Re: WEP / WPA problems

"NancyB" <NancyB.2xk5w3@no-mx.wirelessforums.org> wrote in message
news:NancyB.2xk5w3@no-mx.wirelessforums.org...
>
> Hello, everyone. This is my first time in a forum. The reason I'm here
> is due to a rather heated discussion I had this evening with my teenage
> son. I just purchased a new Dell desktop and was configuring the
> Netgear router. I have learned that WPA is more secure than WEP, so
> that's what I set it for. My son informed me that the last time I did
> this, it ruined his gaming experience on his Alien gaming computer (both
> computers run XP Home, SP2). He says that even having it on WEP slows
> and even halts some of his games and causes "problems" with his
> computer. He claims that no one can tap into our computers since they
> don't have the password to the router, adding that they haven't been
> able to hack into our computers in the two years that we've had no
> secure encryption. And even if they did, they couldn't get into his
> computer (he said my computer, which is directly connected to the
> internet, would be safe). He showed me the routers in the area that we
> can tap into and noted that we can't get into their computers. Please
> help. If I truly need WPA, how can I configure it so that it won't
> cause problems on my son's computer? Somehow, I think he's wrong about
> people not being able to hack into our computers. I know a lot about
> computers, can take them apart, etc., but wireless issues are rather
> foreign to me. Thanks for any help you can provide. I'll eat dirt if
> I'm wrong! I do tend to be overcautious. :confused:
>
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
> View this thread: http://www.wirelessforums.org/wireless-networking-discussion/wep-wpa-problems-29513.html
> http://www.wirelessforums.org
>

My dad used to say - send your teenagers out into the business world while
they still know everything and can make a fortune for you.

I can't add anything technical to what Jeff has posted, just some
experience.
My approach with teenagers (grandchildren now) is to avoid any confrontation
on techincal grounds. Therefore I would simply put on the WPA2 and tell him
that if it is a problem to him, he can run some RJ45 cable to his computer.
End of discussion.

Stuart

On Thu, 27 Sep 2007 18:04:23 GMT, "Stuart Miller"
<stuart_miller@shaw.ca> wrote:

>My dad used to say - send your teenagers out into the business world while
>they still know everything and can make a fortune for you.

Chuckle. They're more likely to lose a fortune for you, but that's
all part of getting experience. When I was an aspiring juvenile
delinquent, I would work at my fathers lingerie factory. I had no
idea what I could or couldn't do, so I just did everything. One thing
I learned was to quickly (and quietly) recover from my mistakes and
from minor disasters. Basic skills such as how to clean up 50 gallons
of machine oil I dumped on the shop floor, came quickly. Plugging the
hole I had blown in the elevator hydraulics tank (with a Ramset gun)
was also quickly learned. I don't think I made my father a fortune,
but I certainly didn't cost him one either.

>I can't add anything technical to what Jeff has posted, just some
>experience.

>My approach with teenagers (grandchildren now) is to avoid any confrontation
>on techincal grounds. Therefore I would simply put on the WPA2 and tell him
>that if it is a problem to him, he can run some RJ45 cable to his computer.
>End of discussion.

May I suggest you reconsider your advice?

I don't have any children or grandchildren (than I know about), so I
don't have the benifit of testing the following. However, when I was
younger, my father and other relatives would constantly challenge me
on technical grounds. When I didn't understand something or when the
explanation was over my head, we dragged out the Encyclopedia
Britannica or other reference books and did the necessary reading.
When I eventually proved my father wrong on some obscure topic, it was
as if I had won the Nobel prize.

In this case, the question is why is WEP and/or WPA so much slower
than unencrypted. Never mind the stopwatch timing and guesswork. Tell
the kid to put some numbers and measurements behind his claims and to
draw his conclusions only on test results, not unsubstantiated claims.
That's what my parents and relatives did with me and I can honestly
say it mostly worked.

I also had to think twice before asking for something. When I wanted
my bicycle replaced after a crunch, I was handed an oxy-acetylene
torch, helmet, glasses, gloves, rod, and some practice scrap metal. I
think I was the only 13 year old in my class that could braze fairly
well. When I blew up my mothers car (by driving 8000 miles without
changing the oil), I was presented with the car and told to rebuild
the engine if I wanted something to drive. Same with everything else
I destroyed growing up. Repair first, then replace, an important
lesson.

Incidentally, that's also where I learned the difference between
attacking the technical merits or the person whom I was in
disagreement. There's a huge difference here, which is often not
obvious to the typical teenager.


Anyway, if the kid ends up running his own CAT5 cable, have him do his
own connector crimps and wiring. It will probably need to be redone
perhaps 3 times, but in the end, he'll have picked up a useful skill.

--
# Jeff Liebermann 150 Felker St #D Santa Cruz CA 95060
# 831-336-2558 jeffl@comix.santa-cruz.ca.us
# http://802.11junk.com jeffl@cruzio.com
# http://www.LearnByDestroying.com AE6KS

"Jeff Liebermann" <jeffl@comix.santa-cruz.ca.us> wrote in message
news:mpaof3ljhqrsqn21fr30m5s4ikblif4ajr@4ax.com...
> On Thu, 27 Sep 2007 18:04:23 GMT, "Stuart Miller"
> <stuart_miller@shaw.ca> wrote:
>

>
>>My approach with teenagers (grandchildren now) is to avoid any
>>confrontation
>>on techincal grounds. Therefore I would simply put on the WPA2 and tell
>>him
>>that if it is a problem to him, he can run some RJ45 cable to his
>>computer.
>>End of discussion.
>
> May I suggest you reconsider your advice?
>

Good suggestion. It was a rather poor choice of words. I welcome a technical
discussion or disagreement, in this case I was referring to real 'argument'
stage with the 'entrenched' teenage mind which sometimes refuses to accept
reason. "my mind is made up, don't both me with the facts'.


> I don't have any children or grandchildren (than I know about), so I
> don't have the benifit of testing the following. However, when I was
> younger, my father and other relatives would constantly challenge me
> on technical grounds. When I didn't understand something or when the
> explanation was over my head, we dragged out the Encyclopedia
> Britannica or other reference books and did the necessary reading.
> When I eventually proved my father wrong on some obscure topic, it was
> as if I had won the Nobel prize.
>
> In this case, the question is why is WEP and/or WPA so much slower
> than unencrypted. Never mind the stopwatch timing and guesswork. Tell
> the kid to put some numbers and measurements behind his claims and to
> draw his conclusions only on test results, not unsubstantiated claims.
> That's what my parents and relatives did with me and I can honestly
> say it mostly worked.

Agreed, and when he is proven wrong or refuses to do the homework or just
argues, then switch to 'beacuse I'm the dad (and pay the bills) - when you
are the dad you can do it your way'
>
> I also had to think twice before asking for something. When I wanted
> my bicycle replaced after a crunch, I was handed an oxy-acetylene
> torch, helmet, glasses, gloves, rod, and some practice scrap metal. I
> think I was the only 13 year old in my class that could braze fairly
> well. When I blew up my mothers car (by driving 8000 miles without
> changing the oil), I was presented with the car and told to rebuild
> the engine if I wanted something to drive. Same with everything else
> I destroyed growing up. Repair first, then replace, an important
> lesson.
>
> Incidentally, that's also where I learned the difference between
> attacking the technical merits or the person whom I was in
> disagreement. There's a huge difference here, which is often not
> obvious to the typical teenager.
>
....or fanatic or troll

>
> Anyway, if the kid ends up running his own CAT5 cable, have him do his
> own connector crimps and wiring. It will probably need to be redone
> perhaps 3 times, but in the end, he'll have picked up a useful skill.
>
> --
> # Jeff Liebermann 150 Felker St #D Santa Cruz CA 95060
> # 831-336-2558 jeffl@comix.santa-cruz.ca.us
> # http://802.11junk.com jeffl@cruzio.com
> # http://www.LearnByDestroying.com AE6KS