Amiga + WiFi with WPA2?

[pkersey]

Hi!

I'm considering a WiFi PCMCIA card for my Amigas. Currently using a wired network card which works wonders but it wouldn't be bad if I could have one less cable in the room. The only problem would be that I happen to use a WPA2 encrypted network.

Questions:

1) Have been reading the WPA2 support is commercial. So those drivers I see lurking in AmiNet aren't the right ones for the job, are they?
2) I'm wondering if my A1200+030 will be fast enough for a WPA2 encryption? I mean, will it be able to do the networking without becoming a snail to perform anything else?
3) What about a pure 68k A600? Will it be fast enough?

Thanks for answers or any advice!

Gear is :
- A1200 + '030, 32Mb total RAM
- A600 4MB RAM

[FOL]

Originally Posted by pkersey

Hi!

I'm considering a WiFi PCMCIA card for my Amigas. Currently using a wired network card which works wonders but it wouldn't be bad if I could have one less cable in the room. The only problem would be that I happen to use a WPA2 encrypted network.

Questions:

1) Have been reading the WPA2 support is commercial. So those drivers I see lurking in AmiNet aren't the right ones for the job, are they?
2) I'm wondering if my A1200+030 will be fast enough for a WPA2 encryption? I mean, will it be able to do the networking without becoming a snail to perform anything else?
3) What about a pure 68k A600? Will it be fast enough?

Thanks for answers or any advice!

Gear is :
- A1200 + '030, 32Mb total RAM
- A600 4MB RAM

1) Really, as far as I know, its been free for the last year or so.

2) 030 A1200 should be ok'ish, it didn't run to bad on my A1200 with 030.

3)It would work on A600, but it would kill it.

[pkersey]

Hi FOL! Thanks for the reply.

Originally Posted by FOL

1) Really, as far as I know, its been free for the last year or so.

2) 030 A1200 should be ok'ish, it didn't run to bad on my A1200 with 030.

3)It would work on A600, but it would kill it.

Glad to know the WPA2 support is now free!
When you say "it didn't run too bad" on the A1200, do you mean I should expect some quirks?

[theugly]

if WPA2 loads your cpu too much maybe you should set uncrypted? And add a list on your router which MAC addresses are allowed?

[pkersey]

Hi, @theugly! Thanks for joining this discussion.

Originally Posted by theugly

maybe you should set uncrypted?

Do you mean I should remove WPA/WPA2/WEP or whatever encryption? I don't feel like I will run my computers under an unencrypted network. I'd rather stay with my wired net card in the Amiga and forget about it under wifi.

Originally Posted by theugly

And add a list on your router which MAC addresses are allowed?

I use that in my router. Only a handful MAC addresses are allowed to use my network and encryption is set to WPA2, which I'm inclined to stick with.

Or do you suggest there's a strong reason not to use the encryption at all?

[theugly]

I am not a networking specialist but I don't think anyone else can use your network when they are not in your MAC list.

I have this for years that way actually. Because for example also the Nintendo DS can't use WPA2.

At times I look at my routers log and I never spotted any unknown computers logging on.

Base rule on your router should be to not allow anything and then make exceptions who are allowed.

[pkersey]

Originally Posted by theugly

I don't think anyone else can use your network when they are not in your MAC list.

You're right, but allow me to say that's not what the encryption is for. It's to protect the privacy during exchange of data. One would argue WPA2 could be broken anyway, but if we apply this sort of thought to all things we got around us then we really should have no doors in our houses and garages.

I don't mind if one is "listening" to what comes in and out of my Amigas but letting my PissSees exposed is certainly a concern.

Originally Posted by theugly

Base rule on your router should be to not allow anything and then make exceptions who are allowed.

Sure, that's how's it done. When my friends pay me a visit I have to register their MACS, or else they can't use my WiFi. These days you have no friends if you have no WiFi

[rare_j]

I think the easiest soltion is to use a modern ethernet wifi bridge in conjuntion with a regular PCMCIA wired ethernet card.
I use one of these (netgear) with good results. It is small and has a really good range.

Mac addresses can be spoofed. Mac addresses filtering is not a secure solution. I would absolutely not turn off WPA2.

[pkersey]

Originally Posted by rare_j

I think the easiest soltion is to use a modern ethernet wifi bridge in conjuntion with a regular PCMCIA wired ethernet card.
I use one of these (netgear) with good results. It is small and has a really good range.

Mac addresses can be spoofed. Mac addresses filtering is not a secure solution. I would absolutely not turn off WPA2.

Thank you very much! I'll give it a thought. Looks nice!

[Scyphe]

WEP + Mac Filtering is pretty much the best solution for the 16-bit PCMCIA-wireless cards (MA401-based like NetGear 802.11b) since they don't have support for WPA/WPA2 with TKIP/AES encryption (afaik) unless you find a firmware and flash a new firmware to it (if it exists) on a computer with a PCMCIA-port.

Besides, if somebody has somehow found out your MAC-adress and is spoofing it you'll know about it since your router won't allow you to use it.

Try to get a router with support for the latest dd-wrt firmware which will give you a lot more control over security etc. (there are tons of guides to help you configure your router).

I have a Netgear WNR3500v2 wireless router with the latest dd-wrt firmware and it works perfect (for my phone, A1200 etc.)

Wired is obviously the safest and fastest way, then nobody can record wifi-packets and analyse + decrypt (WEP is weak and easily cracked) each TCP/IP packet.

[pkersey]

Originally Posted by Scyphe

WEP + Mac Filtering is pretty much the best solution for the 16-bit PCMCIA-wireless cards

WEP looks well less secure than I would like my network to be, so I think I'm not changing the encryption in my routers.

Originally Posted by Scyphe

they don't have support for WPA/WPA2 with TKIP/AES encryption (afaik) unless you find a firmware

I've been reading here and there some of the MA401 cards are flashable to the point of supporting WPA2, some not.

My main concern therefore would be whether the A1200+'030 would take it or ask to get to sleep.

At least one colleague here said he's using his accelerated A1200 under WPA2, but perhaps not as comfortably as I would like. Any other experiences?

Originally Posted by Scyphe

Try to get a router with support for the latest dd-wrt firmware which will give you a lot more control over security etc. (there are tons of guides to help you configure your router).

I've always considered that but not sure about the benefits. There are so many options to configure there it might even give me a less secure, hole-prone network than I think (and need). Do you really think it worth it?

Originally Posted by Scyphe

I have a Netgear WNR3500v2 wireless router with the latest dd-wrt firmware and it works perfect (for my phone, A1200 etc.)

Now the wireless problem widens. My routers are all TP-LINK and though I see they make a superb job doing what they should, they don't seem to like routers from other manufacturers. Bought me a very good Tenda router with MIMO and 400mW signal just to discover it wouldn't let my TP-LINKs bridge to it. Took one of the TP-LKs to my girlfriend's and it wouldn't talk to a D-LINK router too. Sadly DDWRT in them isn't supported afaik, but I should read further as I could be overlooking things.

[Nobby_UK]

I use my 1200+040 with a couple of Prism2 driven cards
using WPA-PSK and TKIP.
Speed is acceptable if you don't get bogged down with Java...
The connection may drop (time-out) now and again
but it is easy to restart Miami.

My 600 has to use a Wired Card Bridged to a PC
just used with FTP as everything needs OS3+ and lots of Ram.

I remember seeing several things on the Net + Utube
Re: Netgear MA401 Flashing for WPA2 use.

E.G ---> About 11 mins in
[ Show youtube player ]

[Vot]

I haven't read all the messages in this thread but using wep and mac filtering is utterly useless from a security standpoint.

It takes about 10 seconds to scan for a mac address and just as long crack wep.

I wouldn't recommend it. Btw some routers with wpa2 can be cracked with wps enabled. Disable it... http://code.google.com/p/reaver-wps/

If you want secure wireless buy two cheap routers that can run dd-wrt. Setup one as an airport with wpa2 with aes and the other as a client bridge. This way it bridges the LAN and all the hardwork is done by the routers. Use the Amiga with a wired adapter plugged into the LAN port on the one of the wireless routers, plug a LAN port on the other router into your LAN.