Stop others from sniffing packets on shared WiFi

Re: What is your security setup these days?

This is probably completely unrelated, but I just couldn't find out how to create a new thread.

I live in an apartment and share a wireless router with my three roommates and four downstairs neighbours. We use WEP (which I found out here is woefully inadequate). I'll address that later, but what I need to know is if there is any way to stop the people who share my router from sniffing on my packets. I don't think anyone will, but you can never be too careful.

Thanks

 

Re: What is your security setup these days?

The solution is simple. You need to use a VPN to connect to another point so all your traffic is encrypted. I suggest XeroBank.

Barring that, you need to get your own Internet connection.

 

If you just want to secure your mail, you can use SSL to encrypt it between your client and the mail server-Gmail, for example. Otherwise, a VPN is the way to go; WEP/WPA only secures the wireless link to the router.

 

Re: What is your security setup these days?

There are some things you can do. But let me ask if you are the administrator of the router or one of them?

Do you have a Firewall on your own PC?

If so you could get the ip's of all these other pc's and block them from accessing your PC and turn off file sharing on your set up. Basically what I'm saying here is distrust their PC's.

When you say sniffer are you saying pulling your packets out of the air or via penetration somehow of your router. If you control the router you can password protect the settings so only you can change them. You can change the SSID, the user name and password on the router.

 

To stop people from sniffing your connection, you need to use encryption.

 

for browsing, free solution like tor would be enough,but for intense bandwidth application (youtube,download,p2p) you need atleast vpn...

 

There's a confusion here, you can not prevent intruders from sniffing packets on your connection, because even with encryption it can still be sniffed. For this there is only one solution, use a cable connection and not wireless.

With a wireless connection you will always be vulnerable, no matter what type or how many forms of encryption you use.

 

Correct!

Some modern routers can be programmed to make wireless very very hard to "crack".

Short of having the neighbours arrested they can can sniff all they like! But even there they could be replaced by even worse neighbours.

 

Yes, and also because when we talk about "sniffing" we mean not only vulnerable to "crack" the network. With the network exposed "in the air" other attacks can be applied, as Rogue APs, man-in-the-middle, etc..

It was because I mentioned it is always vulnerable and any encryption (even though the data-link or network layers) will not solve the problem.

 

OP is talking about any users on the local network though and not just wireless intruders.

and can you elaborate on "always be vulnerable" on a wireless connection regardless of encryption? Because if you're insinuating that all forms of wireless encryption can be cracked, I'd disagree. A properly configured WPA2 connection can be made essentially uncrackable