Manual doesn't mention wi-fi connection?

MontysEvilTwin said:
Excuse the digression, but does hiding the network SSID and using MAC filtering significantly improve network security if you are using WPA2-AES? If you have the tools, knowhow and inclination to hack a network with WPA2-AES security, would a hidden SSID and MAC filtering prevent the hack succeeding? Or do these extra features just slow down any such attempt?
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You are probably right, but it (mostly) doesn't do any harm to put the maximum number of barriers that you can in the way.
 
That could be another option. As usual, I found a way that worked and then moved right along to the next problem on my (never-ending) list. :(
 
MontysEvilTwin said:
Excuse the digression, but does hiding the network SSID and using MAC filtering significantly improve network security if you are using WPA2-AES? If you have the tools, knowhow and inclination to hack a network with WPA2-AES security, would a hidden SSID and MAC filtering prevent the hack succeeding? Or do these extra features just slow down any such attempt?
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It's a bit like the advice to lock your valuables in the glovebox/boot of the car - it just means any drive-bys looking for some free wifi don't see mine. I really don't mind if they hack the neighbours instead ! :D
 
prpr said:
Your terminology is confused. You use DHCP on the Humax and set a sticky IP on the router, or your use static IP on the Humax and do nothing on the router (you must not allocate static IP addresses from the router's DHCP pool!).
Either method will make the wireless work with SSID hidden, as long as the wireless-helper package is installed.
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I am on Virgin cable (Netgear router supplied by them) and I tried the DHCP setting on the Humax with reserved/ sticky IP address on the router but every so often the router would lose the reservation and dish out a new IP address. So I now set up a manual IP address on the Humax (DHCP first to populate the other fields as described by Tony Bonner then switch to manual). As prpr said you can't use an address from the DHCP pool on the router if you do this. In my example, the router's IP address is 192.168.0.1 and DHCP addresses range from 192.168.0.11 to .254. I use addresses 192.168.0.2 to .10 for devices with manual addresses.
 
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prpr said:
Your terminology is confused.
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Agreed. That's why I put a question mark. I understand now. I have limited my DHCP range on my router up to xxx.xxx.0.200 and set the Hummy to xxx.xxx.201. But I am using a wired connection.:oops:
 
Black Hole said:
Menu >> Settings >> System >> Internet Setting >> Configure Wifi

Note that your wifi password must only contain the characters available on the entry screen, and must be short enough to enter before the screen times out. That rules out my wifi network!
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You could always manually edit the settings.db to use a password that has characters not included in the entry screen. I've done this myself as proof of concept so I know it works.
The Wifi SSID and password are held in clear text in the 252 byte binary blob WLAN_CONNECTED_AP in table "TBL_MENUCONFIG"
The SSID is at offset 0x00 and password at offset 0x78. I think it could definitely be do-able to create a webif page to display or modify all the current network settings, not just WiFi.
Here's a couple of screenshots showing the WiFi settings blob "WLAN_CONNECTED_AP", and the IP address blob "ETHERNET_CONF_1ST_IP" which holds the 4 byte hex value of the current IP address.
Obviously, I have edited out my real network SSID and password.
WLAN_CONNECTED_AP .pngETHERNET_CONF_1ST_IP.png
 
If I could do that I would have a play with WiFi on my HDR3. The powerline connection to there is rather slow (it causes remote playback stutters at times which are not present if I run a cable through). I was aware of the prospect of substituting characters in an existing string, but the option to configure through WebIF would be great.

Chicken and egg though: the WiFi settings would have to be accessible even though the Humax was connected by Ethernet at the time.
 
I setup my HDR-Fox T2 today.
I used an Edimax EW-7711USn which connected straight away.
Only thing I would mention about this adapter is that it wouldn't fit straight into the rear USB port because it is physically too wide and the HDMI lead in the next door socket didn't leave enough room. I used the USB extension lead that came with the adapter.
 
Black Hole said:
If I could do that I would have a play with WiFi on my HDR3. The powerline connection to there is rather slow (it causes remote playback stutters at times which are not present if I run a cable through). I was aware of the prospect of substituting characters in an existing string, but the option to configure through WebIF would be great.

Chicken and egg though: the WiFi settings would have to be accessible even though the Humax was connected by Ethernet at the time.
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They are. WiFi settings remain, and will be used next time you plug in the dongle. So they can be edited, even when connected via Ethernet port. If you edited them whilst connected via WiFi you would be OK till you rebooted, which would then pick up the modified setting. You would then need to reset the router WiFi config to match, before you could reconnect.
I don't know if you could set it up from scratch though solely by editing, if you check the screenshot you will note there are also several single byte entries in the binary blob with purpose unknown. Would probably need to try several different configurations to see what effect this had on said mystery bytes. If they were to remain constant then all the better.
 
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I can configure a temporary guest network to get an initial WiFi setting, but can the resulting password string be substituted with a string of different length?
 
Black Hole said:
I can configure a temporary guest network to get an initial WiFi setting, but can the resulting password string be substituted with a string of different length?
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Yes, I substituted an 8 letter password for an original 10 letter password and that worked, so shorter is definitely OK.
 
A few weeks ago I tried a 63 simple to type password on an HDR-FOX T2 which is normally wired and had no timeout and connected fine.
Just tried an HD-FOX T2 (1.03.02) and it times out at 3 minutes. All I could casually enter from a pre decided more varied pseudo password was the first 40 characters B~'ddWl@|v~oF|bwF{P785ot,f-Nxlq=eg/_GFN+
Are some Humax softwares timing out on less than 3 minutes?
 
raydon said:
I think it could definitely be do-able to create a webif page to display or modify all the current network settings, not just WiFi.
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Don't see why not.
Black Hole said:
nd egg though: the WiFi settings would have to be accessible even though the Humax was connected by Ethernet at the time.
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Not an issue - and it's already possible to simultaneously connect Ethernet and Wi-fi by getting to the CLI with Ethernet in place and then running the /sbin/wifi-up script with a dongle in.
Oh, and the 'swifi' utility can retrieve and display your current Wi-fi configuration.
 
My router has a 15 char password and I've never had a problem getting it into the Humaxes. (However it is all upper case, plus numbers).
 
Trev said:
Yes, but it's the length that's the concern, not the width.
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Happened to be in a position to canvas several opinions here tonight... girth seems to be more important to the assembled ladies!
 
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