use WEP to connect the comp to the router, hook the router to another PC only and not directly to the network. Have the PC be a Linux VPN router that uses a 4096bit digital certificate that you physically put on your client machines. They won't be breaking that any time soon.

I guess my concern is if someone were to crack my wireless how much farther they could go from there. Seeing shares etc is one thing but how hard is it to crack in to files and info that is not shared on the network?

Whatever, don't care. Even WEP is good enough to keep the neighbors from stealing bandwidth, and really, that's all the average person needs.

Like the old saying goes, locks keep honest people honest. They don't do a whole lot for the rest of the world.

The problem is that wireless communication is inherently insecure, especially when it relies on binary code. Any encryption scheme and cipher will and can be crack with sufficient resources. It is another matter if it is worthwhile for the would-be crackers.

Wireless is a just a big tradeoff for convenience and accessibility for solid security. My advice? Never give direct, wireless access to systems that contain sensitive information. At very least, setup a AP + Firewall of some shape or form. Treat AP and hot-zones as DMZs.

Don't believe the hype. Check out Ars http://arstechnica.com/articles/paedia/wpa-cracked.ars

I fail at hitting the reply button.
Not for the first time, either :(

Now I will close my WIFI, open to wired only =p

neighbors might steal my top secret prons... =(

This is why you don't share your C: drive. Anyone who relies on a single protection scheme deserves to have their porn stash raided.

The ArsTechnica crew has a much more useful write-up than the PCWorld one - with technical details and background.

http://arstechnica.com/articles/paedia/wpa-cracked.ars

So help me understand...cracking WEP or doing this crack means what exactly for the attacker as far as what they can see and do? Does it give them access to the rest of the network behind the wireless router, whether those nodes are wired or wirelss? Can they use the wireless to access the internet? Can they only read the data that's going across the wireless?

It's probably worth while noting that I believe this is only WPA-TKIP and not WPA-AES. TKIP, according to Wikipedia is a modified variant of WEP which might explain why it was partially broken.

WPA2 FTW!

Yikes... Honestly i don't think i would ever do anything "secure" over a wireless connection anyways. Just doesn't feel safe enough.

Is that time frame independent of key length?

Meh... answered my own question, heh.