Is it safe to use only MAC filtering?

Hey there peeps!

I want to know is it safe to use only MAC filtering to secure my internet connection?

When I seem to put any encryption on my router keeps on rebooting every once in a while on its own! :S

 

Not one bit. It is very easy to spoof a computers mac address to clone yours and they would gain access. They could find out yours by simply sniffing your data because it is not encrypted.

Essentially, someone could gain access in less than a minute if they wanted to.

 

Thanks for the quick repsonse... But then what do I do?

I have a brand new NetGear WNR2000 but it keeps on rebooting like every few hours on its own (with sercurity)

 

Mac filtering is good but not enough alone. I could easily grab your MAC address using kismet and spoof it to get on your network.
MAC filtering + encryption is really the best method, but what you really need depends on your location. For example, you cannot get my wireless signal unless you are on my property so I do not even use encryption. I still check to see who has authenticated occasionally to be sure it's not being picked up, but it's been running this way for a few years now, and still no one - so I'm not worried.
On the other hand, if I live in condos, apartments, or a neighborhood with close houses, I would definitely be using WPA2 (and probably not MAC filtering, too much of a pain for when friends are over).

EDIT: stupid other posters beating me...
Just kidding.

Netgear is a really terrible brand, try a D-Link DIR-625.
But then again, while Netgear sucks, a rebooting router sounds like it might be having a power issue.

 

Check the manufacturer's support pages for firmware updates.
If there aren't any or if they don't fix your problem, return it for something that works.

 

or heat issues

 

1) It doesnt seem like its overheating at all :/

2) I'll try WPA2

3) It's totally uptodate, It updates on its own everyday (Well checks for one)

4) How about if I dont broadcast my SSID

 

99% of users won't find a network with no SSID broadcast, but anyone who was going to use a tool like Kismet to begin with will not be stopped by that that all. You can easily derive the true SSID with tools along with a legitimate MAC address.

 

I agree with the comments made so far. So basically make sure you have WPA2 encryption(Additional stuff like MAC address filtering etc on top is better) or buy a new router.

 

WPA with man encryption and a non standard IP scheme without DHCP works pretty well

 

What i would do is:
WPA2 encryption
mac filtering
ssid disable
no dhcp - all static addresses
Use a different private address range than 192.168.0.0 like 10.0.0.0 or 172.16.0.0
as well as running a separate vlan just for the access point than the rest of the network.

 

most home routers wont do VLANing.

however if they did I would set up router on a stick in a sense and have an ACL list in place send them to a real nasty site if they were not authorized.

 

I also want to add

It really depends where you live too.

If you live in a apartment building, its best to have maximum security since there is many AP and peope using Wi-Fi.

If you live in a house, I think WPA2 security is good enough. I don't think there is a lot of people driving around, scanning for network to hack into.