Wireless network security

[mdlbear]

This New York Times article (soul-sucking registration probably required) and this blog post that refers to it seem to have a wrong view of wireless networking:

There are two problems highlighted here, I think:

• We haven't done enough to make it clear why encrypting your wireless network is important.
• More importantly, wireless routers need to be secure out of the box. Users will not change their behavior unless the barrier for wireless network security is lowered as far as possible

Wireless networking is inherently insecure. I would much rather see wireless routers come out of the box with the wireless network wide open and just exactly as isolated from the wired network as the WAN port is. When I connect to an unsecured wireless network (and I won't allow any other kind in my house) I expect it to be exactly the same as connecting to the wild, wild Internet. I connect through a firewall on my laptop.

I'd go further and make it clear, legally, that an unsecured wireless connection is available for free public use. If you don't want the public to use it, encrypt it. Just as an encrypted network says "No Trespassing", an open network should say "public property -- please don't litter".