Sky wireless routers - users warned to set new wireless key

Sky Broadband goes the extra mile more than various broadband providers and hardware suppliers in supplying its Sky Broadband wireless router, a Netgear DG834GT, with wireless security enabled by default.

Signifying that the wireless network is secure out of the box, however it appears according to an article on The Register that if you can acquire the MAC address (a number which identifies individual pieces of networking hardware, and is nothing to do with broadband migrations in this case) the default security key can be indetified and someone could potentially use the connection.

The resolution is for people to modify the security key, Sky Broadband has an article in its Help Centre illustrating the steps needed to change the security key. WPA-PSK Security Encryption is simpler to configure as it will allow easy to remember phrases rather than difficult hexadecimal strings like WEP, but ensure that the phrase chosen is not easy to guess, so for instance steer clear of using your address, family names etc.

The probability of someone attempting to hack into your wireless network are possibly minor and with the number of wireless networks without security enabled people are apt to look elsewhere. As was highlighted recently even using a wireless network without the owners consent is an offence that could produce arrest. Hacking into a secured network no matter how straightforward will also be an offence.