Subject: Re: Secure my NetBSD hostap
To: Joel CARNAT <joel@carnat.net>
From: Todd Vierling <tv@duh.org>
List: netbsd-users
Date: 10/19/2004 19:25:26
On Tue, 19 Oct 2004, Joel CARNAT wrote:

> * How (if possible) can I disable the SSID broadcast (on the NetBSD hostap) ?

If your Windows machines includes WinXP or Win2003, "don't do that," as it
causes WinXP/Win2003 Wireless Zero Configuration to crap out periodically if
any other network appears in range.  For some reason it relies on periodic
broadcast of the SSID as a "network is still good" indicator.  (References
available if you meed them.)

Besides, removing broadcast is rarely useful, as any trivial 802.11 sniffer
can pick up the network name easily.  Might as well just leave it on.

> * Is broadcast enabled on wifi "workstation" (netbsd w/o hostap mode, or windows) ?
>   aka, when some windows is configured (by hand), does it broadcast SSID too ?

WinXP/Win2003 always echoes back the SSID when doing network discovery (no,
there is really no such thing a "by hand" configuration anymore on those),
making disabling broadcast worthless at best.

-- 
-- Todd Vierling <tv@duh.org> <tv@pobox.com>