Wireless network MAC Address filtering = more hassle than it's worth.

[ghostsofgiants]

For the user AND the tech support. x(

[DS1]

1. Seems excessive for home use

and far too many clicks for a knucklehead to walk through the options on the phone

[ghostsofgiants]

2. Exactly.

But this jagoff is insisting on it. x(

[buzzard]

3. Why is it a hassle, what problems are you having?

[ghostsofgiants]

4. I'm not really having any problems, I just really hate walking these morons through it.

(I'm a bitter home networking tech support agent, I'm just complaining.)

[Kutjara]

10. What's even worse is that it's pretty much worthless.

Any "cracker" who has the skills to sniff WEP/WPA for the user's password will know how to spoof an "allowed" MAC address. It's a trivial hack and there are ready-made apps/scripts available on the Web that automate the process for the truly feeble.

I use WPA2, turn AP broadcast off and use MAC filtering on my home network, but I'm just paranoid. Anyway, I know it's only the WPA2 that's keeping me safe. Any decent freeware stumbler will see straight through the other stuff. A little packet injection will take care of the rest.

[Zuiderelle]

5. I use it. Though I imagine the average knucklehead would be a challenge for tech support.

It's exceedingly easy to log on to the router and enter a new MAC address whenever needed. Not like we get a new computer every day and have to add it. But, yeah, if I required some tech support every time I added a computer or changed or upgraded a card, that would be a pain in the ass.

Best way to prevent your neighbors from using your access though.

[ghostsofgiants]

6. Yeah, it's a fool proof way, but really, what are the chances...

Of your neighbours wanting to connect so badly that they'll go through the trouble of cracking your WEP keey or WPA passphrase? Like DS1 said, for home use, it's pretty much overkill.

[Zuiderelle]

8. True. But if you're savvy enough to make it easy, why not?

[Call Me Wesley]

7. What is it? How does it work?

Can you explain it to me step by step? And no, don't give me a link. My keyboard isn't working, so I can't type a link into the browser windows. Does it work with Outlook? Can I filter addresses for PC and MAC separately? 'Cause I know both friends with MACs and PCs, so it sounds pretty handy.

And does it make 'Ping' when the address is filtered? Please!

I can't submit this post because my mouse is stuck. This red light is pretty annoying and not as good as these little trackballs the other mice had before. So I taped over it. Now it's stuck. It's crap.

P. S. Do I have to turn the computer really on to work with it? Or just the monitor? I can see my face reflecting there. It's driving me crazy, it's driving me nuts.

[Zuiderelle]

9. LOL!

Is that a cheese sandwich in your CD bay?

[Call Me Wesley]

11. Doesn't work either.

It's in there for three days and not toasted yet. No matter how often I click on 'burn.' :shrug:

[Zuiderelle]

12. You need to get a Mac then.

They can do anything. :D

[Call Me Wesley]

13. I got the iRack.

It sucks. Really.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-mCCYLC-4xA

[Rabrrrrrr]

14. I had the power to my house disconnected so that my computer wouldn't get a "surge",

and now it won't turn on.

Did it get "surged", whatever that is? Should I take it out of the packing box and look at it, or will that void the warranty? Or should I just take it back to the store and let them deal with it?

I've had the GEEK Squad over a dozen or so times, but all they ever do is sneer and laugh at me, and tell me to check my "fuses" and not to get my union suit in a knot, which is funny, because I've not worn a union seat in almost 5 years so I don't know what they mean, and I'm getting tired of writing them checks.

And my water is cold now, too, all the time, and the TV just shows some black thing that I assume must be one of those fancy BBC shows that I never understand. Could a "surged" hard drive cause the water problems?