RE: Wireless Device Security

[Michael Osten <mosten () bleepyou com>]

> Why don't you do this, use a CF boot device, or similar embedded device for
> your data collector.  Put a wireless card in it, and configure a VPN
> Connection to your storage device.  This should meet your low power
> consumption needs, the company that comes to mind has products that use a
> max of 10 watts.
>
> Put a wireless card in your storage device, and put the device in AP mode (I
> have been told this can be done in the BSD's, Free Open and Net, with
> Orinoco and several brands of cards, but I have not had time to test it
> myself).  You would host the VPN off this machine, and would (to some
> degree) secure your network.  
>
> Tim Donahue
>
> PS. I'd love to hear what solution you come up with.

A much cleaner solution (and not home-brewed) would to just firewall the
access points off and force all mobile users to connect to a vpn
server.  This would make WEP cracking useless as credentials would be
required.  This has a problem from a cost stand point when scaling to
thousands of users, but for a small wireless installation it should work
fine.

As some else mentioned there are several companies that produce
"wireless security network devices".  Reefedge www.reefedge.com
(disclaimer, my former employer, not to be mistaken as a endorsement),
bluesocket www.bluesocket.com and aether systems
http://www.aethersystems.com to name a few.


-- 
Michael Osten
(620)437-2961


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