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From: nospam on 26 Jan 2010 00:42
In article <sdfisher-825A6E.21390625012010(a)mara100-84.onlink.net>,
Steven Fisher <sdfisher(a)spamcop.net> wrote:

> > > And I recommend against turning of the SSID broadcast. That adds no
> > > measurable security. It adds a lot more complication to your own life
> > > than to that of any serious intruder.
> >
> > i disagree with that one. it adds no complication at all, but it does
> > add a layer by being invisible to a quick scan. chances are the person
> > will find an open network elsewhere and jump on that anyway.
>
> It definitely adds complications if any of your devices physically move
> on and off the network...

i've found absolutely no problem connecting to any network at all,
whether it's mine (invisible) or a public network (usually visible, but
not always). passwords are saved, and it even auto-connects when in
range, and that's with multiple wifi clients.
From: Richard Maine on 26 Jan 2010 00:47
nospam <nospam(a)nospam.invalid> wrote:

> In article <1jcw8kz.oit3011w0z66iN%nospam(a)see.signature>, Richard Maine
> <nospam(a)see.signature> wrote:
>
> > And I recommend against turning of the SSID broadcast. That adds no
> > measurable security. It adds a lot more complication to your own life
> > than to that of any serious intruder.
>
> i disagree with that one. it adds no complication at all, but it does
> add a layer by being invisible to a quick scan. chances are the person
> will find an open network elsewhere and jump on that anyway.

Since I have had multiple times when I personally could not manage to
connect to a wireless network without tuning on the broadcast, I have to
disagree with the part about adding "no complication at all".

I don't recall all the details (as I stopped setting up networks that
way), but my general recollection is that there were systems and
circumstances where I didn't get the option to specify the SSID
manually, but could only select one from the list of those seen. Or
maybe it was that I could specify an SSID manually, but I could only get
to the menu to do so if at least one SSID was visible. (I think that
might have been it).

Now maybe I wasn't "smart" enough to figure out how to do it. That could
be. But I *GUARANTEE* there are people who aren't as smart as I am about
these things (quite a lot of them; I end up helping enough of them to
know). So if I had trouble, there are going to be other people who also
have trouble. Perhaps it is only for some situations that don't come up
a lot. But the existance of such situations, even if unusual,
contradicts "no complication at all". And they aren't unusual enough for
me to have avoided them.

--
Richard Maine | Good judgment comes from experience;
email: last name at domain . net | experience comes from bad judgment.
domain: summertriangle | -- Mark Twain
From: Steven Fisher on 26 Jan 2010 00:51
In article <260120100042317389%nospam(a)nospam.invalid>,
nospam <nospam(a)nospam.invalid> wrote:

> i've found absolutely no problem connecting to any network at all,
> whether it's mine (invisible) or a public network (usually visible, but
> not always). passwords are saved, and it even auto-connects when in
> range, and that's with multiple wifi clients.

I had no idea it worked that well. But I have other devices on the
network that probably wouldn't work so well with, so I'll keep my beacon
lit.


Steve
From: nospam on 26 Jan 2010 00:53
In article <1jcw9fo.1l5mlpa19fw3ugN%nospam(a)see.signature>, Richard
Maine <nospam(a)see.signature> wrote:

> I don't recall all the details (as I stopped setting up networks that
> way), but my general recollection is that there were systems and
> circumstances where I didn't get the option to specify the SSID
> manually, but could only select one from the list of those seen. Or
> maybe it was that I could specify an SSID manually, but I could only get
> to the menu to do so if at least one SSID was visible. (I think that
> might have been it).

it's not a problem for macs, iphones or ipod touches. you can always
get to 'other' and give it an ssid, which it will then save so you need
not do it again. there might be another device that acts the way you
describe, but that sounds like it has a bug and enabling ssid is just a
workaround for it.
From: Richard Maine on 26 Jan 2010 01:07
nospam <nospam(a)nospam.invalid> wrote:

> In article <1jcw9fo.1l5mlpa19fw3ugN%nospam(a)see.signature>, Richard
> Maine <nospam(a)see.signature> wrote:
>
> > I don't recall all the details

> it's not a problem for macs, iphones or ipod touches. you can always
> get to 'other' and give it an ssid, which it will then save so you need
> not do it again. there might be another device that acts the way you
> describe, but that sounds like it has a bug and enabling ssid is just a
> workaround for it.

I don't really care whether it is a bug or not, or with what device it
was. In the end, what I care is that my life is easier if I keep the
broadcast on. I have had cases where it was undeniable that life was
easier for me that way. Whenever I am helping someone with wireless
problems (as happens on occasion), just about the first thing I suggest
is that they turn on SSID broadcast if it wasn't already on. I'm not
interested in explaining to them that it must be a bug in some equipment
of theirs. Maybe it is, but I just don't care. I'm just interested in
getting it to work with minimal fuss. And I might add that most people I
work with want to be able to use devices other than just Apple ones.
Make that all people. I can't think of a single case where people
haven't had a need for non-Apple device connectivity.

And I'm fairly sure that I had the problem of not being able to get to
the "other" menu on a Mac. It certainly wasn't a current Mac machine or
current version of the OS. And maybe it was just that I didn't know how
to find it without the menubar pulldown. As I said, I stopped setting up
networks that way some time ago. But I think I'll trust my recollection,
vague as it is, against an implied assurance that no Mac has ever had
problems like that.

--
Richard Maine | Good judgment comes from experience;
email: last name at domain . net | experience comes from bad judgment.
domain: summertriangle | -- Mark Twain
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