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[Jerome Malsack]

It would also be a good to add a wifi scanner to your tools.   

A program like insidder  would provide you some good info when making choices on the band and channel to be used.

[Merlijn van Veen]

It would also be a good to add a wifi scanner to your tools.   

A program like insidder  would provide you some good info when making choices on the band and channel to be used.

+1

[Bob Leonard]

Keep in mind that larger (1/2 wave, full wave) antenna's will increase receiver gain they will not help receiver sensitivity. In light of that where the goal may be to insure connectivity keep in mind there is no better way to do that then with a better receiver/transmitter. Larger antenna's often increase range which may or may not be a good thing depending on who you want knowing your network exists. I have no problem connecting to dozens of networks in downtown Boston from my car, and many are totally unsecured.

I recommend MAC address recognition for locking most small networks. You will have full control of who and what devices connect through the use of a list kept on and referenced by the WAP (or router  ). Easy to update, very secure.

[Debbie Dunkley]

I use a Cisco E3000 that I got from Costco for around $65-$70 I think. It has never let me down apart from a couple of incidences where I lost connectivity because I was either far too far from it or I had too much going on between me and it !!!
It is probably my own fault as I tuck it away quite low at the back of the stage so I think I have been getting good results all in all…..

[Steven Barnes]

I recommend MAC address recognition for locking most small networks. You will have full control of who and what devices connect through the use of a list kept on and referenced by the WAP (or router  ). Easy to update, very secure.

MAC address filtering much like hiding your SSID is secure is a myth. It will stop your average joe from trying to hop on your network, but both are very easy to get around. If someone does clone your MAC address and attempts to join your network, your router will refuse the connection to BOTH devices not allowing you to reconnect until you reconfigure the router/WAP.

[frank kayser]

Simultaneous post. Honest to god Scott, great minds think alike.

Great minds run in the same circles... 

[Rob Spence]

I will skip the router vs WAP discussion in that most people have a WAP built In to a router and struggle to get it working.

Some things to do
1) get the antenna (for many, this is the box) out of the rack or doghouse so you reduce the amount of things blocking signal
2) choose 5gHz and turn off 2.4gHz (this will reduce the work your WAP is doing)
3) choose addresses for everything but the wireless devices (they will get theirs from DHCP)
4) choose which addresses the DHCP server gives out (you may choose the default but KNOW what they are so you don't use them from 3 above)
5) choose a boring SSID (don't encourage people to poke)
6) choose encryption and pick a good pass phrase (write it down if you must but, seriously, you will only need to know it when configuring back in the shop)

Do the above and you will be miles ahead and have little trouble with the network.

As far as router/WAP costs go, how much money did the gear you are remotely controlling cost (just mixer plus iPad is likely $3000+)? What is the value of the event failing because you cheeped out on a critical piece of gear?
 


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

[frank kayser]

Consider something with POE (Power over Ethernet) as suggested earlier.  That gives one the option of placing the access point just about anywhere - maybe on top of or on the stands, for example, with just the cat5 cable as the only connection.


MAC address filtering can help in "casual" situations where someone is not intent on hacking - unfortunately, there are many programs to clone MAC addresses.


MAC addressing, static IP addressing, non-broadcast of SSID are merely locks - locks only keep honest folks honest.  They can slow down the ones not fully intent on disruption, but far from being entirely safe and secure.   Unfortunately, as far as I know, the best we can do without going to a Kerberos authentication.


Anyone know if there is a way to implement Kerberos on a WAP?


frank

[Bob Leonard]

MAC address filtering much like hiding your SSID is secure is a myth. It will stop your average joe from trying to hop on your network, but both are very easy to get around. If someone does clone your MAC address and attempts to join your network, your router will refuse the connection to BOTH devices not allowing you to reconnect until you reconfigure the router/WAP.

I didn't say this was the most secure method, but it is a very secure method that is easy to maintain by the average user. Yes I can sniff the network, then clone the MAC address, then attach to the network, then possibly wreak havoc.

All of you out there that have the capabilities to do this during a concert other than me please raise your hand. 

[Erik Jerde]

Anyone know if there is a way to implement Kerberos on a WAP?


frank

Sure you can do that, but usually you need a full authentication system to support it and corporate level bend-you-over pricing for the gear and knowledge to set it up.

Security is easy, same as your wireless mics.  You wire them.  Closest you can get to 100% secure.  Beyond that it's like a bike lock.  It won't keep out anyone determined. 

Best you can do is also the same as your wireless mics.  Get the antennas in a good position, use open frequencies and buy quality gear.

From the networking/security standpoint, lots of good suggestions already.  Static IPs.  Boring ssids.  MAC address filtering is a waste of time if you're using relatively recent waps and using the best security they offer.  Anyone who can crack that knows how to clone your mac.  You don't even need special software for it, doing it on a stock PC takes all of 2 minutes.  Wanna go the extra mile?  Don't connect it to the internet.  If you're using it for show control then you don't need the internet anyways.

I like remote wireless stuff, but I'd still be real hesitant to trust a show to it.  To much stuff out of my control.

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