[TriLUG] why not IPSec for encryption for wifi

Corey Mutter corey at mutternet.com
Fri Jul 28 19:00:41 EDT 2006


Greg Brown wrote:

> I did force IPSec use on my home wireless but then I realized there 
> really
> wasn't any need.  I mean, there are plenty of wide open APs even out 
> where I
> live.  If I am running WPA I feel that someone would have to want to 
> break
> into my system just for the challenge alone.  But maybe they will some 
> day.
>
>
> But maybe I'll go ahead and set it back up again.  Heck, why not?  But 
> then
> again, why?
>
This is a geeky group - who needs a _reason_?

I have this going at home - WEP and IPSec, just because I can (and it 
was a fun exercise building a Linux box to do so). Fortunately (?) I 
don't get guests needing to use wireless that often. In theory I could 
just issue any guests a certificate (assuming they have Win2k+ or some 
other certificate-supporting IPSec stack).

Besides, if IPSec is secure enough to keep intruders out on the 
Internet, where anyone in the world can hit your network, then it's 
certainly secure enough for WiFi, where intruders at least need some 
semblance of physical proximity.

Corey



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