, but the fact is, the 802.11 specifications actually require SSIDs to be broadcast. So there is no requirement for software to support working with hidden SSIDs.

MAC address filtering is similarly ineffective.

So long as you're using a passphrase of decent length -- say an easy-to-remember sentence of four or five words -- then WPA2 will protect your wireless network for many years to come.

See my article "Myth vs. reality: Wireless SSIDs."

[not12listen]

Re: will not join 'invisible' wireless network

I think you are right that for some "hidden" networks are a problem with Kubuntus stock network manager .....and some say switching to wicd cures it......but I believe BackTrack5 uses wicd.....so if it didn't want to connect ether.....??

however hidden SSID's are not that much safer as I understand it .

now MAC address filtering may do some good and WPA2 was a good choice

VINNY

the problem with BT5 is that it did not recognize my wireless card at all.

Disabling your SSID is not required for securing your network. Yes, I know this "recommendation" continually shows up in various places, but the fact is, the 802.11 specifications actually require SSIDs to be broadcast. So there is no requirement for software to support working with hidden SSIDs.

MAC address filtering is similarly ineffective.

So long as you're using a passphrase of decent length -- say an easy-to-remember sentence of four or five words -- then WPA2 will protect your wireless network for many years to come.

See my article "Myth vs. reality: Wireless SSIDs."

i do understand that disabling the SSID broadcast is not required, but it is (er.... was) peace of mind. i did read the article you posted. admittedly, some of the information was new to me (with SSID broadcast disabled, unecrypted packets are still being sent back and forth).

so... it appears that i'll be re-working my wireless security a bit. my current passphrase is fine enough, but i'll make it unreasonably tough.

so, thank you for the thoughts and article. i will be doing more reading on the matter, but for the time being, its back to getting basic stuff working.

[SteveRiley]

Re: will not join 'invisible' wireless network

Thanks for reading the article.

so, thank you for the thoughts and article. i will be doing more reading on the matter, but for the time being, its back to getting basic stuff working.

One of the most important basics, at least for wireless, is to try not to force equipment to behave in ways the specifications don't have to support.

[SteveRiley]

Re: will not join 'invisible' wireless network

now MAC address filtering may do some good and WPA2 was a good choice

No, Vinny...even with encryption, MAC addresses are cleartext. I can spoof your MAC address and pretend to be you in 10 seconds. And if you had no encryption, there's no way to stop me. But with WPA2 only, and no other security controls, all known forms of impersonation and eavesdropping are thwarted.

Don't let "peace of mind" arguments sway you. Configuring WPA2 plus all that extra crap provides no measurably greater security than WPA2 alone. But it does introduce greater opportunities to make configuration mistakes, which attackers are very adept at finding and exploiting.

[vinnywright]

Re: will not join 'invisible' wireless network

now MAC address filtering may do some good and WPA2 was a good choice

No, Vinny...even with encryption, MAC addresses are cleartext. I can spoof your MAC address and pretend to be you in 10 seconds. And if you had no encryption, there's no way to stop me. But with WPA2 only, and no other security controls, all known forms of impersonation and eavesdropping are thwarted.

yes I know...............I sead ,may,,,,,,do some,,,,,,,,good. and that WPA2 was a good choice

Don't let "peace of mind" arguments sway you. Configuring WPA2 plus all that extra crap provides no measurably greater security than WPA2 alone. But it does introduce greater opportunities to make configuration mistakes, which attackers are very adept at finding and exploiting.

O I have "peace of mind" .........and feel as what security measures I do take are probably enough for me at least.

Which amounts to a wireless router attached to the cable companies DSL with no ports forded most the time and just what I may be using the rest.
WPA2 with a 13 caricature paraphrase for the wireless.
and an daley run of rkhunter ..............yup that's it.

VINNY

[Arkad]

Re: will not join 'invisible' wireless network

does anyone know if there is a command line way to force a connection to a 'hidden' network?

Hi, I had the same problem with Natty. Try:

$ sudo iwlist eth1 scan essid SSID

Replace eth1 if needed, if you don't know the name, do "$ iwconfig".
Replace SSID by your hidden SSID.

[SteveRiley]

Re: will not join 'invisible' wireless network

Which amounts to a wireless router attached to the cable companies DSL with no ports forded most the time and just what I may be using the rest. WPA2 with a 13 caricature paraphrase for the wireless. and an daley run of rkhunter

Sounds perfect fine.

Has Root Kit Hunter ever turned up a positive for you? Seems the only time I can ever get one of my own computers infected with something is when I actively seek out some form of malware for research purposes...

[not12listen]

Re: will not join 'invisible' wireless network

Has Root Kit Hunter ever turned up a positive for you? Seems the only time I can ever get one of my own computers infected with something is when I actively seek out some form of malware for research purposes...

funny... i've tried many times to get infected (on one of my VMs) and have always failed. maybe my natural BS detector is on too high.

[SteveRiley]

Re: will not join 'invisible' wireless network

funny... i've tried many times to get infected (on one of my VMs) and have always failed. maybe my natural BS detector is on too high.

Grab the original Windows XP bits (not service pack 2 or later). Install with the defaults and let it connect to the Internet. Don't accept any automatic updates (I forget now whether XP RTM enabled that or not.) Go visit some pr0n sites and click around for a while. Google for "oxycodone no prescription" and click on any result in the .edu domain -- universities never patch their servers. You'll get p0wn3d quick enough

[vinnywright]

Re: will not join 'invisible' wireless network

Which amounts to a wireless router attached to the cable companies DSL with no ports forded most the time and just what I may be using the rest. WPA2 with a 13 caricature paraphrase for the wireless. and an daley run of rkhunter

Sounds perfect fine.

Has Root Kit Hunter ever turned up a positive for you? Seems the only time I can ever get one of my own computers infected with something is when I actively seek out some form of malware for research purposes...

other than the report of time stamp changes on system files right after an upgrade .............NO

and then after checking the "changed" files in the list to see if thay match the upgraded file list U run it with the "--propupd" option to reset it's database.............so at this level you half to trust that the packages you DL from your repos are in fact not compromised at the server side !!

and of course run the --update option to update it's defanishons list ....
VINNY

[leetuckert]

Re: will not join 'invisible' wireless network

Disabling your SSID is not required for securing your network. Yes, I know this "recommendation" continually shows up in various places, but the fact is, the 802.11 specifications actually require SSIDs to be broadcast. So there is no requirement for software to support working with hidden SSIDs.

MAC address filtering is similarly ineffective.

So long as you're using a passphrase of decent length -- say an easy-to-remember sentence of four or five words -- then WPA2 will protect your wireless network for many years to come.

See my article "Myth vs. reality: Wireless SSIDs."

Thanks for this information. I'll keep it in mind...