MAC security (Re: Question about Wireless)

Mark H. Nichols ubuntu.prole at gmail.com
Wed Nov 28 14:02:52 UTC 2007


On Nov 28, 2007, at 12:41 AM, Richard Bennett wrote:
>>
>
> Yes, but if MAC address access control is active you wouldn't get  
> access
> to the wireless network to do the sniffing.

I'm certainly no expert, but I think the point is that wireless  
networks are like radios - they broadcast their content without  
regard to any listeners.  While my laptop may not be permitted to  
participate in the network itself, it isn't prevented from listening  
merely by MAC address controls on the router.  I can sniff the  
packets "out of thin air" and determine the MAC address or addresses  
that *are* allowed to participate in the network, and then alter my  
MAC address to one of those.

> Do you think you would still be able to monitor the broadcast  
> address and
> ARP packets even if your MAC address had not been whitelisted?

Yes.

Mark
--
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