If your network is secured using WPA, can people outside the network easily sniff out unencrypted content?

Question

To clarify: My home wireless network is secured using WPA. With this setup, is regular HTTP traffic easily intercepted by people outside of the network (for example, in the house next door)? If I enter a password on a website without SSL, can the password be easily sniffed out?

PS. Please no responses like, "nothing is ever secure" or "anything can be hacked". I realize that a knowledgeable hacker can gain access to anything. My question however asks is it EASILY compromised.

Answer 1

Nobody will be able to sniff anything from your wireless signal if you're using WPA. WPA is uncrackable with today's technology.

However, you are still vulnerable to sniffing from other locations if someone manages to intercept a session from elsewhere on the 'net. This is difficult but not impossible to do.

Personally I don't access sites that require a password and don't use SSL except for the most basic non-critical sites. And I never use an ID or password that I also use on a properly secured site.

P.S. Don't bother with MAC filtering. It's extremely easy to bypass. There's no need to use it, especially if you're using WPA encryption.

Answer 2

No, it is not easily compromised if you have WPA encryption and a secure password. You should turn off broadcasting, though, as it will still broadcast a signal, which you don't want to happen.

How do I know? My wireless was seriously hacked, to the extent the hacker took over my broadband signal, changed my password and locked me out. It took my cable supplier, the router manufacturer and me 2 days to get it back and secured. I know he keeps trying, I can see the pings occasionally, but he can't get through the security, therefore, he can't get into my computer again.

Answer 3

No, i don't use social networking. i'm not a social guy or woman by nature, yet i don't think of i could besides... I attempt to not spend lots of time in front of a show. I examine my e mail regularily, I oftentimes bypass on Youtube (particularly for song - i'm a guitarist) and occassionally I bypass to Yahoo solutions... I do little learn on line and that i never use MSN messager like lots of of my friends. lots of the human beings i be responsive to who're around my age (15-sixteen) spend approximately 4-6 hours each night on fb or msn. that's particularly pointless chatter that couls merely besides be achieved in school day after today, not to show over the telephone or actual face-to-face with the guy exterior of school. there is this variety of element as being too linked socially. i don't see why a guy or woman needs to be donning on a communication with their acquaintances all day. To me it form of feels like an invasion of privateness and a extensive waste of time. Having a social existence is genuinely a reliable element - even although that's going to possibly not exchange into your purely existence.

Answer 4

Look I know there is something like WPA, but we secured with Mac-Filter. it is depend on your wireless network card. it is faster way to protect your network. you can use a combination of Mac-Filter and WPA but in my opinion Mac is enough.
Goto Start menue>Run and type "cmd" then press Enter Key, Now type "ipconfig/all" then near to your Wireless network card read your Mac address.
Now goto your Access point firmware and put you Mac-Address and choose to allow just registered Macs.
Good luck!

Answer 5

Yes, enable WPA or WEP and do not broadcast your SSID and you will foil MOST hackers. But like you said, there are ways around everything. Chances are you will be just fine.