Re:802.11 and security (Score 1)

Well, yes spread spectrum technology does offer several advantages over narrow band methods of communication, however the 802.11 standard did (and still does i think?) have several shortcomings. Namely, the WEP (Wired-line Equivilant Privacy) suggests using a 40bit symmetric cipher such as RC4. This is optional and only applies to data contained within frames and not the headers. Therefore, it is possible for someone to gather information about usage of access points such as caller, receiver, etc. Also, the amount of time it takes to brute force a 40 bit key space is sooo small nowadays, it offers very little protection. (note: most Breezecom products actually use LESS than 40bit keys) Another shortcoming is that the standard does not suggest specific key management schemes. This is left up to the vendor to figure out and implement. One other problem, separate from the standard is how vendors implement FHSS. Essentially, FHSS is a spreading technique in which the center frequency of a narrow band signal is shifted based upon the output of a psuedo random number generator. Often times insecure initialization vectors are used. Sorry for the sidetrack guys!